General Discussion

hay rick

(9,547 posts)

19. We moved into a house that had a basement fallout shelter area.

Mon Mar 9, 2026, 01:38 PM

Monday

My father got a new job in West Virginia in 1962. I was 17. My parents liked the house and the "fallout shelter" built by the previous owner didn't make the house unaffordable. The shelter area was pretty rudimentary- 3 block walls attached to the foundation, a door, and shelves for canned goods. In practice it became a storage area.

The fallout shelter didn't make us feel more secure. I felt more protected by the stalemate resulting from Mutually Assured Destruction and the expectation of obvious, rational nuclear weapons policy by our leaders, regardless of party- especially after the clear rejection of Barry Goldwater.

I no longer enjoy that kind of peace of mind. Trump only has two more important unused atrocities left in his quiver- stealing elections and using nukes. He will surely try stealing the elections in 2026 and I think the needs of his ego will override any compunction he has about playing with nukes if Bibi, Vlad, or Stephen blows in his ear.

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2na fisherman

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Highlight:

My House as a Teenager Had a Fallout Shelter [View all] MineralMan Monday OP

What was the address? GusBob Monday #1

No idea who owns it now. MineralMan Monday #2

I have made my prediction too GusBob Monday #4

When I was in Junior High, my duty was to go to the fallout shelter and inventory the supplies. Midnight Writer Monday #3

When I was in grade school, there were ... ananda Monday #5

I remember those drills, too. MineralMan Monday #8

We were also glued to the TV during the Cuban Missile Crisis ananda Monday #13

As 5th and 6th graders, we girls were often more worried about... 3catwoman3 Monday #30

Our town had a fallout shelter on the front lawn Jersey Devil Monday #6

Fallout shelters for the most part are useless. Johnny2X2X Monday #7

Yes, of course they are. MineralMan Monday #9

Yeah, and what about power for air filtration Johnny2X2X Monday #10

Ours had a hand-cranked ventilation system. MineralMan Monday #11

I am 61 get the red out Monday #12

A hand cranked ventilation system? jfz9580m Monday #14

Yup. It used the hand-cranked blower MineralMan Monday #15

During the Cuban missile crisis my parents discussed converting our cellar to a shelter during conversation at the Martin68 Monday #16

We had a neighbor who built one about that time. Everything old is new again. Vinca Monday #17

When I was a little girl, I begged my father to build a "fallout" shelter. Sogo Monday #18

For My Father, It Was a Way for Him to Feel Like He Was Doing Something. MineralMan Monday #20

We moved into a house that had a basement fallout shelter area. hay rick Monday #19

Yes. Such structures were more a security blanket than real protection. MineralMan Monday #21

Not Just One Threat 2na fisherman Monday #22

Indeed. We Live in Precarious Times. MineralMan Monday #23

Me Too 2na fisherman Monday #28

For a bit of levity, here's the obligatory Donald Fagen song... keep_left Monday #24

That's Brilliant! First Time I've Seen It. MineralMan Monday #26

Despite the "old" Steely Dan style... keep_left Monday #31

I had one in the neighborhood. kairos12 Monday #25

My uncle built one in the 60s in Delaware Walleye Monday #27

We had one too. I was 5 when my parents got the new Laurelin Monday #29