Back in the 1960s, we lived in an area that was kind of close to three military installations: Fort Jackson, McEntire Air National Guard Base and Shaw Air Force Base. They would be prime targets to receive a nuclear missile aimed at them. So, every Saturday at noon, Columbia would test their early warning sirens which were placed all over the city. These things were placed on telephone poles and would blare out for five minutes. It was important not to be doing anything during those five minutes, because you couldn't be heard over the sound.
We lived about a block from one of these sirens. At noon on the dot, it would sound like the world was coming to an end, but that was the idea. It was deafening. The kids in the neighborhood had a scientific query. How close could we get to the pole with the siren on it before our eardrums burst? Because you know that we were into science. We could get as close as a couple of houses before we had to fall on the ground with our hands over our ears. It was great fun. The closest I ever got was one house away. It was like sitting on the front row of a rock concert without earplugs.
The goal for us was to touch the pole that the siren was on. I don't think anyone made it. It was for science.
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