[Pelham]

Korean War fighting ended by July 1953. Most of the ‘50s were peaceful.

I grew up right across the Potomac from Washington DC. We had regular duck and cover drills in school but we hardly “lived in fear of nuclear war”. That seemed a very remote possibility. The first worry like that didn’t happen until the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.

[familyop]

"We had regular duck and cover drills in school but we hardly 'lived in fear of nuclear war'."

During the monthly air raid drills where I lived, not far from a base, it was a very welcome break for a few minutes from the school routine. And the sirens were pretty neat. ;-)

[Bigg Red]

We had regular duck and cover drills in school but we hardly “lived in fear of nuclear war”. That seemed a very remote possibility. The first worry like that didn’t happen until the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.

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My experience mirrors yours. And I remember that an adult assured me during the Cuban Missile Crisis by saying that the Cubans would not nuke us because, should they invade us, they would want our prosperous country to remain intact.

[COBOL2Java]

Korean War fighting ended by July 1953. Most of the ‘50s were peaceful.

Almost exactly 3 months after the Korean War ended, yours truly entered the world. :-)

Like you, the "fear of nuclear war" didn't come to the forefront until the Cuban Missile Crisis. Something I remember about the 50s was watching "The Honeymooners", "The Mickey Mouse Club" and "Romper Room" on a round black & white TV set.

My friends and I played outside (or in Brooklyn, on the fire escape): cowboys and indians with cap guns and bow & arrows (the ones with suction cups); stickball in the street (running to dodge the cars); and walking to and from school - all these activities without helicopter moms!