When I was a kid and we had to through the drill in case of nuclear bomb. Under our little desk, butt in the air and arms covering our head, I remember wondering how doing that could possibly save us.
I never was a sheep, I questioned things my parents and teachers told me if it didn’t make any sense. Seems the latest generation lack that skill for the most part,
In the 50s and early 60s the nukes generally weren’t particularly large or accurate.
Duck and cover would protect you from a lot of glass and debris.