With the Soviet Union accumulating an atomic arsenal, the Civil Defense Administration (CDA) in 1952 decided Americans needed to prepare for megatons of mayhem. Accordingly, the CDA sent out the Alert America road show to nearly all 48 states. The tour offered a two-part presentation spread out over 10 trucks. In the first part, visitors strolled by pictures of mushroom clouds flaring over urban wastelands. In the second, exhibits offered info on shelter preparation and radiation detection, with one exhibit selling dog tags sporting visitors' names, addresses, blood types, and religions for $0.50.