Complete text of What to Do in an Air Raid

Published by the U.S. Office of Civilian Defense, Washington, D.C., 1942.

"Await official information before taking any action. When the Air Raid Warden comes to your home, do what he tells you. He is for your protection. He is your friend."

Before World War II (1939–45) the United States felt effectively protected by the vast oceans to its east and west. However, by the late 1930s, bomber planes became a major component of Germany's and Japan's military strategy, and America's shores suddenly seemed vulnerable to attack. As long as the Allies (those nations, including the United States, Great Britain, and Soviet Union, who united in the fight against Germany, Italy, and Japan during World War II) controlled the Atlantic and the Pacific and any bases within possible striking distance of the United...