Professional Soldiers ® - View Single Post - 9-11 in the classroom, a high school classroom.

**Pete** · 09-13-2009, 10:50

I was in the 2nd or 3rd grade during the Cuban Missile Crisis - living on a SAC base no less with B-52s.

I remember bringing in a pillow and blanket per student and the drills going into the utility tunnels under each classroom. The teacher would open the trap door, place her chair in the tunnel and the students would file into the tunnel and remain until the all clear. Everybody.....

Everybody except the kids who were within 1 minute walking distance from their homes. That was two streets of lower ranking officers kids and the mobile home park. They gathered at the school's front door.

(I had always wondered about the kids walking home. For some reason it didn't seem odd or out of place at the time. It was just assumed that Mother or the neighbor would be home.)

I remember everybody in base housing being requested to clear out the area under the basement stairs for a home made fallout shelter and stocking a few basic items.

I remember the drills but nothing about fear or terror. To us kids it was an interesting interlude in the life of a child - just another day.

09-13-2009, 10:50	#7
Pete Quiet Professional Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Fayetteville Posts: 13,080	Age & View I was in the 2nd or 3rd grade during the Cuban Missile Crisis - living on a SAC base no less with B-52s. I remember bringing in a pillow and blanket per student and the drills going into the utility tunnels under each classroom. The teacher would open the trap door, place her chair in the tunnel and the students would file into the tunnel and remain until the all clear. Everybody..... Everybody except the kids who were within 1 minute walking distance from their homes. That was two streets of lower ranking officers kids and the mobile home park. They gathered at the school's front door. (I had always wondered about the kids walking home. For some reason it didn't seem odd or out of place at the time. It was just assumed that Mother or the neighbor would be home.) I remember everybody in base housing being requested to clear out the area under the basement stairs for a home made fallout shelter and stocking a few basic items. I remember the drills but nothing about fear or terror. To us kids it was an interesting interlude in the life of a child - just another day.
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