![]() Portland was at the forefront of these efforts. ![]() Backyard fallout shelters were dug, an emergency radio alert system was established and placards with the ubiquitous triangular civil defense logo posted on buildings. ![]() Schoolchildren were taught to duck and cover. Both superpowers developed arsenals of atomic weapons and long-range bombers to deliver them.Ĭivil defense planning, first prompted by the threat of a Japanese attack on the West Coast during World War II, took on new urgency. American fighter pilots dueled with Russian MIGs high above Korea. People waited anxiously while minutes ticked off.Īs the Cold War threatened to turn hot in the early 1950s, Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin kept a chokehold on eastern Europe. Enemy aircraft were expected over the city at 2:45. Shoppers crowded into building basement bomb shelters and tuned radios to emergency frequencies. Thousands of cars filled main evacuation routes heading out of town. Outside of the bunker.įirefighters and police went into action as hospitals, schools and offices emptied. The center dot on the wall map of Portland marks the primary bomb target area. City officials in the Operations Room of the Civil Defense Center.
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