Getting away from the election for a moment I was just wondering if anyone here is watching this new TV show and how realistic it is ? Is there really such a thing as a designated survivor? If there is I'm sure it is not as portrayed on the show, but can something like this actually happen where the nation's whole leadership is wiped out by a single terrorist attack or just by accident such as a plane crash.
Now could it really happen? Well it came close to happening to an extent during WW2. Saw this in a book I'm currently reading about FDR. On Nov 14, 1943 FDR together with all his military advisors including George Marshall & a number of Generals & Admirals were on the battleship Iowa steaming thru the Caribbean headed to Cairo for a meeting with Churchill & Chaing Kai Shek. At the same time a US Destroyer on a training exercise mistook the Iowa for a torpedo target & fired away. The torpedo just narrowly missed the hull of the Iowa. As per FDR, had the torpedo been a direct hit it could well have changed the outcome of the war & our destiny. SCARY, huh.
A second non incident but potentially horrifying was the funeral train taking FDR's body to Hyde Park in April, 1945 with the new President (Truman), his cabinet, congressional leaders, military advisers & all 9 Supreme Court Justices aboard and with throngs of Americans lining up alongside the tracks for most all of the trip to mourn the deceased President. Years later Truman's daughter, Margaret, reflected on how crazy a risk this was especially when considering that we were still at war & attempted sabotage was a strong possibility.
Any thoughts on this ?
Tom K
Now could it really happen? Well it came close to happening to an extent during WW2. Saw this in a book I'm currently reading about FDR. On Nov 14, 1943 FDR together with all his military advisors including George Marshall & a number of Generals & Admirals were on the battleship Iowa steaming thru the Caribbean headed to Cairo for a meeting with Churchill & Chaing Kai Shek. At the same time a US Destroyer on a training exercise mistook the Iowa for a torpedo target & fired away. The torpedo just narrowly missed the hull of the Iowa. As per FDR, had the torpedo been a direct hit it could well have changed the outcome of the war & our destiny. SCARY, huh.
A second non incident but potentially horrifying was the funeral train taking FDR's body to Hyde Park in April, 1945 with the new President (Truman), his cabinet, congressional leaders, military advisers & all 9 Supreme Court Justices aboard and with throngs of Americans lining up alongside the tracks for most all of the trip to mourn the deceased President. Years later Truman's daughter, Margaret, reflected on how crazy a risk this was especially when considering that we were still at war & attempted sabotage was a strong possibility.
Any thoughts on this ?
Tom K
