Chilling 1962 Cold War-Era letter reveals nightmare scenario California schools prepared for

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 f...