In the medieval period, from India to Europe, kings, emperors and rulers built tunnels on a large scale in their forts. So that in times of crisis, he can run through it to a place where he remains safe. Even if there is an attack on the fort, they can escape. That’s why secret tunnels are found in every corner of the world. Many tunnels in the White House can safely take the President, his family and the White House staff out in an emergency. No one will even know about it.
When the tunnels were not built, many things were said about it among American journalists. In the year 1930, these things were in full swing. Although there was no such tunnel in the White House then, after the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941, the need for its construction was felt, and the work started.
Tunneling Started In The 1950s
The construction of tunnels started in 1950 during the tenure of then-President Harry S. Truman. Then the condition of this President’s House built about 150 years ago, started deteriorating. Cracks started forming in its walls.
It was decided that the building needed to be rebuilt. Then President Truman shifted to the nearby Blair House for three years. During this time, the White House was built anew. Meanwhile, considering safety, a tunnel was also prepared, which was used to connect the East Wing with the West Wing. Through this, the secret bunker could be reached.
The Second Secret Tunnel Was Built In ThelLate 80s
The second secret tunnel was built in 1987 when Ronald Reagan was the 40th President of the US. This tunnel was prepared due to the threat of ever-increasing terrorist attacks during Reagan’s tenure.
According to the White House website, through the tunnel, the President can reach a secret staircase near the Oval Office; upon reaching here, pressing a button opens the secret door. Although where this door leads, there is no information about it.
There Is Also A Third Tunnel
Apart from this, there is another tunnel, which many people know. It passes through the basement of the East Wing and reaches the Treasury Building. It was built by the 33rd President Franklin D. Roosevelt. It has been made so that air attacks do not affect it. Another tunnel connects the White House to the Old Executive Office Building. However, this tunnel is said to open at many places, from where many safe and unknown places can be reached outside. However, there is no written proof of this.
Secret facilities in the White House have been named the President’s Emergency Operations Center (PEOC). Under this, the GSA (General Services Administration), an organization that decides the security of government buildings, prepared secret bunkers and tunnels.
According to the Associated Press, the construction work was kept entirely secret. The phones of the workers kept getting tapped. The wall of the secret bunker here is made of thick concrete so that it cannot be affected by nuclear bombs and radiation.
Along with this, there is such a system that even after being inside the ground, sufficient oxygen keeps coming and going in the bunkers and tunnels. According to the Seattle Times, so much food is always kept inside that it can last several months in emergencies.
When Donald Trump assumed power in 2017, he and some top officials were shown all the security arrangements. He remained underground for a long time and was also suggested options to get out in an emergency. Similarly, when Joe Biden became the President of America, he was shown these tunnels. Whenever the new President of America is sworn in, he is told about these things in the White House.
