More Remembering

I started reading a book I got for free on my Kindle Fire the other day.  It is about the Cold War.  Since that is some of my earliest memories I thought it might be interesting to read now that I am a 'little' older than I was then.  My first real memories of the Cold War come from my time in elementary school.  (Do they even still call it that?)  

I was in the first grade in 1959.  We had no Kindergarten or Pre-school then unless you were well off enough to pay for a private one that was mostly just Day Care.  Believe me, we weren't.  My Mom was not a stay at home Mom in those days like most Moms.  She chose to work as my Dad's salary just wasn't enough. 

Our school always had fire drills, where we got 3 rings on the bell and we all lined up and filed out to stand in line while we watched the school burn.  At least that is what it seemed like with all standing in line by class very near the school, whether in the playground or the front yard.  I suppose if the school was engulfed they would have been smart enough to get us farther away lol.  Over the years these fire drills started including 'air raid' drills.  We get 4 rings on the bell then.  The first couple times this happened we filed out and lined up just like a fire drill.  Even at that age (first grade) I knew this was beyond dumb.  Let's all stand around outside and wait for whatever they perceived at the time as an air raid.  

Someone finally wised up and the air raid drills were modified.  We no longer waited to get strafed or incinerated while waiting in a line on the playground.  We started filing into the hallway and everyone would sit down and cover their heads while putting them between our crooked knees.  We never did hide under desks like I have seen in old videos from the time.  This eventually evolved into an evacuation plan since someone realized that the nuclear attack we were all expecting would wipe us all out regardless of our drills.  The evacuation plan got mothers that were 'stay at home Moms' to volunteer to be the evac vehicle using their cars.  These evac drills started out similar with the 4 bells and everyone filing out to line up outside.  All the Moms were notified in advance of the drill and would park in the street next to the school.  At the time we had the largest elementary in our city at over 900 kids.  Can you imagine the number of cars/Moms that would require to evac that many?  After lining up outside we would eventually be sent to various cars with 4-5 students per car.  And how would Moms get an advance notice of this attack and park neatly waiting patiently for students to evac.  Insanity.  The next time we did this drill, we were actually driven out the route that particular mother was assigned.  There were no interstates in those days, so we would be headed out of town on a 2 lane road, or 4 if you were assigned another location.  I was assigned to Karnes City, Texas.  We didn't go all the way there, just a few miles outside of town.  If you have ever been to Karnes City, you would wonder how they were going to be able to handle all these kids.  I am sure other schools would have gathered there also, and not just from my city.

My Mom pretty much expected me to just bust the line and come running home instead of heading out of town with so many 'strangers' and being seperated from family.  Well, that was my plan anyway, but realistically could a first grader break away from a teacher?  Probably if there were 900 kids trying to get home at the same time.  But regardless, if there were missiles in Cuba or a submarine in the Gulf, we had no time for any of this.  I remember vividly that we were told it would take only 7 minutes for a missle to hit us from Cuba.  We would be a prime target due to all the military posts and bases here.  We had at least 7 from what I recall, Ft. Sam, Brooks AFB, Randolph AFB, Medina AFB, Kelly Field,  Camp Stanley and Camp Bullis.  

Here is a look at my old ID card we wore around our neck if we did have to evacuate:

Happy Trails