[DonH57]

When was that again, like in 1961? I wasn't even old enough to be in school then which means if I was outside and the sirens blew, old Sport's doghouse would have been the go to place!

[LI SNOWBIRD]

I remember it well --I was 12 and for the first time in my life I was scared s---less.
In my school district grade school students hid under the indestructible desks. In junior and senior HS we graduated to girls in the auditorium and boys in the gym. THERE WILL BE NO END-OF WORLD FRATERNIZATION!

[applesoffh]

Originally Posted by DougB

While in school in Miami, they actually had us practicing hiding under our desk in case of a nuclear attack. Must have been very well constructed desks.

Same thing in NYC pubic schools! I remember being absolutely terrified that my family would all die because we didn't have a fallout shelter! Guess I was 10 or 11, and it was during this horrible time that the RC Church we went to began the recitation of "The Memorare" after every Mass. We were praying for the conversion of Russia, and the end of hostilities.

[rp001]

I lived in extreme north dade (Miami)at the time. The last paved road on the north end? Across the street were hundreds of acres of cow pastures. Literally, I went to bed and a wakened the next morning with Nike missiles in my front yard. They built an underground silo in the area and just recently dismantled it, right in the middle of a very crowded residential neighborhood. Very scary times but it just got worse in Vietnam.

[Bavarian]

Living in Philly, 10 years old, all the news we heard was that Presindent JFK was going to make a speech in the evening of greatest National Importance. Spenr the day wondering what it would be. Speculation was that WWIII had started, Soviet troops marching thru Poland. Was a tense time.

Did those Air raid drills in Grade school in 1959-1991, then no more. Guess worry was debris.

Funny point on nuclear War. Once on travel to a U.S Air Force Base in FL, staying in BOQ as required for DOD personnel to save tax payers money, reads the bedsid disaster manual, on Hurricanes and Thermo Nuclear War, Said just stay in shelter 48 hours and dust the Fallout off the food outside before eating, thought it made nuclear war like

[Hancle704]

My AF Reserve Troop Carrier Wing was next in line to be activated. Fortunately, the crisis was resolved by a President who did not draw a phony line in the sand.

[rubicon]

I remember it well. While I was stationed at Oceana Va Naval Base we had to stand watch 24/7 and I was in Personnel.

My brother was stationed at Gitmo Bay Naval Station during the crisis and had quite a few interesting stories he related years later

[MikeV]

I was just 13 yo and we followed the Crisis in school. Pretty scary if I remember correctly.

[John_W]

I was 12 and living in St. Petersburg. What I remember most was one of my friend's father who worked for Florida Power, had bought some used steel shafts that were 4'x4' by 2" thick steel. He dug a huge hole in his backyard and dropped in 20' length of shafts about 10' down. He surrounded them with gravel and concrete and filled over with dirt. It was their bomb shelter. The next year it became our fort and hangout, it was pretty neat.

[raynan]

I was 10 and remember going to the basement in our elementary school and worrying that the whole school would come down on us. Also remember young pregnant mothers on our street sitting on steps in groups worrying about their husbands who were in the National Guard as I was in earshot playing with some of their toddlers. Very scary.

[Shimpy]

Originally Posted by bluedog103

I remember it well. From our home in Alabama we could see the trains transporting troops and equipment to Florida in preparation of a possible invasion of Cuba, even though the President said there would be no invasion.

I also saw those trains with tanks and other equipment on flat bed cars going thru Miami. I remember going to school one morning and having to wait for the train carrying all that military equip.

[BobnBev]

Our air base in Indiana was on lockdown due to DEFCON 2.
I was on the flightline gate to the Alert A/C pads.
The base commander, a full bird Colonel, came running up to the gate and didn't have his gate pass with him. Our orders were that NO ONE entered w/o the proper credentials.
He insisted I let him in, so he went face down in the rain at gunpoint.
The Provost Marshall came up and verified who he was.
I thought "Oh boy, my ass is grass now."
Just the opposite. I got a commendation for taking the proper action,. and a handshake from the Colonel, after we went back to DEFCON 3.

[SALYBOW]

Like it was yesterday. I was so scared that we were going to get into a war with Cuba and the US would be invaded. I also remember watching Kennedy throughout it.