Add The California Post on Google A recently opened time capsule at a California school has offered a glimpse into the very-real threat of a bomb attack during the Cold War.
A truly chilling note to parents from mid last century was discovered, painting a stark picture of exactly what San Diego families were told to expect if their children’s schools were in the war’s firing line.
The letter to parents, dated October 1962, has revealed the two, color-coded alert systems schools in the La Mesa-Spring Valley District had in place if staff received the signal they were under threat of impending bomb or missile strikes.
The less severe of the pair was the Yellow Alert, which would be enacted if a school received information from a civil defense authority, or upon hearing a three-to-five minute “unwavering” sound with one minute breaks of silence.
The alert required students to be dismissed from class immediately. They would then be instructed to “proceed on foot to his home” without the supervision of an adult.
Meanwhile, the more alarming Red Alert would be issued if a three-to-five minute “wavering” sound with one minute breaks of silence was enforced.
This required schools to immediately implement emergency “cover” procedures where students would seek shelter under their desks.
Students often practiced duck and cover drills during the Cold War period to prepare them in the event a Red Alert was issued.
Several Cold War archives and history groups cite “Bert the Turtle” as a popular animation that was widely distributed to United States school children in the 1950s, to educate them about civil defense training.
After the Red Alert threat subsided, the letter informed parents “further action including dismissal of children will be dependant upon instructions received from Civil Defense authorities”.
Families were encouraged to provide their children with instructions so they would know what to do in an event an alert occurred. They were also advised not to pick up their children from school in the case of an emergency.
“Because Civil Defense authorities feel vehicular traffic lanes will be clogged, transportation of pupils from school to home would not be possible,” the letter said.
“It is the opinion that children will be able to get home more quickly on foot.”
Parents were required to sign a section of the letter that would be returned to the school confirming they understood the “Civil Defense notice”.
While it’s the first time the La Mesa-Spring Valley School District has seen this letter since it was distributed to families in 1962, it does resemble some documents obtained by the district from that era.
The Cold War was a long conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union, along with their allies, which took place between 1947 and 1991. The war ended due to the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
California Post has contacted the person who shared the letter to social media for comment.
