--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: roadway, got trapped under an overpass…" description: "\"“roadway, got trapped under an overpass. FEMA created its own mobile command center effort, known as Mobile Emergency Response Support (MERS) units—eve..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/264/garrett-m-graff-7343_quote_roadway-got-trapped-under-an-overpass-fe_2237837.jpg" --- # roadway, got trapped under an overpass. FEMA created its… ![“roadway, got trapped under an overpass. FEMA created its own mobile command center effort, known as Mobile Emergency Response Support (MERS) units—eventually building some 300 special vehicles and stationing them across the country at regional command centers. The convoys, the thinking went, would…” quote by Garrett M. Graff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/264/garrett-m-graff-7343_quote_roadway-got-trapped-under-an-overpass-fe_2237837.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/264/garrett-m-graff-7343_quote_roadway-got-trapped-under-an-overpass-fe_2237837.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/264/garrett-m-graff-7343_quote_roadway-got-trapped-under-an-overpass-fe_2237837.jpg) > ““roadway, got trapped under an overpass. FEMA created its own mobile command center effort, known as Mobile Emergency Response Support (MERS) units—eventually building some 300 special vehicles and stationing them across the country at regional command centers. The convoys, the thinking went, would be able to range across the nation, one step ahead of any Soviet attacks, hiding in the vast portions of the country that would be unscathed by nuclear attack. The convoys were meant to be entirely self-sufficient for a month, carrying massive generators and specially equipped fuel tankers that could draw diesel fuel from abandoned gas stations across the country. Meanwhile, a network of as many as 500 radio towers known as GWEN, the Ground Wave”” [Garrett M. Graff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrett-m-graff/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A Cold War plan envisioned mobile command units to survive nuclear attacks and outmaneuver Soviet forces, reflecting extreme preparedness paranoia. **In simple terms:** A plan to build mobile command centers to survive nuclear war. Key Takeaway Consider the costs of extreme contingency planning. Themes military strategy Cold War survival technology politics Mood anxious critical historical Type analytical historical policy When to use this quote - government planning - military exercises - emergency preparedness - policy analysis Key Concepts deterrence logistics civil defense Questions to Reflect On - Is endless preparedness worth the expense? - How do we balance security with practicality? A Different Perspective Such massive projects may divert resources from diplomatic solutions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Diesel fuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diesel-fuel/) ## Related quotes > [ Indeed, that is exactly what they \[the Arctic convoys\] were. We know that the conditions in which they fought were appalling. 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