Protect and Survive: A Timeline

[Macragge1]

'Imagine when the holocaust comes and these places are all deserted and there are thistles growing on the motorway...and there's grass growing over the jukebox...and honeysuckle coming out of the espresso, yeah...and tadpoles swimming in the ladies.'

- Steven Poliakoff, Strawberry Fields (1977)

[Orville_third]

Originally Posted by Apollo 20

Thank you. I have a feeling as well that reestablishing communications might not be as difficult as some may imagine. In all of these undamaged rural areas, you are likely to find small airports with small aircraft and some amount of fuel. Assuming you had a pilot or two among the survivors, I can't see any particular reason why, after the fallout has decayed, some of these pockets of survivors wouldn't have a pretty good idea of the level of damage around them and have begun the process of making contact. A Cessna 172 is a pretty robust piece of machinery without a lot of EMP vulnerable components and you can cover a fair amount of ground over a few days at 100 knots.

In fact, there is a group of Americans who are organized along military lines, are trained to fly in response to emergencies (some are even trained to fly in order to monitor radiation levels!) and have a LOT of Cessna 172's scattered all over the place. They're called the Civil Air Patrol and I'm sorry they don't show up more in pot-apocalyptic scenarios. (US scenario writers take note!)
(Shameless plug. I happen to be a member, even though I'm only a historian and PAO. I have seen our 1970's era radiological monitoring gear-I may be one of the few who have even handled it!)

[Apollo 20]

Originally Posted by Orville_third

In fact, there is a group of Americans who are organized along military lines, are trained to fly in response to emergencies (some are even trained to fly in order to monitor radiation levels!) and have a LOT of Cessna 172's scattered all over the place. They're called the Civil Air Patrol and I'm sorry they don't show up more in pot-apocalyptic scenarios. (US scenario writers take note!)
(Shameless plug. I happen to be a member, even though I'm only a historian and PAO. I have seen our 1970's era radiological monitoring gear-I may be one of the few who have even handled it!)

Very good point. Can't believe I didn't think of it myself.

[Unknown]

Originally Posted by ivfl

It doesn't make sense for Topeka to be in one piece.Its very close to Forbes air national guard base.It was an active SAC bomber base in the '60s it passed over to the Air national guard in the '70s.It operated KC-135 Stratotankers at the time.I find it highly unlikely that Forbes survived taking into account the SAC dispersal strategy meaning once things went bad SAC bombers would be dispersed to any available air field capable of suporting B-52s and any other bombers with a nuclear payload.Take into account the fact that Topeka is a seat of government to assume it survived seems just a bit weird.Even assuming malfunctions more than one missile would be targeted at the Topeka region.

Good point, ivfl. That's what I meant by my statement "not that it means anything." I'd be surprised if they didn't hit it. Besides, Beaumont-Port Arthur-Orange is more likely to survive than Topeka (and Beaumont is not on the list of cities hit and, according to Macragge1, the missile headed for it probably malfunctioned), as well as the Bryan-College Station area (which probably becomes the de facto capital of Texas postwar).

Waiting for the next update.

[JN1]

Originally Posted by Pavlovs_Cat

During times of deep distress (and l think we can all agree P&S is a brilliant telling of society in extremis) people turn to religion. Does any one know if any of the main religious groups, and I guess I am thinking of the Church of England here, had any plans around the transition to war or indeed did they figure in the government UK government planning in some way?

In all my research into UK government War Plans there is no mention of the C of E anywhere. I suspect that given some senior churchmen were involved in CND successive governments did not trust them with anything important and/or secret.

I can't help but notice that I have been away for a week and no update...

[Macragge1]

Next update is almost done; expect it in the next couple of days.

Meanwhile...

[Linkwerk]

Originally Posted by Macragge1

Next update is almost done; expect it in the next couple of days.

Meanwhile...

I know I might have said this before, but P&S has one of the best "soundtracks" of any TL, ever.

[JjeeporCreepor]

Originally Posted by Macragge1

Next update is almost done; expect it in the next couple of days.

Looking forward to it.

[Archangel]

Hope this is useful:


Presidential line of sucession of the 1st Reagan Cabinet (around the late half of 1983 and early 1984):
[Office ]: [Name ]([Term]);
President : Ronald Reagan (1981–1989);
Vice President : George H.W. Bush (1981–1989);
Speaker of the House : Thomas Phillip "Tip" O'Neill, Jr. (1977–1987);
President pro tempore of the Senate : James Strom Thurmond (1981–1987);
Secretary of State : Alexander Haig (1981–1982);
Secretary of Treasury : Donald Regan (1981–1985);
Secretary of Defense : Caspar Weinberger (1981–1987);
Attorney General : William F. Smith (1981–1985);
Secretary of the Interior : James G. Watt (1981–November 8, 1983) / William P. Clark, Jr. (November 18, 1983–1985);
Secretary of Agriculture : John Rusling Block (1981–1986);
Secretary of Commerce : Howard M. Baldrige, Jr. (1981–1987);
Secretary of Labor : Raymond J. Donovan (1981–1985);
Secretary of Health and Human Services : Margaret Heckler (1983–1985);
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development : Samuel R. Pierce, Jr. (1981–1989);
Secretary of Transportation : Elizabeth Hanford Dole (1983–1987);
Secretary of Energy : Donald Paul Hodel (1982–1985);
Secretary of Education : Terrel Bell (1981–1984).

If there any inconsistence in the order, please indicate it.

Edit: added the Speaker and the President pro tempore of the Senate.

[ChucK Y]

The Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tem of the Senate follow the Vice-President in line of succession, before any of the Cabinet members. Alexander Haig must have used the same list when he said

"I am in control here" as a result of Reagan's hospitalization.

Constitutionally, gentlemen, you have the President, the Vice President and the Secretary of State in that order, and should the President decide he wants to transfer the helm to the Vice President, he will do so. He has not done that. As of now, I am in control here, in the White House, pending return of the Vice President and in close touch with him. If something came up, I would check with him, of course.
—Alexander Haig, Alexander Haig, autobiographical profile in TIME Magazine, April 2, 1984[16]

[Archangel]

Originally Posted by ChucK Y

The Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tem of the Senate follow the Vice-President in line of succession, before any of the Cabinet members. Alexander Haig must have used the same list when he said

"I am in control here" as a result of Reagan's hospitalization.

Constitutionally, gentlemen, you have the President, the Vice President and the Secretary of State in that order, and should the President decide he wants to transfer the helm to the Vice President, he will do so. He has not done that. As of now, I am in control here, in the White House, pending return of the Vice President and in close touch with him. If something came up, I would check with him, of course.
—Alexander Haig, Alexander Haig, autobiographical profile in TIME Magazine, April 2, 1984[16]

Thanks, ChucK Y! I was basing myself on an incomplete list.

[JN1]

Hi guys,
Jack has asked me to let you all that due to unforeseen circumstances which I won't elaborate on he has been kicked for a week. Normal service will resume as soon as possible.

[markjones980]

Just spent a massive chunk of the last 24 hours reading 'Protect and Survive' All I can say is 'AWSOME'. I'm a big fan of JN1's TLW, which in a roundabout way led me here. I'm glad it did, congratulations Macragge1 on a brilliant piece of AH. I am hooked.

[modelcitizen]

Originally Posted by JN1

Hi guys,
Jack has asked me to let you all that due to unforeseen circumstances which I won't elaborate on he has been kicked for a week. Normal service will resume as soon as possible.

um



WTF?

[JN1]

Originally Posted by markjones980

Just spent a massive chunk of the last 24 hours reading 'Protect and Survive' All I can say is 'AWSOME'. I'm a big fan of JN1's TLW, which in a roundabout way led me here. I'm glad it did, congratulations Macragge1 on a brilliant piece of AH. I am hooked.

Welcome aboard, Mark.

Originally Posted by modelcitizen

um



WTF?

Since it was a decision taken by Ian I think we should avoid discussing it here.

[CaliBoy1990]

Hope to see you back soon, man.

[markjones980]

Originally Posted by JN1

Welcome aboard, Mark.

Thanks Jan

[JN1]

Mark, this TL may interest you, given your day job.

http://www.alternatehistory.com/disc...d.php?t=209652

[markjones980]

Thanks Jan, I'll put some time aside (when I'm not nursing Nodding Donkeys up the East Lancs) to read it

[Archangel]

Originally Posted by markjones980

Just spent a massive chunk of the last 24 hours reading 'Protect and Survive' All I can say is 'AWSOME'. I'm a big fan of JN1's TLW, which in a roundabout way led me here. I'm glad it did, congratulations Macragge1 on a brilliant piece of AH. I am hooked.

Welcome to AH.com, Mark!