字幕列表 影片播放 列印英文字幕 [MUSIC PLAYING] The Declaration of Independence says all men are created equal. But in the eyes of the US government, its citizens are actually carved up into two very distinct groups. In the event of a nuclear war, there will be those who can get into a bunker, and those who can't. Today, we're going to take a look at what it's like inside the bunkers designed to keep the US government safe during a nuclear war. But, before we get started, be sure to subscribe to the Weird History channel. And let us know in the comments below what other related topics you would like to hear about. [SHUDDERS] All right, go get your jacket. We're headed into a nuclear winter. [MUSIC PLAYING] Located in the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia, the Greenbrier Resort was a top tier hotel, with bright, luxurious grounds. However, beneath the hotel, the US government built a bunker intended to be used as a living facility for members of Congress in the event of a nuclear war. Despite the importance of the people meant to live there, the bunker-- nicknamed "Project Greek Island"-- was a dreary, sterile place that was roughly the size of a Walmart which, come to think about it, most Walmarts are pretty dreary too, so-- 1,100 bunk beds were arranged in long rows. A name was assigned to each bunk bed, possibly to prevent congressmen from bickering over who got to sleep where. Speaking of bickering, government officials weren't even allowed to bring their families with them to the shelter. They were expected to abandon their loved ones to a terrifying nuclear apocalypse while they themselves fled to safety. If that sounds psychologically traumatic to you, well, it did to a few senators, as well. To help the situation, the infirmary bunker was heavily stocked with anti-depressants. The scenario pretty much assured that the people making the country's decisions in the most crucial hour of an atomic war were not only isolated and depressed, but heavily medicated. The Greenbrier bunker was decommissioned after being exposed by the Washington Post in 1992. It's now open for tours during non-pandemic times. So you can go see the cavern the officials would have had to endure with your own eyes. Maintaining the Greenbrier bunker was no easy task. It required a large team to perform general maintenance, replace filters, restock expired pharmaceuticals, and continuously refresh the food supply. None of that sounds too hard in itself, but you have to keep in mind the bunker was top secret. So they had to do it all without attracting any unwanted attention. To facilitate this, the government created a fake company called Forsythe Associates, which would serve as a cover for employees of the bunker. As part of the cover, the employees of Forsythe would actually repair televisions for the nearly 800 rooms of the resort itself. They managed to keep the rooms up for 30 years. But it was the presence of these maintenance employees that ultimately alerted civilians to the fact that something strange was afoot at Greenbrier or, more accurately, underfoot at Greenbrier. The Pennsylvanian Raven Rock complex is one of the larger bunkers. Equipped with fully functional police and fire departments, as well as its own power plant, this bunker looks and operates like a full-fledged underground city. Construction on the complex began in 1951, but it almost never happened. The Department of Defense wasn't sure there was actually a contractor capable of constructing what was essentially a three-story city inside the core of a mountain. Turns out, there was. Parsons Brinkerhoff, the same firm that was responsible for the original IRT line of the New York City subway system was able to complete the job. The project, which was originally approved by President Harry S. Truman, was nicknamed Harry's Hole by the media. I'll wait a second while you post your Harry's Hole comment right now. Keep it clean. [MUSIC PLAYING] As the Cold War came to an end, the fear of nuclear attack tapered off, which was probably a good thing. Many officials eventually began to question the need for the Raven Rock bunker, as it was incredibly expensive to maintain. Even worse, it was becoming technologically obsolete, which meant it would need pricey upgrades on top of everything else. One government official who visited Raven Rock even remarked, "You feel like you're walking into a dinosaur because the place is so outdated." In 1991, President George H.W. Bush halted 24 operations at Raven Rock. The budget was slashed and the facility was all but abandoned. However, after the attacks of September 11, 2001, the government reversed course, even though those attacks had no nuclear weapons. With a renewed emphasis on national security, Congress committed $652 million to upgrades at the bunker. New fuel reserves were eventually included in the project. And, suddenly, Raven Rock's annual budget skyrocketed. [MUSIC PLAYING] When Raven Rock opened in 1953, it was originally intended to be a second home for the Department of Defense in the event of a nuclear war. The space was built to include offices, bathrooms, dining facilities, infirmaries, and communication areas, and was designed to hold somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,400 people. And while it seems like such a project would be highly classified, it was actually quite the opposite. The media was briefed on what was going on right from the start, and many facts about the bunker were common knowledge. For example, it was widely known the complex was protected by 34-ton blast doors, which were bolstered with long tunnels to protect inhabitants in case of an attack. The Raven Rock complex was one of the nation's most active doomsday bunkers. As such, it received fairly regular upgrades, including a major one in 2012, when contractors added 27 new fuel tanks that held up to 20,000 additional gallons of gasoline. Originally, just 100,000 square feet, the complex eventually increased to 900,000, to accommodate an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 employees. However, as usual, no family members were invited to live at the facility. While there were plans to let family members visit in case of disaster, you might have to cross a Mad Max-style wasteland to get to the complex. [MUSIC PLAYING] Cheyenne Mountain is one of the most secure places on Earth. And if you're lucky enough to make it through both security checkpoints, you'll find yourself at a massive door. Situated at a 90 degree angle away from this entrance is a huge tunnel that extends all the way from one side of the mountain to the other. The man-made tunnel was designed by architects to direct any nuclear radiation away from the entrance of the facility. The door, which weighs 23 tons, is shaped like a giant plug. This means that, in the event of an exterior blast, the seal it creates would actually tighten and expel any toxic fumes. It's like a giant panic room. Imagine it's the end of the world. Nuclear missiles are flying. Entire cities are being annihilated, and people are dying by the millions. [MUSIC PLAYING] [EXPLOSIONS] You, however, are in the mood for a hearty meatball sub. Well, if you had a Level 1 security clearance, and were one of the people lucky enough to be in the Cheyenne Mountain bunker, we've got some good news. Employees of Cheyenne Mountain had their very own Subway fast food restaurant where they could pick up some grub on their way to monitoring for potential airborne threats. The facility even had TV screens that could live stream the outside world, and a 24-hour cafeteria that could serve intricate meals. It was a pretty sweet setup as far as post-apocalyptic living goes. But, in case of long lasting disaster, a military cook was always on standby to begin rationing. The Cheyenne Mountain complex, which is still in use today, had a lot of the same amenities you'd find in any community. For example, fitness classes were said to be popular, with spin class being a particular favorite. On a normal day, you were likely to find the area filled with employees SoulCycling to some awful techno music. But, of course, everything in the complex serves an emergency purpose, as well. In disaster situation, the facility's gym was designed to double as a hospital station. Curtains located at the front of the gym would actually shield the hospital bay when closed. Hopefully, when functioning as a hospital, they would turn down that terrible EDM. [IMITATING EDM BEATS] The Cheyenne Mountain bunker has not one but two underground lakes. Rowboats could be taken out on the water to inspect the large man-made reservoir. But they're also used for other purposes. For example, a long-standing Naval tradition holds that sailors should renew their enlistment at sea. The reservoir boats give Naval personnel stationed at the complex a chance to honor that tradition, if they choose to. Each reservoir is roughly the size of a football field. And both were designed to slope downward into the Earth to control spillage in the event of a bomb-related quake. The water supply could keep the complex hydrated for weeks. Well, this this reservoir is like 20-feet deep and it holds about a million five-gallons of water. [MUSIC PLAYING] To allow staff to freely practice their religions, the Cheyenne Mountain complex, like many of the other bunkers, was built with a nondenominational chapel. The chapel at Cheyenne Mountain is known to have been used during the September 11 attacks. When the country reeled in the aftermath, all employees were locked into the bunker and compelled to work. Most employees did their duty. But a story holds that one man complained and asked to be released to see his family. He was sent to the bunker chapel, where he spent some time with a chaplain, who offered prayer and mental health services. The employee is said to have re-evaluated his situation and returned to work. All in all, pretty understandable. Cheyenne Mountain is also home to the North American Aerospace Defense, also known as NORAD. It was built to protect the United States in the event all of their systems failed. In the event of a nuclear attack, the NORAD buildings are shielded by massive expanses of rock. The springs located beneath the space provide cushion and shock protection. And the buildings are built with enough slack to allow them to sway up to 18-feet in either direction, kind of like how many West Coast buildings are built to withstand earthquakes. [MUSIC - "DUCK AND COVER THEME SONG"] (SINGING) He did what we all must learn to do. You, and you, and you, and you, [BLAST] duck and cover. So what do you think? How do you think you'd feel about living in one of these bunkers while a nuclear war raged outside? Let us know in the comments below. And while you're at it, check out some of these other videos from our Weird History.
B2 中高級 美國腔 在总统核战争掩体中的感觉(What It Was Like to Be In a Presidential Nuclear War Bunker) 9 1 joey joey 發佈於 2021 年 05 月 23 日 更多分享 分享 收藏 回報 影片單字