For DOOMSDAY MACHINES this week, a post that has in some sense been in the making for something like a decade. It is a very close look at the "war plan," QUICK STRIKE, featured in the formerly classified 1958 film "The Power of Decision," produced for the USAF. doomsdaymachines.net/p/a-long-look-at-a-quick-strike

April 09, 2026 - 16:31 UTC

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This is a good one, nice work!
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Peter Kuran (@atomcentral.bsky.social mcentral.bsky.social) was able to restore a clean copy of the film, and released it this week. The previous version was so muddy it was hard to feel confident in my conclusions. I'm grateful to Peter, as well as to @atomicanalyst.bsky.social for his help.
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It’s pretty grim stuff to see what even a “fake” official US plan for World War III from 1958 looked like. I know of nothing else like it. Below is my annotated version of plan QUICK STRIKE — read the post for more.
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Can't wait to show this to my dad, who was in SAC shortly after this time period (still in the B-47).
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I've seen the big board in other USAF films of this time period - usually with bits behind curtains. My question is: was the dry erase board invented by the USAF?
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Ha, I don't know. It's an interesting question. The "Big Board" boards look like just plastic panels that they are writing on. Their "target recap" board looks like white paint and grease pencil or crayon?
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