Ironically, this is the neighborhood where “Miracle Mile” is set some three decades later.

And as others quickly pointed out in the replies, using “The Arsenal of Freedom” as the tagline for your event is more than a little ironic.

No, that was “The Day After” in 1983. And while that film greatly affected President Reagan, he ket that to himself. I think it's a stretch to say that that film alone caused him to completely change his mind about nuclear weapons.

This is how Stephen Colbert covered the alarming incident: www.facebook.com/watch/?v=130...

A thorough investigation by the Federal Communications Commission found “a combination of human error and inadequate safeguards contributed to the transmission” of the alert. Contrary to some initial reports in 2018, there is no evidence that it was a deliberate act. www.fcc.gov/document/fcc...

For 38 agonizing minutes, until it was finally retracted as a false alarm, the alert led tens of thousands of Hawaiians and visiting tourists to believe Hawaii was under nuclear attack. The powerful 2021 documentary “This Is Not A Drill” told some of their stories from that deeply unnerving day.

Overall, yes.

Here is Ted Turner’s original introduction to “Threads”:

“It is not our intention to frighten, but to inform. Because the more we know about what could happen, the less chance it is that it will happen.”

WTBS aired “Threads” two additional times that month.

WTBS ran this print advertisement to promote the premiere. On the following day, WTBS aired two other programs about nuclear war, “On the 8th Day,” a special report about nuclear winter, and “Breaking the Spell,” a US-Soviet expert dialogue about avoiding nuclear war, both featuring Carl Sagan.

I didn't want to spoil the surprise.

More information about this deadly accident (including a redacted copy of the original Air Force accident report), which involved two very large thermonuclear weapons, can be found on this online memorial site:

Here is co-pilot Parker Peedin decades later recounting in detail the cause of the crash of the B-52D (call sign Buzz One Four) and its aftermath in @atomcentral.bsky.social’s 2000 documentary “Nuclear 911: Broken Arrows, Accidents, and Incidents”:

Navigator Robert L. Payne (41) and tailgunner Melvin Wooten (27) also ejected but succumbed to sub-freezing temperatures while attempting to find shelter. Bombardier Robert L. Townley (42) did not eject and died on impact. The two thermonuclear bombs were recovered damaged but relatively intact.

The aircraft carried two massive war reserve 9-Megaton B53 thermonuclear bombs. Pilot Maj. Thomas W. McCormick (42), ejected and trudged six hours through deep snow to a farmhouse. Co-pilot Capt. Parker Peedin (29) also ejected and was found by searchers more than 36 hours after the crash.

Soooo unrealistic!

Good to know! Out of curiosity, I investigated the source of the phrase in 2024 and traced it back to this article (and found another military source subsequently complaining that General Allen’s use of it undermined efforts to garner public and congressional support for the MX “racetrack” plan).