FALLOUT_SHELTER_LOS_ ANGELES ,THE CITY OF ANGELS PREPARES FOR ARMEGGEDON (1955-1961)

FALLOUT_SHELTER_LOS_ANGELES


LOS ANGELES CIVIL DEFENSE PREPARES ITS CITIZENS FOR ATOMIC ATTACK

LISTEN TO ACTUAL CONELRAD CIVIL DEFENSE BROADCAST DURING A OPERATION ALERT EXERCISE

HERE THE MAYOR WITH THE HEAD OF CIVIL DEFENSE AND OTHER LOS ANGELES  POLITICIANS  GET READY TO START CIVIL DEFENSE WEEK WITH TRAININGS AND EXHIBITS AND THE NATIONAL DRILL "OPERATION ALERT"

CITY OF LOS ANGELES EARLY 1951 SHOWS CITY PLANS TO BUILD A LARGE SHELTER IN THE SHADOW OF CITY HALL

THE CITIZENS OF LOS ANGELES WERE NOT UNAWARE OF THE ENORMOUS DESTRUCTIVE CAPABILITIES OF ATOMIC WEAPONS, EVERY TEST AT THE NEVADA TEST SITE, MERCURY NEVADA WAS CONDUCTED BEFORE DAWN AND LOS ANGELES WOULD ACTUALLY SEE THE ENTIRE EASTERN SKY LIGHT UP AS IF THE SUN WAS RISING BRIEFLY ILLUMINATING LOS ANGELES IN A CAMERA FLASH BULB EFFECT....... THE TEST WAS HUNDREDS OF MILES AWAY.

HERE LOS ANGELES IS BATHED IN THE FLASH OF A ABOVE GROUND ATOMIC WEAPON TEST OVER A COUPLE HUNDRED MILES EAST

THE ABOVE PICTURES SHOW HOW THE LOS ANGELES AREA WOULD LIGHT UP IN THE PRE DAWN HOURS WHEN A DEVICE WAS TESTED AT THE NEVADA TEST SITE ,IN MERCURY, NEVADA .MORE THAN A COUPLE HUNDRED MILES EAST OF LA.

HERE CIVIL DEFENSE WORKERS PLOT THE SIZE AND DAMAGE RADIUS OF A SIMULATED ATOMIC WEAPON DETONATION ON LOS ANGELES

WORKING WITH VOLUNTEERS THE CREW OF A CIVIL DEFENSE HEAVY RESCUE TRUCK GO OVER BASIC FIRST AID



HERE CIVIL DEFENSE WORKERS GET FAMILIAR WITH HEAVY RESCUE TOOLS WITH THE WHAT WAS CALLED THE "CALAMITY JANE" MODEL OF RESCUE TRUCKS THE PRECURSOR TO MODERN FIRE DEPARTMENT RESCUE COMPANYS AND OVER ALMOST 60 YEARS LATER MOST OF THE TOOLS CARRIED BY THESE RESCUE TRUCKS ARE THE SAME TODAY.

HERE A RADIOLOGICAL MONITOR FROM BURBANK CIVIL DEFENSE HAS A LOW RANGE METER TO CHECK FOR RADIATION ON VICTIMS TO SEE IF THEY NEED DECONTAMINATION

THE MORE REALISTIC THE DRILL THE BETTER PREPARED CIVIL DEFENSE WORKERS WILL BE, INJURIES FROM THE EXTREME HEAT AN ATOMIC WEAPON THROWS OFF WILL BURN EXPOSED SKIN MILES AWAY AND CAUSE FLASH BLINDNESS  20 MILES AWAY,OTHER INJURIES FROM THE BLAST IS GLASS FLYING FROM THE BLAST WAVE AND BUILDINGS COLLAPSING.



LA COUNTY FIRE FIGHTERS ALONG WITH CIVIL DEFENSE WORKERS DECONTAMINATE CASULTIES AND INJURED DURING DRILL, DECONTAMINATION FROM RADIOACTIVE FALLOUT IS CRITICAL FOR ANYBODY ENTERING A SHELTER.

HOSPITAL TO CIVIL DEFENSE HQ RADIO LINKS ARE SETUP, CALIFORNIA MORE THAN OTHER STATE CIVIL DEFENSE USED EMERGENCY RADIO EXTENSIVELY PICTURED IS A CIVIL DEFENSE "GONSET" A EXCELLENT MODEL FOR EMERGENCY WORK, I HAVE ONLY SEEN THIS TYPE OF RADIO USED ON THE WEST COAST AND SOME ARE PROBABLY STILL IN USE ,SINCE CIVIL DEFENSE IN CALIFORNIA NEVER REALLY FADED AWAY WHEN THE COLD WAR WAS OVER,THE STATE HAS MANY EARTHQUAKES AND  THE SAME CIVIL DEFENSE TOOLS OF THE COLD WAR ERA WORK IN DISASTERS, SHELTERS,RADIO COMMUNICATION,MOST IMPORTANTLY VOLUNTEERS, LOS ANGELES HAS BEEN LUCKY SO FAR AND WITH EARTHQUAKES ITS NOT A MATTER OF "IF" ITS MORE LIKE "WHEN" .SO MITIGATION, PREPARDNESS AND RESPONSE ARE IMPORTANT.

HERE IS THE LA SHERIFF STATION CIVIL DEFENSE IS USING THE LARGE SHELTER OPERATIONS AREA AS HEADQUARTERS(i guess LAX was open to air traffic during the drill ...unless that jet in the upper right is a soviet bomber)



CIVIL DEFENSE COMMUNICATION HQ RELAYING MESSAGES FROM FIELD UNITS LIKE RADIOLOGICAL MONITORING UNITS, LATER RADIO ENTHUSIASTS FORMED A CIVIL DEFENSE UNIT, IT BECAME KNOWN AS "RACES" (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services) AND ARE THE LIFE LINK IN MANY DISASTERS AROUND THE UNITED STATES AND THE WORLD TO THIS VERY DAY.

COORDINATING VARIOUS DAMAGE RINGS AND WHAT AREAS RECIEVED A HIT BY AN ATOMIC WEAPON HAD TO BE RADIOED IN TO CIVIL DEFENSE HQ SO ONCE RADIATION LEVELS WERE LOW ENOUGH TEAMS OF RESCUERS COULD GET TO PRIORITY AREAS



AT HEADQUARTERS THE INFORMATION FROM DAMAGE ASSESMENT TEAMS ALLOW CIVIL DEFENSE TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THE DETONATION WAS AND HOW MANY

THE ARROW IS POINTING AT A RADIOACTIVE ELEMENT THE VOLUNTEER CIVIL DEFENSE RADIOLOGICAL MONITORING UNIT IS USING TO GET USED TO THE MONITORING DEVICES AND THE FIELD OFFICER IS ON HIS RADIO RELAYING READINGS BACK TO HQ A VERY IMPORTANT POST SINCE THESE UNITS WOULD IN FACT BE ALERTING THE RESIDENTS OF LOS ANGELES TO SEEK SHELTER WHEN FALLOUT IS DETECTED,ALSO RADIOLOGICAL TEAMS WOULD BE CALLING IN SIGHTED NUCLEAR DETONATIONS AND ESTIMATING HOW FAR AWAY,AND WHICH WAY THE MUSHROOM CLOUD IS DRIFTING,AND DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS OF THEIR AREA FINDING PRIORITY INCIDENTS LIKE TRAPPED PEOPLE,FIRES,LOOTERS. 

THE OLD SHELTER SIGN AND THE NEW FALLOUT SHELTER SIGN POSTED ON THE BUILDING THAT MAKES THE PICTURES YEAR KNOWN SINCE 1961 WAS THE FIRST YEAR THEY WERE INTRODUCED THE OLDER "S" SHELTER SIGN GOES BACK TO WORLD WAR TWO AND ARE RARELY SEEN ANYMORE IN NYC I HAVE SEEN 2 POSTED AND IN BAD CONDITION WHILE THE FALLOUT SHELTER SIGN IS ON EVERY BUILDING IN ALL BORO'S OF NYC AND ALL ARE IN GOOD CONDITION SOME LOCATIONS STILL HAVE RATIONS.

HERE CIVIL DEFENSE OFFICIALS DECIDE TO SHELTER WITH THE POPULATION AND GET FEEDBACK ABOUT THE DRILL

HERE THE CIVIL DEFENSE COORDINATOR FOR LOS ANGELES SHOWS A MOCK FALLOUT SHELTERS CONSTRUCTION HOW BY DESIGNING IT FOR PROTECTION FROM RADIATION IS IMPORTANT AND EASY, THIS MODEL SHOWS SOIL BETWEN THE TWO CONCRETE WALLS GIVING IT A HIGH PROTECTION FACTOR.

FALLOUT SHELTERS NEEDED FOOD AND WATER RATIONS TO KEEP PEOPLE FROM GOING OUT IN TO RADIOACTIVE CONDITIONS LOOKING FOR FOOD, HERE A OBSCURE FOOD RATION KIT IS BEING USED WITH THE US GOVERNMENT HIGH CALORIE CRACKER RATION OR BISCUIT. THE DRINKING WATER IN THE CANS ARE COMMONLY FOUND AT ARMY NAVY STORES, AND IS A BAG OF WATER INSIDE THE CONTAINER JUST LIKE THE ONES IN FALLOUT SHELTERS ONLY SMALLER.

THE DAY THEY H-BOMBED LOS ANGELES A GREAT BIT OF PULP FICTION PUT OUT BY "ACE" BOOKS THE SAME FOLKS WHO PUT OUT THE COMIC BOOKS "WORLD WAR THREE" AND THE 4-PART "ATOMIC ATTACK " SERIES MORE INFO CAN BE FOUND IN OLDER POSTS ON THIS BLOG OR ON CONELRAD.COM

T ABOVE PICTURES SHOW THE AMOUNT OF WATER NEEDED TO SHELTER CITIZENS, WATER IS NOT STOREDT IN THESE UNTIL A NATIONAL THREAT LEVEL REACHES ALERT LEVEL THEN THESE WATER CONTAINERS WOULD BE FILLED, INSIDE EACH CONTAINER IS A HEAVY PLASTIC LINER THAT IS ATTACHED AND FILLED WITH WATER,THIS IS SO THE WATER IS NOT IN CONTACT WITH THE METAL CONTAINER

PARTICIPATION IN OPERATION ALERTS WHERE SUPPOSED TO BE MANDATORY BUT SOME AREAS HAD PROTESTS AND EVEN SOME CITY CIVIL DEFENSE OPERATIONS DID NOT PARTICIPATE, THE WASHINGTON DC DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CIVIL DEFENSE CHIEF IGNORED THE SIMULATION REFUSING TO ORDER HIS UNITS TO PARTICIPATE,AND TOLD THEM TO STAY AT WORK..HE WAS FIRED BY PRESIDENT EISENHOWER.1955

SHELTER DOWN ON THE TRAIN STATION PLATFORM MUST OF BEEN AWFUL HOT!

HERE LOS ANGELES CITIZENS GO TO THE NEAREST SHELTER AND AWAIT THE ALL CLEAR TO LEAVE MOST PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN THE OPERATION ALERT DRILLS THROUGHOUT THE YEARS THAT THEY HAPPENED

OUT IN THE SUBURBS OF LA HOME SHELTERS WERE BEING SETUP,PUBLIC SHELTERS WERE FOR RESIDENTS WITHOUT HOME SHELTERS SUCH AS APARTMENT BUILDINGS AND THE PUBLIC WAS ADVISED TO BUILD HOME SHELTERS SINCE LIVING IN A SMALL PLACE WITH 600 PEOPLE AND VERY LITTLE FOOD AND OTHER THINGS COULD BE AVOIDED BY SHELTERING AT HOME.

HERE  AN ENTERPRISING BOMB SHELTER BUILDER SHOWS OFF HIS LATEST BACKYARD SHELTER WITH THE HELP OF A MODEL, SHELTERS WERE HARD TO SELL UNTIL THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS WHEN THE MARKET WENT NUTS FOR SIX MONTHS AND THEN IT WENT BACK TO ITS SLOW PACE,MOST SUBURBAN HOME OWNERS CHOOSED TO BUILD THEIR OWN REFUGE THAN HAVE IT BUILT.

THE GREATEST PUSH FOR FALLOUT SHELTERS WERE IN SCHOOLS, ALL NEW SCHOOL BUILDINGS HAD TO BUILD SHELTERS INTO THE SCHOOL AND HAD TO BE USED IN TIME OF PEACE FOR SCHOOL PURPOSES AND IN CRISIS COULD QUICKLY CONVERT INTO A LARGE SHELTER. HERE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS GRAB A PIECE OF THE FLOOR COVERING THEIR HEAD AND EYES. THIS DRILL WAS CONDUCTED IN SCHOOLS NATIONWIDE FOR YEARS WAY INTO THE 1980s THE COVER UP POSITION IS ACTUALLY CALLED "DUCK AND COVER" AND WAS INTRODUCED IN THE EARLY 1950s BY BERT THE TALKING TURTLE A CARTOON & FILM THAT WAS SHOWN IN SCHOOLS ACROSS THE U.S.TEACHING SCHOOL KIDS ABOUT THE ATOMIC BOMB AND WHAT IT DOES AND HOW TO SURVIVE,IT WAS FILMED IN A SCHOOL IN NYC, ASTORIA, QUEENS

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL KIDS UPON HEARING THE SIREN TAKE SHELTER UNDER THEIR DESKS PROBABLY A MULTI USE POSITION SINCE EARTHQUAKES ARE COMMON AND THAT ALSO IS A POSITION TO TAKE IN CASE OF OBJECTS FALLING.

A DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE OFFICE OF CIVIL DEFENSE STUDY ON SOVIET TARGETING PACKAGES FOR THE LA BASIN (Every City Had A Target Package It Consisted Of The Best Way And How Many Nuclear Bombs It Would Take To Render The City Dead Uninhabitable With No Chance Of Recovery) THE LA PACKAGE INCLUDED 9 LARGE MT WEAPONS SINCE THE CITY WAS SPREAD OUT IN A CLOSE PATTERN MOST LIKELY TO START A FIRESTORM TO CONSUME THE LA BASIN.

THIS WAS THE SLOGAN THAT "CEE DEE" PUSHED, EDGING THE TALKING TURTLE BERT OUT OF CIVIL DEFENSE EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL AND WAS FEATURED IN COMICS AND CIVIL DEFENSE FILMS,ALERT TODAY - ALIVE TOMMOROW AND THAT'S

ATOMIC PROPAGANDA- WNYC RADIO CLIPS THEY NUKED DA' BRONX!

WNYC PRESERVES SOME AUDIO FROM THE ATOMIC ERA,WELL WORTH HAVING A LISTEN TO.NOT MANY RECORDINGS HAVE LASTED THE YEARS THESE ARE PRETTY COOL SINCE THEY ARE ABOUT NEW YORK, THE FIRST DEALS WITH THE EVERYDAY CITIZEN ASKED WHAT HE OR SHE WOULD DO IF A ATOMIC ATTACK WERE IMMINENT, THE SECOND TALKS ABOUT THE DAY THE BRONX WAS BOMBED DURING A CIVIL DEFENSE ATOMIC ATTACK DRILL THAT WAS CONDUCTED NATION WIDE.

1946 chicago sun  artist rendering of NYC post attack damage                                                                

In the second featured Plan for Survival episode, the 38th in the series, reporter Lockwood Doty asks men and women of New York state what they would do if the bomb fell; most of the answers are disappointingly incorrect. Once again, listeners are reminded that survival is the responsibility of each individual .

NYS CIVIL DEFENSE NETWORK RADIO SERIES

Five years after the U.S. Army Air Force dropped atomic bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Cold War-era New York officials were preparing for the worst case scenario, an atomic bomb detonation over New York City.

In response to the Cold War threat of nuclear war the New York State Civil Defense Network produced an informational radio series titled Plan for Survival, hosted by Bill Leonard. The program informed New Yorkers of the enduring threat of war and encouraged them to enroll in Civil Defense training. 

This episode, "The A-Bomb and its Effects," opens with the ominous sound of a ticking clock, followed by the Earth-shattering rumble of an atom bomb blast. Guest Martin Caden, technical specialist of the New York State Civil Defense Commission, speaks with authority about the impact of the atom bombs in Japan. He dramatically describes the visual and aural experience of an atomic explosion: an intense searing light that will appear brighter than 100 suns, followed by a tremendous sustained roar that sounds like 1,000 blockbusters exploding all around you.

As reassurance, Caden tells listeners that one of the greatest misconceptions about the atom bomb is that its blast will wipe out a city instantly. Rather, the major cause of damage and causalities will be fire and panic: approximately 50,000 casualties in Hiroshima could have been averted simply through civil defense training. Even those very near the center of the blast, he says, could survive by taking shelter and remaining under cover until the "all clear" siren is sounded.

Caden goes on to describe how an atom bomb would affect New York City: within a half mile of the blast site there will be almost complete devastation. Thankfully, however, he adds, "90 seconds after an atomic air burst there will be no danger from radiation within the City at all." He reassures listeners that only in cases of a water or land burst is there a great danger of radiation. Even those who survived the attacks at Hiroshima and Nagasaki are plagued with inconvenient symptoms such as sterility that lasted "only a few months." And only 40 cases of cataracts were reported. 

THE DAY THEY BOMBED THE BRONX ANOTHER RADIO SHOW PRESERVED BY WNYC

SIMULATED CIVIL DEFENSE NEWSPAPER ADDED TO THE DRILL FOR REALISM

Atomic Effects Tests On The American Automobile

 July 14, 2013

VINTAGE CHEVY BOMBS...               

THE ATOMIC KIND

Throwin wrenches a visiting blogs post on the cars that gave their lives for science and the cold war during the weapon effects tests. 

A 1949 Chevrolet Styline DeLuxe sedan, aka Operation Doorstep Test Car #3.
Throwin wrenches @blogspot.com wrote this article

Its been quite ye a few years since we blew up big bombs and drove real cars on pure not fucked with gasoline  cheap as water!  All you too cool for history millenials and 90s generation hipsters never bought a gallon of gas under a buck or drove one of these Beautiful all metal..... Not car but Automobile because they are so different then what constitutes a car today.  These things driving down the road are not what the designers of yesterday had in mind for American consumers. Cars we bought for 100  bucks as our first cars Built tough they survived weapon testing  and prob ably are in one piece still in the ground. Had we used todays cars there would be puddles of plastic  blobs  that never would  of hardened in the desert sun if they weren't  buried  they would of remained soft enough to push sticks into the mass of plastic. Most of us would give our arms for those cars on the flats today even the four door models,.hell id even take it with the number on it. 

         I wrote an article on here about NYC MANNEQUINS VOLUNTEER FOR ATOMIC TESTS,  It was a short blog piece on the department store mannequins that were sent from all over to populate the houses and even the cars in the tests,  i also did one on Civil Defense Ice Cream Trucks and it included links to various stories related i decided to post up throwin wrenches piece on the blog  because i thought it deserved more recognition, and i liked the piece. I tried to contact them to let them know a poorly written blog   that english majors love to point out the thousands of grammar mistakes not to mention the freakin millenial douchebag e bay collector civil   know it alls   who love to correct  history  guys its cold war civil defense not ww2 stuff so please   this year has bee n hell  and last february the world seemed ok by the end we were barricaded indoors from a plauge from china  we had grimy dirtbags marchin down streets chanting dead crimi nals names  like they were a holy apostle and  then flippin on tthe police beating and killing them and burning down cities while certain  people cheered this loser shit on  and  screwed up an election and elected forrest gump the loser version. God almighty is it the end i thought we would go in a  very quick flash of light vaporized  but it looks like wd are all going to suffer for years to come, 

          This article was linked to a story i did on civil defense ice cream trucks  i thought it was a good reminder of good things lol no no i liked the story i tried to contact them but no answer. Check out their blog a automobile themed  blog called  throwinwrenches@blogspot.com

Check em out and tell them you saw their post on a blog  blah blah blah, bit really check it out. I hope everybody is healthy and alive and  stays aware of whats going on. Its crazy.  Forget the news lose yourself in a good book on the cold war or  along those lines visit a abandoned cold war nike missile site or bunker stay busy and safe!  Now the blog post as written by  throwin wrenches. 

VINTAGE CHEVY BOMBS...                 

THE ATOMIC KIND

Today, an antique car with some flair and a period low-slung look is commonly referred to as a "bomb". Many enthusiasts prefer a lowered, mid 1930's to early 1950's Chevrolet to customize into their "bomb" of choice, and generally they retain the original features of the cars such as paint color and interiors while lowering and adding modest personal touches. This post isn't about those cars. This post is about vintage Chevrolets that actually had atomic bombs detonated above them in March of 1953. 

 

 You may have to enlarge video if using cell phone by turning sideways and using you tube full screen button

March of 1953 was a simpler time, right? Patti Page's "How Much is that Doggie in the Window?" was climbing up the record charts. The Cold War was gearing up, and the US was playing with thermonuclear weapons in the Nevada desert while military and civilians roamed around the area. Sounds like the good old days.

As part of the series of U.S. atomic weapons tests carried out that month nicknamed Upshot-Knothole, there was a test called "Annie" that involved atmospheric detonation of a 16 kiloton atomic bomb from a 300 foot tower. This test was part of 11 tests at the Nevada Test Site executed between March and June of 1953, and shot "Annie" was unique. It would mark the first time that civilians would be allowed to witness such a test in person, and on television.

In conjunction with the Federal Civil Defense Administration, a related study called "Operation Doorstep" used the "Annie" test to evaluate the effects of atomic blasts and radiation on common items Americans used in their daily lives. Power lines, electrical and phone substations, houses and even automobiles. We've all seen the iconic image of the house exploding during this test...

Its been part of rock & roll music videos, pop art, and Indiana Jones even made reference to this test in his last film, but that movie was so terrible I won't mention it anymore.

Insert Your Favorite Nuclear Family Joke Here.

In addition to the houses and mannequin families, there were 50 new and used cars and trucks that made it onto the Yucca Flats site to get a nuclear make-over. I hadn't learned about the automobiles until recently, when images started surfacing on classic car websites. I recognized some of the landscape and knew exactly what had happened to them. Below are a few of the Chevrolets that died in the name of science. Its sad to note than most of them are 1947 models, which pulls on my heartstrings a wee bit.

That's the history behind the strange car photos from the desert. As far as I know, the debris from these tests was analyzed and buried out in the Nevada test site. Atmospheric tests were banned after 1963 and now we probably do something equally as scarey without anyone knowing about it.

If you'll excuse me, I need to run out to the garage & give my old Chevy a few pats for good measure, and run the Geiger counter over it to make sure it doesn't click. You never know where some of those rust-free eBay auto parts came from..

(1960) -CIVIL DEFENSE USA - THE SECRET MISSION OF MR SOFTEE

Shakes, Cones, and Salvation: Mister Softee's Role in Civil Defense

Imagine that its summer, 1959 in a major U.S. city. Let's call it Anytown, USA. Its a sweltering 96 degrees and the asphalt feels like its sticking to your shoes. Mom won't let you back in the house because "its summer, and you need to go out and play with the other kids". You're tired of playing Wiffle Ball. You're sunburned and sweat is running down your neck like a faucet. You just can't bear another second of this awful heat wave...and then echoing off of the buildings you hear the familiar jingle of the Mister Softee ice cream truck.

Like every other kid, you quickly run home to BEG your Mother for a few cents for the ice cream man and quickly chase after him before his truck turns the corner and heads to the next block. Once you flag him down, you get your vanilla soft serve cone with sprinkles...and all is right with the world. Wiffle Ball can resume in 5 minutes. Batter up!The ice cream truck has offered a sweet summer escape for millions of kids of all ages around the world for over 80 years. It doesn't matter what era you live in or what your age is, frozen desserts are a popular commodity and probably always will be. Here in the U.S. the three big names include Good Humor, Jack N' Jill, and of course Mister Softee. The Mister Softee company traces its roots back to  West Philly and 1954. Two brothers named William and James Conway started the company with a Chevrolet panel van, a generator, and a soft serve machine. They sold shakes, cones, and sundaes all over Philadelphia and quickly made a name for themselves. Within two years the Conways branched out, ordered a fleet of trucks and spread across the East Coast. By 1958, franchises grew across the states. A British vehicle fleet manager visited the U.S. in 1957 and liked what he saw in Mister Softee, so he worked out a franchise deal and by 1959 the Mister Softee trucks became a familiar sight in West London and Kent, England. Even today, the company manages to turn a tidy profit by supplying a hungry public with the sweets they crave curbside from Chicago to China! 

During their heyday in 1959, Mister Softee ordered 800 ice cream trucks from the Boyertown Body Works in Boyertown, Pennsylvania. This company was located some 56 miles from the birthplace of Mister Softee himself, and was known for their long-standing tradition of quality workmanship dating back to 1872. The demands of the fleet business required a vehicle that was sturdy and dependable, but easy on the pocket book. A Ford truck would certainly meet those demands.

Boyertown Body Works Factory, 1956. Photo Credit: Coachbuilt.com

Boyertown Body Brochure Cover, 1959

Boyertown Truck Bodies Brochure, 1959

The order for the Mister Softee ice cream trucks specified that they be built on a 1-ton Ford commercial truck chassis, and utilize their heavy duty 262 cubic inch inline six cylinder engine. The trucks would eventually be fitted with a stainless counter, functional sink with potable water, a generator, and soft serve / freezer machine. The mobile kitchen would be able to serve several hundred people with fresh food without having to replenish supplies back at headquarters. It was this capability that made the Mister Softee appealing to Civil Defense coordinators during the cold war era. Mister Softee, it appears, would soon roll up his sleeves and help make America safer.

From the Southern Missourian, August 6th, 1961.

If the Russians attacked us in the late 1950's and early 1960's, your chocolate malt would simply have to wait until after the H-bomb. You see, many franchise owners pledged their vehicle's use during an emergency as part of the Civil Defense effort.  Franchise owners like Raymond Volkejmrding, of Cape Girardeau, Missouri told the local paper that he'd press his kitchen on wheels into service if needed. What's more neighborly than that? You have fresh water storage, electricity for cooking, and refrigeration to keep food and beverages safe from spoilage. All of this plus a loudspeaker to address the public. As it turns out, the Boyertown-built trucks were more versatile than originally thought.

"CEE DEE CIVIL DEFENSE HERO"

MR SOFTEES ALTER EGO IN CASE OF A ATOMIC ATTACK THE CONE AND ICE CREAM HEAD WOULD MORPH INTO "CEE DEE"

Why the hell am I yammering on about all of this stuff? Sarah and I came across a very unrestored example of a Boyertown-built 1958 Ford commercial truck in its original Mister Softee color scheme this summer at the McClean County Antique Automobile Club car show. Besides the fact that we dig old cars and trucks, this thing spoke volumes about the time period it came from. The artwork, the remains of a Civil Defense logo, the simple saying on the back warning motorists to "watch for our children", not just anyone's kids, but "ours". Here's a few shots of this time capsule as it appears today.

The Civil Defense logo appears on both sides of the truck.

The Civil Defense Logo as it Originally Appeared.

The current owner plans to restore it to functional condition and serve frozen goodies at car shows in central  Illinois near old Route 66. Not a bad second life for an old workhorse, eh?

That's the strange tale of the American Mister Softee truck in the Cold War era. Being a Gen-X'er, I admire this relic from a time of neighborly responsibility and civic duty. The past seems like a time when people took things seriously, even selling ice cream. It was deeper than just frozen food...it was a sense of community. Could you imagine a business owner willing to lend his or her equipment, time and fuel to the government today to help the public stay alive during an emergency? I doubt it. Everyone for Themselves has sadly become the American motto of the last several years.

Is all of this worth writing a book about? Not really. Is it worthy of a blog post? Perhaps. All this talk about ice cream and the end of  the world makes me want a hot fudge sundae. I think I even hear the ice cream jingle outside. Who's got any change?

Learn more about Where Cars & Atomic Weapons Intersect

Learn more about Boyertown Body Works

Learn more about Mister Softee

Learn more about Civil Defense Supplies