Assignment 4

I had a very helpful trip the HAHS Archive last week. I found some great materials, even though they did not necessarily go along with the Cold War preparation I was aiming for. I was able to look through the Hayward Journal for 1948, right at the beginning of the Cold War. What I found the most interesting was the lack of real concern about the Soviet Union, communism, and the other stuff related to the Cold War. The bound journal was, however, from the year right before the Soviet Union successfully detonated their atom bomb, so I guess it would make sense that Hayward as community was not very concerned about the Soviet Union.

I found several advertisements that encouraged citizens to support the troops and remain in positive spirits for the boys still returning home. There were numerous ads and articles about memorial services for local men that fell victims from WWII.

Shockingly, there were articles about the Draft. I had no idea there was another draft happening after WWII, starting in 1948. I had no idea!! That is definitely something that I was not taught in any of my many US history classes. I knew males had to sign up for the Selective Service, just like they need to do today, but apparently they were being chosen to enlist- Drafted.

Overall, the research I was able to do in 2 hours, I found some very interesting stuff.

1. Hayward, in 1948, was more concerned with local events, like church meetings, than about the US global affairs.

2. The community was aware of the need for troops so they did have drives to register men for Selective Service.

3. (women’s clothing sizes ranged from 32-40”…standards seen today as on the “heavier” side) *Unrelated to my topic, but very cool to know.

4. Dogs attacking children and traffic accidents were of top priority in the Hayward Journal.

The Cold War Pamphlets I was able to look through gave some great insight into the Cold War Era. Individuals were expected to understand how to protect themselves and their families if a nuclear bomb was dropped in the area. Community members were organized into group that would further disseminate information to their family and friends, helping to encourage people to be independent and not depend so much on the government for assistance.

Men and women must be able to protect their homes and families in any case of emergency. (picture link below)

Firefighting for Householders

Citizens must be aware of the Evacuation route to get out of Hayward, proceeding south until they reach Monterey Area. (picture link below)

Evacuation Route

There were cards that informed people how to learn about “emergencies” by listening to the radio. A long buzz on the radio meant ”Alert”, while short beeping meant “Take Cover.”. One card instructed the family to post a large sign in their home, and carry around the attached cards on their person. (picture link below)

Air Defense Raid Photo

What’s next?

+ I would like to look at some materials from the 1950s and early 1960’s from newspapers (located in CSUEB’s Library). I need to see how much the newspapers informed people about the Cold War. Were people freaking out? Was the threat of nuclear war really scary to people here?

+ Wednesday I have the interview with Ken. That should be very exciting. I’ve only conducted a short, very informal interview, so this is a new experience for me. I’m going to work with the recording equipment today, testing out the memory and stuff to make sure I know what I am doing. I need to figure out how long my camera can record videos (how long the battery lasts and how long of a video I can make). I borrowed a digital voice recorder from HAHS for the project, which I need to play with and figure out. The last thing I need is to record only 2 minutes of the whole interview and be left with close to nothing to work with. That would be horrible. I figure the more recording I can do, the more realistic the transcription and story will be.

+ I’m still fine-tuning the questions, so I won’t be able to send them to Ken before the interview. I think it will be okay. I think he will be okay to just talk and go with the flow of things. After speaking with Diane last week, I think I need to be more prepared with listening to what he is saying and asking questions, rather than preparing a list of questions now. What he has to say will open the door to more questions.

+ I will be updating the labeling of the photos from the HAHS Archive this week.