If the Sirens Sounded: The Postal Service’s Cold War Plan

What would happen to the mail - and the nation’s ability to communicate - if a major Cold War emergency struck? The U.S. government spent decades preparing for that possibility, and the Post Office Department became an important part of its civil defense plans. Mailin’ It! hosts Karla and Jeff talk with USPS historian Steve Kochersperger and Smithsonian National Museum of American History military history curator Frank Blazich about the Postal Service’s fascinating role in Cold War preparedness. They explore how roughly 1,500 Post Office buildings were designated as fallout shelters by the mid-1960s, with space for approximately 1.3 million people. Those shelters were stocked with emergency food, water, medical and sanitation supplies, and radiation detection equipment. Postmasters were even prepared to serve as shelter managers, responsible for maintaining order and rationing supplies. Thousands of postal vehicles were designated for emergency transportation, while special safety notification and change-of-address cards were created to reconnect displaced Americans with their families. The Post Office Net enlisted amateur radio operators to provide a backup communications network if conventional systems failed. Fortunately, many of these plans were never needed for their intended purpose. But the preparation wasn’t wasted. The infrastructure, emergency planning and nationwide reach that made the Postal Service valuable during the Cold War continue to play an important role when communities face hurricanes, wildfires, natural disasters and other emergencies. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.