Bright as Daybreak, Red as Fire

The StoryCorps podcast explores the shadow of nuclear war through personal narratives. It begins with a story of ranchers accidentally witnessing the Trinity test in 1945. The episode features Joel Healy, a veteran who recounts his experiences during Operation Plumbob in 1957, where he witnessed over 20 nuclear detonations as a 17-year-old soldier and the lack of safety measures. Randall Lanning, a former missile launch control officer, shares a tense moment in 1974 when he received a launch order, forcing him to confront the potential end of life as he knew it. The podcast also recounts the 1961 Goldsboro, North Carolina B-52 crash, where two hydrogen bombs were accidentally dropped, and the dangerous recovery mission led by Jack Revell, an Air Force munitions expert.