Original subtitles

The Trinity test had been executed in new Mexico.

The people from Trinity had arrived in the marianas

and they had with them at that particular time

colored photographs of the Trinity explosion,

so we got the gang together and we showed them.

We didn't use the word "atomic bomb,"

we did not use that, but we said:

"Okay now, this is the bomb,

this is what will happen when we make our flight tomorrow

and release it, this is what we're gonna see.”

So with this preliminary indoctrination

we got into the airplane and took off.

Once we were airborne and in the air,

I then left the pilot seat of the airplane

and I crawled back into the back,

where the enlisted men were.

I got them all together back there,

then we poured some coffee out of the thermos jugs

and I told them actually what we were doing

and what we were carrying at that time,

and the weather being clear at our primary,

which was Hiroshima, there was no decision left,

I mean, we were on the way to the primary,

so that part of it was perfectly routine.

As we came in from our initial point

to the bomb release point,

it was again routine.

There... we were bothered not in the least

by any kind of fighter opposition, no flak.

We didn't see anything to cause us any concern

so that we're able to concentrate

strictly on the bombing problem.

The bomb was released.

We executed our turn away as we had been directed.

The bomb blast hit us.

It hit us in two different shockwaves,

the first being the stronger.

This, as I say, was a perfectly unexciting

and routine thing up until the point

and then it was kinda...

It was a little bit hard to realize,

it was kinda inconceivable

as to what we were looking at there.

We passed comments back and forth in the airplane,

we took pictures,

and by the time we had done that,

I became concerned that we better quit being sightseers

and get out of there.

And we were gone and off for the coast

in a matter of about 20 minutes

from the time that the bomb was released.

We have spent more than two billion dollars

on the greatest scientific gamble in history,

and we have won.

The Navy department says that it's too early yet

to tell what effect the atomic bomb will have

on Japanese morale

and that we may have to destroy four or five cities

before they actually believe we have such a bomb.

Having found the atomic bomb, we have used it.

We shall continue to use it

until we completely destroy Japan's power to make war.

Only a Japanese surrender will stop us.

It is an awful responsibility which has come to us.

We thank god that it has come to us

instead of to our enemies,

and we pray that he may guide us

to use it in his ways and for his purposes.

Captain beahan,

what was your most outstanding experience

on this historic flight?

I suppose it was when the clouds

opened up over the target, at Nagasaki,

the target was there pretty as a picture.

I made the run, let the bomb go.

That was my greatest thrill.

J there was no atheist in a foxhole I

j and men who never prayed before

j lifted tired and bloodshot eyes to heaven j

j and begged the lord fo end that awful war j

j they told him of their homes and loved ones j

j they told him that they'd like to be there j

j I believe the bomb that struck Hiroshima j

j was the answer to our fighting boys' prayers jj

hey, did you see that city

where the first atomic bomb was dropped?

Yes, Fred.

We flew over Hiroshima

for about half an hour.

- It was a shambles, eh? - A shambles?

It looked like ebbets field

after a doubleheader with the giants.

The group had been told to select

some targets in Japan that had not been bombed.

In other words, they wanted virgin targets,

and the reason behind it,

even though not given to the group at that time,

the reason behind it was that they wanted

to be able to make bomb blast studies,

or bomb damage studies, on virgin targets

once the bombs were used.

They were definitely military targets,

there was no question about that,

and they offered such a...

Well, you could almost say a classroom experiment

as far as being able to determine later

the bomb damage.

I have been subjected many times to criticism.

I have been accused of being insane,

being a drunkard,

being everything that you can imagine a derelict to be,

as a result of a guilty conscience for doing this,

and as I say,

no one's ever come to my defense in that regard.

I look at it this way: That my part in this thing

may well have been something that later or now

that the U.S. government might be looking at somewhat

with a guilt complex,

and the feeling could be that the less said about it

by the United States government the better.

June 30th 1946, almost time.

Another five seconds...

Two...

5:30.

A spuming column of smoke nine miles into the sky,

blinding light stronger than the sun.

Bikini atoll,

present site of operation crossroads,

and the fourth atom bomb explosion.

Bikini atoll,

where 200 warships will be anchored,

140 planes, 200 goats,

200 pigs, 4,000 rats.

How will this fourth bomb affect you?

What do you know of this atom bomb?

The bomb will not start a chain reaction in the water,

converting it all to gas

and letting all the ships on all the oceans

drop down to the bottom.

It will not blow out the bottom of the sea

and let all the water run down the hole.

It will not destroy gravity.

I am not an atomic playboy,

as one of my critics labeled me,

exploding these bombs

to satisfy my personal whim.

And thus the natives expressed to the people

of the United States that they're welcome,

despite the fact that the atoll of bikini

may be utterly destroyed come July the first.

But to the natives, in their simplicity

and their pleasantness and their courtesy,

they're more than willing to cooperate,

although they don't understand

the world of nuclear energy any more than we do,

and though they have no way of understanding

what the test is all about.

Scene 26, take two.

All right, commodore.

Go ahead, James,

tell them that the commodores explain the atomic bomb to them.

All right, now, James, will you tell them

that the United States government

now wants to turn this great destructive force

into something good for mankind,

and that this... experiments here at bikini

are the first step in that direction.

Now, they have heard of our plan for their evacuation.

Will you ask king Judah to get up and tell us now

what his people think, and if they're willing to go.

Yes, everything good, and they're willing to go,

and everything is in god's hands.

Well, you tell them and king Judah

that everything being in god's hands,

it cannot be other than good.

American officials discuss plans

with the bikini natives

for the evacuation of the atoll.

The islanders are a nomadic group,

and are well pleased that the yanks are going to add

a little variety to their lives.

And here, by the way, you hear them singing

their Marshallese version of "you are my sunshine."

Firing time.

- And I have just been in the... - Thirty seconds.

At the voice of the control set,

marking the seconds remaining.

The final switches have been thrown.

No one can stop it,

the atomic bomb is about to explode.

Firing time,

20 seconds.

We do not know how it's going to sound,

but 42,000 men here are watching.

All of the observers... =ten seconds!

All of the observer ships are in position in the open sea.

We're about ten miles away.

Five seconds, four,

three, two, one...

In the background was the growing struggle

between two great powers

to shape the post-war world:

Soviet Russia was expansively stabbing westward,

knifing into nations left empty by war.

On orders from the kremlin,

Russia had launched one of history's most drastic

political, moral, and economic wars:

A cold war.

The United States was obliged to help Europe

safeguard its traditional freedoms

and the independence of its nations.

Gone was the spirit of wartime unity

that reached its peak on that historic afternoon

in April '45 at the elbe river in Germany.

Here two worlds actually met,

but this coalition was to be torn asunder.

Already an iron curtain had dropped around

Poland, Hungary,

yugoslavia, Bulgaria.

"Ah, but this is Europe”, you say.

But let's see what can happen elsewhere,

in, say, the small town of mosinee, Wisconsin.

Peaceful, isn't it?

But the red trenchant falls

and the chief of police is hustled off to jail.

Next, public utilities are seized

by fifth columnists.

Watch carefully what happens fo an editor

who operates under a free press.

He goes to jail too

and his newspaper is confiscated.

Exit freedom of thought.

Yes, this is life under the Soviet form of government.

The little town of mosinee made this experiment

for 24 hours,

a public service to all America.

It can't happen here?

Well, this is what it looks like if it should.

Fortunately we can move the clock back.

The time is not yet.

Let us pray that it never happens in our country.

Before we meet the members of the American legion post 279,

who helped make this picture possible,

I'd just like to say that...

It gives me a great deal of satisfaction

to represent two outstanding shopping centers in California,

the shopping hub of the San Gabriel valley

in west arcadia

and the whittier quad shopping center

in whittier, California,

because they are concrete expressions

of the practical idealism that built America.

When you visit these two fine shopping centers,

you will find more than four score beautiful stores,

the sparkling assortments,

an attractive atmosphere,

and of course plenty of free parking for all the cars

that we capitalists seem to acquire.

Who can help but contrast

the beautiful, the practical settings

of the arcadia shopping hub and the whittier quad

with what you'd find under communism?

It's not safe to hope for the best

without preparing for the worst.

Our object is not aggression.

We need not become militaristic,

but we must keep our army, our Navy,

our air force at ready strength.

We must back up our team for security.

Well, I guess there's nothing for us to worry about.

We're the ones that have the bomb.

The atom bomb explodes again in the headlines of the world.

In Washington, the chairman

of the joint congressional committee on atomic energy,

senator Brian McMahon,

gives his reaction to Russia's possession

of the bomb.

This is no time for hysteria.

This is no time for panic.

This is a time for a calm reflection

on the political and military implications

of this transcendent event.

J everybody's worried

about the atomic bomb j

j but nobody's worried

about the day my lord will come j

- & when he'll hit j - ; Great god almighty j

j like an atom bomb j

j when he comes, when he comes j

well, this suit is made of this material.

Inside this layer is shredded lead,

a resistance against atomic rays.

Okay, Richard, on your way to the air raid shelter.

- Whoa. - Let's go.

J everybody's worried

about the atomic bomb j

j but nobody's worried

about the day my lord will come jj

one immediate effect of the announcement

of Russia's atom blast

is to tighten security regulations

at all atom installations.

At hanford, Washington,

where $200 million is being spent

in the ever expanding atomic government empire,

the door is being locked, but tight.

Twelve guards are kept on their toes

by constant target practice,

and they have orders to shoot to kill

at any suspicious stranger.

A highly trained and well-equipped north Korean army

swarmed across the 38th parallel

to attack unprepared south Korean defenders.

Caught off guard, they were all but overwhelmed

until the united nations took its historic vote

to intervene.

The end of the war seemed in sight

as the allies pushed north toward

the north Korean capital of Pyongyang.

Then it happened.

The Chinese red armies,

numbering hundreds of thousands,

swarmed over the frontier

against thinly held united nations positions.

Confronted by overwhelming numbers,

un armies were forced into inevitable retreat,

while men wondered whether red China

would touch off world war ill.

Would the atom bomb be the answer

to the Chinese hordes?

President Truman said that it was under consideration.

If the united nations yields to the forces of aggression,

no nation will be safe or secure.

If aggression is successful in Korea,

we can expect it to spread throughout Asia and Europe

and to this hemisphere.

We are fighting in Korea

for our own national security and survival.

It's time for the longines chronoscope.

Our distinguished guest for this evening

is the honorable James e. Van zandt,

United States congressman from Pennsylvania.

It's my opinion that we should fight the war

to win in Korea,

rather than try to settle it at the diplomatic table,

which is impossible when you're dealing with Russia.

Would you extend your will to win so far

as to include the atomic bomb?

Very definitely, Dr. Peterson.

I've always been a firm believer

that we should use the atomic bomb

but north of the yalu river in manchuria.

Does that mean that you believe

that it could be effectively used as a weapon

in the Korean theater?

Yes, I think that there are several targets

in northern Korea we could use,

that if we could destroy them with the atomic bomb,

we could destroy them and contaminate them.

And then, of course, there are targets in manchuria

that should be destroyed.

This is the destructive power

we pray god we will never be called upon

to hurl at any nation,

but should it become necessary,

let us not hesitate

because it is foreign to our nature

to use the power which has been given us.

I propose the president of the United States

advise the commander of the north Korean troops

to withdraw his forces beyond the 38th parallel

within one week,

or use that week to evacuate civilians

from a specified list of north Korean cities

that will be subjected to atomic attack

by the United States air force.

J there will soon be an end

to this cold and wicked war j

j when those hard headed communists

get what they're looking for j;

j only one thing that will stop them

and their atrocious fun j

j if general MacArthur drops the atomic bomb j

j there'll be fire, dust, and metal

flying all around j

j and radioactivity will burn into the ground j

j if there's any commies left, they'll be all on the run j

j if general MacArthur drops the atomic bomb jj

I ask you, the American citizen,

to let your congressman know how you feel

about this proposal.

Well, I really don't know what to do.

But you do feel the Korean situation

affects us more than anything else?

Yes, I feel that we should get our boys home.

They've been over there long enough

and there doesn't seem to be any end to the situation.

Listen to what my mom said about how bad things are back home.

"Everybody's hoarding.

Profiteers are getting fat contracts.

Neighbors say politicians are using the war

to their own advantage.

All our chief atomic scientists are spies."

And a lot more.

Now just take it with a grain of salt.

Let me tell you how the commies plant propaganda back home.

Sometime ago mack, Johnny, and I

managed to get our last leave together in a big city.

We must do away entirely with weapons like the atom bomb!

These poor boys will shed their innocent blood

in a war that this country is provoking!

Get a load of that.

Asiatic people all want

the peaceful establishment of native regimes

without the interference of United States troops.

War would be world suicide.

Only communist countries can guarantee you peace!

Why don't you go live in a communist country then?

Would you blow your top on a street corner there?

You look pretty well off, sister,

to be tearing down the country

that gives you freedom of speech.

J we're living in a country

that's the finest place on earth j

j but some folks don't appreciate

this land that gave them birth j

j I hear that up in Washington

they're having an awful fuss j

j 'cause communists and spies are making monkeys out of us j

the question is:

Have you ever been a member

of the communist party?

You refuse to answer that question, is that correct?

I have told you that I will offer my beliefs,

my affiliations, and everything else...

To the American public,

and they will know where I stand,

as they do from what I have written.

Have written for americanism

- for many years, and I shall... - Stand away from the stand!

Fight for the bill of rights which you are trying to destroy.

Take this man away from the stand.

J the bureaus and departments

have been busy night and day

j they're figuring out just how

we gave our secrets all away j

j and congress has appointed

a committee, so they said j

j to find out who's American

and who's a low down red jj

I'm holding in my hand a microfilm

of very highly confidential

secret state department documents.

These documents were fed out

of the state department over ten years ago,

by communists who were employees of that department,

and who were interested in seeing

that these documents were sent to the Soviet union,

where the interests of the Soviet union

happened to be in conflict with those of the United States.

J I'm no communist,

and I'll tell you that right now j

j I believe a man should own his own house and car and cow j

j I like this private ownership and I want to be left alone j

j let the government run its business

and let me run my own j

Our education is proceeding apace

as to how Russia operates and how they got the atom bomb,

not by independent research, but from America,

from traitors within our own ranks.

Here is a special broadcast

on the scene of sing sing prison,

where the rosenbergs have just been executed.

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg

have gone to the electric chair.

First to go into the death chamber

was Julius Rosenberg.

He wore an impassive expression on his face.

He walked in slowly.

He was preceded by a rabbi

who was chanting the 23rd psalm,

which everyone knows very well.

He proceeded immediately over to the chair.

He didn't say a word to anyone,

hardly glanced at anyone.

He sat down on the chair, the straps were applied,

and the first jolt of electricity

was sent through his body at 8:04 tonight.

She died a lot harder.

When it appeared that she had received enough electricity

to kill an ordinary person,

and had received the exact amount

that had killed her husband,

the doctors went over and pulled down the cheap...

Prison dress, a little dark green printed job,

and placed the steso... "Stethocopes"...

"Stetho," I can't say it.

Placed the stethoscopes, uh,

to her, and then looked around,

looked at each other rather dumbfounded

and seemed surprised that she was not dead.

Believing she was dead, the attendants had taken off

the ghastly strappings and electrodes

and the black belts and so forth.

And these had to be readjusted again, and...

And she was given more electricity,

which started again a...

Kind of a ghastly plume of smoke that Rose from her head...

And went up against the skylight overhead.

After two more of those jolts...

Ethel Rosenberg had met her maker.

She'll have a lot of explaining to do too.

Thank you.

Immediately after the execution, of course,

the bodies were taken away.

There is nothing much further to report

at this particular time.

There have been no demonstrations.

The heat has been extremely intense here.

There's a heavy pall,

and there has been an air of deep tension

about this whole proceeding up here,

but it is now all over,

the news men have dispersed,

and Julius and Ethel Rosenberg

have gone to the electric chair.

That was an on-the-spot report on the execution tonight

at sing sing prison of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg.

Now the great day show,

as we join red Benson and the gang

at the marine barracks in Brooklyn Navy yard.

The program is already in progress.

The question before us is this:

Should the hydrogen bomb be built?

All the world knows

we Americans are constructive, not destructive.

However distasteful this may be to us,

there is no choice in the matter:

Let us build the bomb.

It is my decided opinion

that the United States of America

should immediately begin the construction of the h bomb.

I feel we must make the h bomb.

It is my personal opinion that we should manufacture

and produce the h bomb in quantity.

The Russians will try it anyhow,

and should they learn the secret of its manufacture

before we do,

the life and security of all freedom-loving people

will be in danger.

I would like to add however

that the United States of America

should not necessarily use this bomb,

but rather look upon it as a peaceful guardian

and protector of the basic American doctrines

of Liberty and democracy

against the obstacles of red fascisms,

materialistic, and atheistic philosophy.

If the communist bloc does attack,

our radar sites and observers will sound the alert.

Giant bombers will take to the air.

Jet fighters will stream aloft.

Fighters will account for some of the enemies,

but some will get through to your home.

In times of social crisis and tension,

in times when changes come so thick and fast

that the individual can no longer

place himself in his group,

when he knows that something is wrong,

but doesn't know what,

when he feels himself a pawn,

in times like these,

most men become highly suggestible.

They listen eagerly for any voice

which sounds authoritative.

They listen eagerly for anyone who can tell them what is wrong

and what to do to right it,

who can diagnose their trouble

and prescribe a cure.

J eisenhower, the man of the hour j

j eisenhower, the man of the hour j

j eisenhower, the man of the hour j

j ike, ike, we like ike j

j ike, ike, we want lke j

j we love the sunshine of your smile j

j we see our future in your eyes j

j you led our men to victory j

j you are the one we idolize j

j I'm gonna give my vote to you jj

I don't mean to say, and no one can say to you,

that there are no dangers.

Of course there are risks if we are not vigilant,

but we do not have to be hysterical.

We can be vigilant, we can be Americans,

we can stand up and hold up our heads and say:

America is the greatest force

that god has ever allowed to exist on his footstool.

As such, it is up to us to lead this world

to a peaceful and secure existence,

and I assure you: We can do it.

Now, if we first take a look

at the strength of America...

You and I know that it's

the most productive nation on earth,

that we are richer, by any standard of comparison,

than is any other nation in the world.

We know that we have great military strength,

economic, intellectual.

But all in all, this total strength of America

is one of those things we called,

and the world calls, unbelievable.

Now, why then, with all this strength

should we be worrying at times

about what the world is doing to us?

Actually we see threats coming from all angles,

internal and external,

and we wonder what's going to happen to us

individually and as a nation.

Now, perhaps...

I can illustrate some of the reasons

for this concern of today.

Now, only a year ago

a hydrogen bomb was exploded in the pacific.

Last month,

another series of these was undertaken.

Now this transfer of power,

this increase of power

from the mere musket and the little Cannon

all the way to the hydrogen bomb in a single lifetime

is indicative of the things that have happened to us.

They rather indicate how far the advances of science

have outraced our social consciousness.

How much more we have developed scientifically

than we are capable of handling emotionally and intellectually.

So that is one of the reasons that we have this great concern,

of which the hydrogen bomb is merely a dramatic symbol.

- Dad, I finished. - Okay, okay.

Me too.

The new puzzle, where is it?

- On my bookcase. - Thanks, daddy.

Kenny, let's have some news, it's about that time.

Come on, dad. You can watch that show

some other time.

Okay.

Thanks.

Anyone of intelligence and information

is hoping and praying that

we won't have a third world war,

because in this age of the atomic weapon,

war would be... a third world war

would be a catastrophe for all mankind,

and then finally, and this is quite significant,

about 60% of the American people revealed,

in the study which we made

through the university of Michigan a year ago,

that they believed that the military could stop

the atomic bombs from falling upon the United States.

Well, I'm sorry to have to tell you

that the military will tell you

that as of today

they cannot stop a successful Russian attack.

That can be corroborated rather dramatically,

and we didn't plan it this way, governor,

but the floor manager has just handed me a bulletin

saying that the Russians have just exploded a hydrogen bomb.

We must learn to live in a world

where we have the hydrogen bomb

and the enemy of freedom

has the hydrogen bomb.

It can destroy any city,

that means fort worth and Dallas,

Houston, San Antonio, amarillo,

El Paso, yes, Johnson city.

J every dollar I make goes for taxes and bills &

j perhaps they've discovered the cure for my ills

j ho, hai, ho, the hydrogen bomb j

j bless it all, oh, let it fall »

j ho, hai, ho, the hydrogen bomb j

j oh, god, have mercy on me jj

The problem this time is especially acute

because this entire area of the pacific

is subject to radiological fallout,

and this area is inhabited by some 20,000 people.

The meteorologists had predicted a wind condition

which should have carried the fallout to the north

of the group of small atolls

lying to the east of bikini.

The wind failed to follow the predictions

but shifted south of that line,

and the little islands of rongelap, rongerik,

and utirik were in the edge of the path

of the fallout.

The task force commander

promptly evacuated

all the people from these islands.

They were taken to the island of kwajalein,

where we maintain a naval establishment,

and there placed under continuous

and competent medical supervision.

I visited them there last week.

Today, a full month after the event,

the medical staff on kwajalein have advised us

that they anticipate no illness,

barring, of course,

diseases which may be hereafter contracted.

The 236 natives appeared to me

to be well and happy.

The survey aircraft carefully searched the area

and reported no shipping.

A Japanese fishing trawler

appears to have been missed by the search,

but based on a statement

attributed to her skipper,

to the effect that he saw the flash of the explosion

and heard the concussion six minutes later,

it must have been well within the danger area.

At the time of the explosion

the tuna ship had been sailing far outside

the designated safe area of a 75-mile radius.

Three hours after the h-bomb had been detonated,

a downpour of radioactive ash

descended on the fortunate dragon

and its crew of 23.

None of them knew the nature of the deadly snow.

It was three days more before the ship

and its contaminated crew and fishing catch

sailed into port.

By that time the men suffered

from the beginning symptoms

of deadly radiation poisoning.

By the time their illnesses

had been properly diagnosed,

the hot fish brought back in their holds

had been sold into markets all over Japan.

A panic ensued.

Midnight burials of recent catches

in the vicinity of the h-bomb explosion

took place all over Japan.

The bottom had dropped out of the fish market,

and the Japanese people chose to do without the staple food

for a long time after the tragic affair.

Another byproduct

of the stupendous mid-pacific blast

unfolds in San Francisco,

where tuna fish,

supposedly made radioactive during the tests,

are scrutinized by federal agents

armed with geiger counters,

for signs of contamination.

Hot tea, anyone?

That's not an invitation,

it's a problem brewed

for the coast guard and customs

by the arrival in Brooklyn of a cargo

of Japanese tea slightly radioactive.

Final conclusion: The tea's radioactivity

is within safety limits,

not too hot to handle.

- Warm. - Yeah.

June in January, that's what I say.

If you ask me, I think it's because of those atom bombs.

- Yeah? - Yeah.

They've done some cockeyed things to the world.

I think they've knocked us south of the equator.

Just like I keep saying,

well, everybody's so uncertain about everything.

They don't seem to know what's gonna happen.

Bourbon, straight.

Well, as I was saying,

I wouldn't worry nearly as much

about the atom bomb

if it were to kill you right out.

What scares me is that awful gas

that deforms you.

- Yeah, that would be bad. - Yeah.

J it's the drink that you don't pour j»

j now when you take one sip,

you won't need any more j

j you're small as a beetle or big as a whale j

j boom, atomic cocktail j

Corporal, could you give me your name and hometown address?

My name is corporal George morland

and I'm from elmhurst, Illinois.

I'm tech sergeant George portell

from Dorchester, Massachusetts.

Jerry snyder from Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Sergeant Weaver.

And where are you from, sergeant Weaver?

Columbus, Georgia.

- Where you from, Rogers? - Portland, Oregon.

- Where are you from? - New York City.

- Louisville, Kentucky. - Liberal, Kansas.

- Jefferson city, Missouri. - Saint Paul, Minnesota.

- Fort huachuca, Arizona. - Wakeeney, Kansas.

Leesburg, New Jersey.

Gentlemen, I want to welcome you

to camp desert rock.

This will be your last briefing

before you go out to the forward area

and take part in an atomic detonation.

The tactical situation behind

troop test "smokey" is this:

The mythical enemy,

which has landed on the coast of California,

has made a deep penetration close to supplies,

special weapons storage,

and missile launching installations

in the vicinity of Las Vegas and hoover dam.

The tactical commander decided at this point

to use an atomic weapon

in his assault on the enemy.

The mission of these men is to move

as quickly as possible into the blasted area

and exploit the breach in the enemy lines.

You are here to participate

in an atomic maneuver.

This is not a haphazard maneuver.

Careful planning for it started months back.

Watched from a safe distance,

this explosion is one of the most beautiful sights

ever seen by man.

You're probably saying: So it's beautiful.

What makes it so dangerous?

Basically there are only

three things to think about.

Blast.

Heat.

And radiation.

Radiation:

This is the one new effect

obtained by the use of an atomic weapon.

Truthfully, it's the least important

of the three effects,

as far as the soldier on the ground is concerned.

You can't see radiation,

feel it, smell it, or taste it.

Film badges and dosimeters issued to you

enable the radiological safety monitor in your unit

to read the amount of your exposure.

The radiation level may be high,

but if you follow orders,

you'll be moved out in time to avoid sickness.

Finally, if you receive enough gamma radiation

to cause sterility or severe sickness,

you'll be killed by blast,

flying debris, or heat anyway.

Well, that's the story.

Don't worry about yourselves.

As far as the test is concerned,

you'll be okay.

Well, we knew now exactly

where we'd be for the big show.

All we had to do is wait.

Now that it's so close

it makes you feel kind of restless.

You wonder if everything's gonna turn out all right.

It filled your mind no matter what you were doing.

What seems to be the trouble, soldier?

You look a little bit worried.

Well, I am, chaplain, just a little bit.

Actually there's no need to be worried

as the army has taken

all of the necessary precautions

to see that we're perfectly safe here.

Sir, have you ever been out

oh one of these shots before?

Yes, I've had the opportunity

to see a number of the atomic tests.

I feel that as a chaplain,

it is my responsibility to be with my men.

What's it like, chaplain?

First of all, one sees a very, very bright light,

followed by a shockwave,

and then you hear the sound of the blast

and then it seems as though there's a minor earthquake.

And then you look up and you see the fireball

as it ascends up into the heaven.

It's a wonderful sight to behold.

30 seconds.

15 seconds.

10 seconds.

Five, four, three, two, one.

The blast shock passes in a matter of seconds

and the heat and blast effects

you can see and feel.

You cannot sense the presence

of nuclear radiation effects.

Alpha and beta particles,

because of their low penetrating power,

are stopped by most surfaces,

even a soldier's skin.

They are a hazard

only when materials

emitting these particles

get into the body

through breaks in the skin

or through the nose or mouth.

Did you keep your mouth shut

or did you get a mouthful of dirt?

I got a mouthful and a face full of dirt.

How about all that smoke and dust and radiation?

What did you... =i couldn't see.

I couldn't see for quite a spell.

Just a haze.

Private young, did you wear any type

of protective clothing or just what did you wear?

No, just regular gl work clothes.

We see pinned on your lapels here this white badge.

Could you tell me what that is?

That's a film badge to determine,

detect the amount of radiation

you've received in the area.

They can tell, commander,

if you received a lethal dose.

That's right, that's right, they can.

If you were driving from Los Angeles

to salt lake city on us highway 91,

you would pass through Saint George, Utah,

just a short way from the Nevada test site

140 miles to the west.

Ladies and gentlemen,

we interrupt this program

to bring you important news.

Word has just been received

from the atomic energy commission

that due to a change in wind direction

the residue from this morning's atomic detonation

is drifting in the direction of Saint George.

It is suggested that everyone remain indoors

for one hour or until further notice.

There is no danger,

this is simply routine

atomic energy commission safety procedure.

Parents need not be alarmed

about children at school.

No recesses outdoors will be permitted.

And as the people at Saint George took cover,

it was natural that some of them

have questions about atomic tests.

What is the atomic bomb?

Why do we have to test bombs?

How little an amount of radiation

will cause how many mutations?

Never before have so many known so little

about a subject so big and so important.

The capabilities of most weapons

are pretty well understood,

but when it comes to atomic explosions

the guessing game starts.

All right, let's take a few minutes right now

and get acquainted with an a-bomb.

Meet test Abel.

A submarine bomb exploded in a harbor

might affect a city.

The affected area would be a poor picnic site,

but might be entered briefly

or passed through quickly

with a varying degree of risk.

Risk is something the military

doesn't have a corner on.

Occupational hazards are accepted

in a matter of fact manner in civilian life.

Risk is part of the pattern of daily routine.

Some of the falsehoods

circulated about radiation effects

are trivial but upsetting.

They're beamed right at one's self-esteem.

And will eventually result

in a race of bald-headed people.

Just imagine it.

Imagine yourself with no hair.

They'll call you old skinhead, old chrome dome.

And that's not all radioactivity will do.

It will...

Enough exposure to radiation

will cause loss of hair.

The treatment, if you insist,

would be symptomatic: A toupee.

But the condition would only be temporary.

Your hair would come back,

same color, same cowlick.

Which puts the finger squarely

upon one of the major fallacies

in the public attitude

toward atomic weapons:

It's the fallacy of devoting

eighty-five percent of one's worrying capacity

to an agent that constitutes

only about fifteen percent

of an atomic bomb's destroying potential,

and that's unsound, doesn't fit.

There are those few who loudly maintain

that there is no actual threat

to the free world at all,

certainly none that can justify

either nuclear testing or nuclear armament.

The opposite viewpoint holds

that the development of our nuclear power

has been absolutely necessary protection

against communist hostility and nuclear threats.

In this view,

the fallout casualties, if any,

will be seen as those of unidentified soldiers

in the service of humanity,

unknown soldiers in a war which has not struck.

We're going to be talking about nuclear energy

and the kinds of things that could happen

with an atomic emergency.

And we do this not to worry you,

but, uh... or frighten you,

but really we've gotta admit

we live in a atomic age,

there is an atomic bomb,

so we have to be aware of this

and know what to do in case an emergency happens.

If there will be a need

to spend two weeks

in a fallout shelter,

we have packed our survival kit.

For the food supply,

pack a variety of fruits,

soups, evaporated milk,

vegetables, napkins.

The purpose of our demonstration today

is to show you the actual preparation

of one of the meals which was prepared

in a modern day cave.

One new meal consisted

of the following food.

Canned chicken.

Peas.

Irish potatoes.

Tomato juice.

My poster's on the defenses against fallout,

and if you're caught outside

during a nuclear explosion,

decontamination may be necessary.

You may have to burn or bury

all your clothes and food,

and afterwards you should wash thoroughly.

John, let me interrupt you here just a moment.

I have some film here that I think

will describe what might happen

and will describe a little about the atom.

So, Joey, why don't you catch the lights and we'll try it?

- Okay? - Good.

J there was a turtle by the name of Burt

j and Burt the turtle was very alert

j when danger threatened him, he never got hurt j

j he know just what to do j

j he'd duck and cover j

j duck and cover j

now, you and I don't have shells

to crawl into like Burt the turtle,

so we have to cover up in our own way.

Paul and Patty know this.

No matter where they go or what they do,

they always try to remember what to do

if the atom bomb explodes right then.

It's a bomb! Duck and cover!

Here's Tony going to his cub scout meeting.

Tony knows the bomb can explode

any time of the year,

day or night.

Duck and cover!

Atta boy, Tony,

that flash means "act fast.”

Sundays, holidays, vacation time,

we must be ready every day all the time

to do the right thing

if the atomic bomb explodes.

Duck and cover!

That's the first thing to do:

Duck and cover.

First you duck, then you cover.

You duck and cover tight.

Duck and cover under the table.

It's a bomb! Duck and cover!

Duck and cover!

Duck and cover!

Duck and cover!

Duck and cover!

Duck and cover!

Duck and cover yourself.

Duck and cover!

Duck and cover!

Duck and cover!

J he did what we all must learn to do j

j you and you and you and you j

j you and you and you and you j

j you and you and you and you j

j you and you and you and you j

j duck and cover jj

remember what to do, friends.

Now tell me right out loud,

what are you supposed to do

when you see the flash?

Duck and cover!

- Question. - Yes?

How far do you have to be from the blast

to live through it?

Well, let's take a 20 megaton surface burst.

You would have a good chance of surviving

if you're more than 12 miles

from the point of detonation.

A bomb equivalent to 20 million tons of tnt

would cause an intense fire, called a firestorm,

in an area about 2,000 square miles

around the center of the blast,

and in such an area it would be futile,

desperately futile,

to construct what are called fallout shelters.

This man,

like thousands of others around the country,

is suffering from a dread disease

called "nuclearosis."

The symptoms: Nuclear blindness.

All he can see is a mushroom cloud.

He is blinded from the fear of it,

deaf from the sound of it,

there is a short circuit in his brain.

He can only think of the awfulness

of the nuclear bomb.

We ought to learn something

from the second world war

in this respect.

And the bombing there,

even by second world war bombs,

in Hamburg, in Tokyo,

and in other cities,

showed that such shelters

became centers for incinerating

or asphyxiating the people who are in them.

A fallout shelter in your basement

will give adequate shielding

from radioactive fallout.

Ah, he's finally getting the message.

Are you?

A new housing development near Denver, Colorado,

shows the nation's first model homes

with built-in fallout shelters.

The room is designed with an atomic war in mind,

but behind each eight-inch thick reinforced concrete wall

it may prove to be

just what the harried housewife

is looking for

when life with the kids gets too hectic.

You don't think that shelters are a deterrent

to a nuclear war either?

On the contrary,

I believe that psychologically

they will push both us and the Russians

into thinking more of having a war.

There are some instances

where you may be ahead of us,

for example, in the development

of your... of the thrust of your rockets

for the investigation of outer space.

There may be some instances,

for example, color television,

where we're ahead of you.

But in order for both of us to...

For both of us to benefit...

For both of us to benefit...

You see, you never concede anything.

We wish you supreme success in that...

That you show the actual possibilities of America,

and we will be able to say,

"here are the possibilities of America.”

How long does it exist?

How many years?

3007? 300?

150 years of independence?

Then we will say that America exists 150 years,

here is its level.

We are 42 years, not quite.

Another seven years and we'll be

on the same level as America.

Then in the future we will go ahead

and we might overtake you at the crossroad.

This increase in communication

will teach us some things

and it will teach you some things too,

because, after all, you don't know everything.

If I don't know everything,

then I would say that you know

absolutely nothing about communism,

nothing except fear of it.

Let's say you've got your family in your shelter,

the attack is on.

A question might come up

of admitting anyone over and above

the number for whom the shelter is designed.

I'd say we should rely

on the best prudential judgment

that the father,

or the one responsible for the shelter,

can make in the circumstances,

but I say let him think twice

before he admits the needy stranger

if admitting the needy stranger

is going to cut down the chances of survival

of the group that's already there.

And then that final point:

Can a man have protective devices

in order to protect his family

once they are in the shelter

from, let's say,

strangers that try to use

a crowbar to get in?

I'd say, from what I have been talking about,

the matter of self-defense,

it would be wise for a man

to at least weigh the possibility

of putting some protective devices in his shelter

together with the other elements

of his survival kit.

All right, you've been down there eight to ten days.

You come out and you find

that half or three quarters

of Los Angeles has been destroyed.

Well, how are you going to continue to live?

Well, the first thing we have to recognize

is that if half of Los Angeles is destroyed,

maybe eighty, ninety percent of the people will be dead

and there will be fewer mouths to feed,

and those of us who will survive

will have more water and food to divide out.

J last night I was dreaming,

dreamed about the h-bomb j

j well, the bomb went off and I was caught j

j I was the only man on the ground j

j there was-a 13 women and only one man in town j

j 13 women and only one man in town j

j and as funny as it may be j

j the one and only man in town was me j

j well, 13 women and me the only man around j

J I had two girls every morning j

- instant rice. - ; Seeing that I was well fed j;

corn flakes.

J and believe you me,

one sweetened my tea j

dried foods.

J while another one

buttered my bread jj

cheese.

Macaroni.

Instant potatoes.

J boom j

j something exploded down inside

and rushed tears up in my eyes j

j oh, yes, I have that funny feeling j

j I guess it's my atomic love

for you j

our artillery

and our tactical air force in the pacific

are now equipped,

at this moment,

with atomic explosives

which can and will be used

on military targets

with precision and effectiveness.

It's just...

On the steps of the nation's capitol,

the bell announcing the opening

of mental health week

is rung by vice president Nixon

and the senator smathers of Florida.

Characterizing mental health

as the nation's number one problem,

the vice president says

that the ringing of the bell

throughout the nation

will be a reminder of suffering Americans.

J atom bomb baby, little atom bomb j

j I want her in my wigwam j

j she's just the way I want her to be jj

j helter-skelter j

j they're gonna live, live, live

in my fallout shelter jj

j it was a 50 megaton hydro jump

j like a waiting atomic bomb j

by all means,

provide some tranquilizers

to ease the strain and monotony

of life in a shelter.

A bottle of 100 should be adequate

for a family of four.

Tranquilizers are not a narcotic

and are not habit forming.

And by the way,

do you know exactly

what your family would do if an attack came,

say, at ten o'clock tomorrow morning?

It's a good question, isn't it?

As they were meant to, dearest.

George.

I dunk this toast to my bride-to-be.

Darling.

Darling, and I toast

the most wonderful man

in all the world.

Why, Lucy, your eyes are filled with tears.

My heart is filled with gladness.

Oh, look, the orchestra's getting ready.

Dance with me, George!

George, I wonder if we thought this through.

I'm afraid for you, George.

Oh, nonsense, my silly.

Yes, George, afraid.

My fiancé, Luther Marshall...

We interrupt our normal program

in the interest of security

and civil defense measures

as requested by the United States government.

Attention, attention!

This is an official civil defense warning.

This is not a test.

The United States is under nuclear attack.

Take cover immediately

in your area fallout shelter.

Repeat: The United States

is under nuclear attack.

This is an official civil defense broadcast.

Enemy aircraft are over Canada

and headed this way.

Normal broadcasting has been discontinued

until after this emergency has passed.

Repeat, the United States

is under nuclear attack.

Take cover immediately

in your area fallout shelter.

We repeat, the nation is under nuclear attack.

This is an extreme emergency.

You are urged to remain calm.

Proceed to your designated shelter

without delay.

This is an official civil defense warning.

This is not a test.

The United States is under nuclear attack.

Take cover immediately

in your area fallout shelter.

Repeat, the United States

is under nuclear attack.

Take cover immediately

in your area fallout shelter.

Now, children, ll... l want you to sit down here

against the wall.

That's it.

Now crouch tight up against it.

Now listen, kids,

if they're dropping an atomic bomb,

it may go off any second now.

Whatever happens, I'll give the signal

when it's all right for us to get up.

If there's an explosion,

we'll wait about a minute after it's all over,

then we'll go upstairs and take a look around,

see if all's right for us to clean up.

Children, you better clear up the broken glass

and all this debris.

All in all, I'd say we've been very lucky around here.

Nothing to do now but wait for orders

from the authorities and relax.

J the sun goes down

and leaves me sad and blue j

j the iron curtain falls

on this cold war with you j

j oh, you won't speak

and I won't speak, that's true j

j two stubborn people

with a cold war to go through j

j oh, why, oh, why, should love ever come

to couples like you and me j

j whose cold, cold wars are never done

and whose hearts just can't be free? J

j so let's do right

or let's just say we're through j

j I just can't stand another

cold, cold war with you j

J oh, why, oh, why should love ever come

to couples like you and me j

j whose cold, cold wars are never done

and whose hearts just can't be free j

j so let's do right

or let's just say we're through j

j I just can't stand

another cold, cold war with you I'l