Thursday, June 19, 2014

Emergency Broadcast Scare Of 1971...!

During a time where the United States and Russia almost constantly feuded with one another, this had to be a scary thing!

Of course, I wonder what would happen in this day and age should an announcement like this get out, especially across the Internet? I reckon a few cages might get a little rattled, don't you?

February 20, 1971


The United States and the Soviet Union found themselves in constant world-ending scenarios during the Cold War. It’s understandable then that Americans panicked when radio and TV stations across the country suddenly left the air and issued a broadcast from NORAD to wait for an incoming emergency message from the government. 

For the audience, that could only mean one thing: World War III had begun. But after what must have been the longest 44 minutes ever, NORAD finally canceled the broadcast, to the country’s collective relief. 

Civilian employee Wayne Eberhardt from the National Emergency Warning Center in Colorado had mistakenly loaded a tape containing a code word calling for a real warning instead of a practice one, transmitting it to radio and TV stations nationwide. In the aftermath, Eberhardt—who was just as shaken up by his mistake as the general public was—kept his job. His boss subsequently moved the real warning tapes far away from the transmitter as a precaution.

I'm thinking that moving the real tapes to another far away place was an outstanding idea. Maybe a little self monitoring would have been a good idea as well!

Coffee out on the patio agan this morning.





7 comments:

Chickenmom said...

Can you imagine what would happen in today's world if the internet went down????? OMG!!! The patio sounds great - I'll bring fresh fruit for all!

linda m said...

I have a feeling utter chaos would begin as people are already so nervous about the conditions in the Middle East right now. I would most certainly be confessing my sins to the man upstairs in preparedness for my demise. I don't remember that incident - my memory isn't as good as it used to be. I think I was living in Okinawa, Japan at the time. Could only get Armed Forces Radio & TV over there.

linda m said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
JO said...

Yep that was a really scary time.

I'll be happy to join in at the patio. Another beautiful morning

Dizzy-Dick said...

You would think we would learn. That is the second "end of the world" scare I have heard of. The other was about alien invasion, "War of the Worlds", broadcast on radio disguised as a news report.

Mamahen said...

Oh my I don't remember this but then those were my earlier carefree years, when I rarely saw the tv or heard much news. Now I would be praying nonstop for loved ones....Patio sounds great after a stormy night in our neck of the woods...and would love some fruit too :))

HermitJim said...

Hey Phyllis...
I probably would be one of those in a state of "Oh no...!"

Let's hope it never happens!

Thanks for coming over today!



Hey Linda M...
Wouldn't take long for panic to set in, I'm thinking!

Thanks for coming by today!



Hey Jo...
Scary times indeed!

Thanks, sweetie, for the visit!



Hey Dizzy...
Always trying to out-do ourselves, I guess!

Thanks for coming over today!



Hey Mamahen...
I guess that many of us would be doing the same thing, should it come to that!

Thanks for coming by today!