The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II

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The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II Page 40

by Denise Kiernan


  Epilogue

  Information regarding the Enola Gay exhibit controversy: “From The Enola Gay Controversy: History, Memory, and the Politics of Presentation,” by Michael J. Hogan, ed., Hiroshima in History and Memory (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996).

  Information on Manhattan Project National Park from author interviews and from “Manhattan Project National Historical Park Act,” Atomic Heritage Foundation, June 21, 2012.

  Information regarding proposed Manhattan National Parks sites from Atomic Heritage Foundation http://www.atomicheritage.org/index.php/component/content/article/40-preservation-tab-/518-doi-transmits-recommendations.html, last accessed 8-28-2012.

  Details regarding K-25 preservation from “Community celebrates K-25 historic preservation agreement,” by John Huotari, Oak Ridge Today, Aug. 10, 2012.

  List of Author Interviews

  Interviews were conducted between 2009 and 2012. This list is not comprehensive; repeated subsequent visits resulted in countless conversations of a less formal, yet often informative, nature.

  Celia Klemski, Colleen Black, Dorothy Wilkinson, Helen Brown, Virginia Coleman, Toni Schmitt, Jane Puckett, Kattie Strickland, Rosemary Lane, Helen Jernigan, Rosemarie Waggener, Marty Rom, Elaine Buker, Lois Mallett, Betty and Harlan Whitehead, Dorothy Spoon, Martha Nichols, Anne Voelker, Helen Schwenn, Ardis and George Leichsenring, Jeanie Wilcox, Earline Banic, Carolyn Stelzman, Madge Newton, Dee Longendorfer, Lilian Johns Ross, Helen and Red Lynch, Bobbie Martin, Louise Walker, Liane Russell, Joanne Gailar, Georgia Marie Cloer Bailey, Louise Warmley, Mira Kimmelman, D. Ray Smith, William J. Wilcox Jr., William Tewes, Steven Stow, John Lane, Paul Wilkinson, Connie Bolling, Valeria Steele Roberson, Kathy Schmitt Gomez, Nannette Bissonnet, Martin McBride, Anne McBride, Rose Weaver, Ed Westcott (with D. Ray Smith and Don Hunnicutt), Jim Ramsey, Fred Strohl.

  Vi Warren’s columns from Oak Ridge Journal as cited in text.

  Thanks

  During the seven years since I first came across this project, an astounding number of people offered their time, insights, and expertise. They have not only been helpful, but have given me, whether they realized it or not, motivation and inspiration when I needed it most. Every one of them deserves a heartfelt thank-you.

  My tireless agent, Yfat Reiss Gendell, hung in there with me as this idea endured various incarnations and false starts, and did not stop until it found a good home. Her loyalty, intelligence, and compassion are a rare mix in this business. I also thank Yfat’s assistants, present and past, Erica Walker and Cecilia Campbell-Westlind, and the rest of the team at Foundry Literary + Media, including Yfat’s partner, Peter McGuigan, David Patterson, and Stephanie Abou.

  I am indebted to my remarkable editor, Michelle Howry. Her enthusiasm for this project, combined with her dedication, tenacity, and thoughtfulness, have made this book much better than it would have been had I been left to my own devices. I am well aware that I hit the editorial jackpot when my proposal landed on her desk. She is part of an exceptional team at Touchstone that includes her assistant, Kiele Raymond; publisher Stacy Creamer; editorial director Sally Kim; associate publisher David Falk; the marketing and publicity team of Marcia Burch, Justina Batchelor, and Meredith Vilarello; also Josh Karpf and his production and copyediting squad, including copy editor Toby Yuen, and proofreaders Tricia Tamburr and Judy Myers and compositor Meghan Day Healey; cover designers Cherlynne Li and Ervin Serrano; and interior designer Ruth Lee-Mui. Molly Puldon wrote the wonderful Reading Group Guide. I feel very fortunate to have had all of you helping out along the way.

  There are a number of organizations and people that I have tapped as resources throughout the researching and writing of this book. I truly enjoyed the brief time I spent with Cindy Kelly at the Atomic Heritage Foundation. She is the driving force behind the nationwide preservation efforts of the Manhattan Project sites. Several organizations helped with oral histories, including Courtney Esposito at the Smithsonian Institution Archives, and Brandon Barton, Stella Zhu, and especially Alva Moore Stevenson with the Center for Oral History Research at the Charles E. Young Research Library at UCLA. Also thanks to librarian Geneva Holiday at the Davis Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for locating critical Joan Hinton resources; and Ted McCafferty, Cleveland Public Library, who located resources pertaining to Evelyn Handcock Ferguson. Several branches of the National Archives and Records Administration have been instrumental in helping me navigate the overwhelming sea of documents and photos that this irreplaceable national treasure offers every American citizen. At College Park, Maryland, Edward McCarter and Nick Natanson assisted me as I waded through the thousands of Ed Westcott photos that are preserved there. Susan Clifton, Douglas Swanson, and Dennis Braden at Archives I in Washington, DC, have provided advance support for this book, offering valuable advice for outreach and lectures. David Satterfield at NARA’s personnel records office helped me locate World War II service records. I must give many thanks to National Archives public affairs specialist Miriam Kleiman, who has been a sort of National Archives tour guide and first responder, always managing to introduce me to the right people at the right time, and pointing me in the right direction.

  The National Archives at Atlanta is the primary home to the Atomic Energy Commission records and much more; this facility has played a key role in the researching of this book. Everyone at that facility went out of their way to help me find what I was looking for, including Guy Hall, John Whitehurst, Kevin Baker, Maureen Hill, and Catherine Farmer. A very special thank-you goes out to Joel Walker. Joel’s contagious excitement about the Atomic Energy Commission collection made my work not only easier but also much more enjoyable. He is a tremendous asset to both the National Archives and the legacy of the Manhattan Project.

  I would like to give the biggest of thank-yous to the city of Oak Ridge. Countless individuals there have taken time to talk and visit with me, suggest potential interviewees, or simply offer friendly advice and encouragement. I have enjoyed attending several events hosted by the Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association. The Oak Ridge Public Library has a wonderful “Oak Ridge Room,” and Teresa Fortney and especially Anne Marie Hamilton-Brehm have assisted me there. There are two museums in particular to which I would like to give credit: the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge, where I was assisted by Margaret Allard, and the American Museum of Science and Energy, where I have had the good fortune of getting to know Deputy Director Ken Mayes.

  Many individuals in the Oak Ridge community provided time, information, and contacts. Many others submitted to interviews, and though they may not have been highlighted in the book, they were nonetheless invaluable. For their time and energy I thank Rose Weaver, Martin and Anne McBride, Henry Perry, Ethel Steinhauer, Emily and Don Hunnicut, Rosemarie Waggener, Marty Rom, Elaine Buker, Lois Mallett, Betty and Harlan Whitehead, Dorothy Spoon, Martha Nichols, Anne Voelker, Helen Schwenn, Ardis and George Leichsenring, Earline Banic, Carolyn Stelzman, Madge Newton, Dee Longendorfer, Lilian Johns Ross, Helen and Red Lynch, Bobbie Martin, Louise Walker, Joanne Gailar, Georgia Marie Cloer Bailey, Louise Warmley, Steven Stow, John Lane, Paul Wilkinson, Connie Bolling, Nannette Bissonet, Jim and John Klemski, Jim Ramsey, Fred Strohl, Valeria Steele Roberson, Liane Russell, Mira Kimmelman, Helen Jernigan, Kathy Schmitt Gomez, Suzanne and Peter Angelini, and Beverly and HalliBurton Puckett.

  I have a special place in my heart for certain “Men of Atomic City”: Bill Tewes has provided wonderful stories not only about Oak Ridge, but also concerning the experiences of women there during the war, thanks to his willingness to share remembrances of his wife, Audrey. Without Ed Westcott’s photos, I very likely would never have begun looking into Oak Ridge’s World War II history. He is an irreplaceable window into this world. I always light up at the indefatigable Bill Wilcox, whose dedication to preserving history and living a meaningful life is truly inspiring. His wife, Jeanie, never fails to have a joke and a smile for me. And dear Ray Smith has introduced me to cou
ntless contacts, provided numerous resources, and keeps me in the loop about everything going on in and around Oak Ridge. He is a one-man historical society, and I have enjoyed getting to know him and his lovely wife, Fanny. Ray Smith and Bill Wilcox are unique, selfless and driven, working for a cause with little recognition. I adore them.

  This book would not exist in any meaningful way, shape, or form without the generosity of time and spirit offered up so freely and joyfully by the women featured in this book: Colleen Black, Rosemary Lane, Dot Wilkinson, Helen Brown, Kattie Strickland, Jane Puckett, Celia Klemski, Toni Schmitt, and Virginia Coleman. Knowing them has enriched my life and work in ways I am still discovering.

  There is nothing more important than the support of family and friends throughout the long process of writing a book, and I have been ridiculously fortunate in this arena. My local bookstore in Asheville, North Carolina, Malaprop’s, is an author’s best friend. Emoke B’Racz and Linda Barrett Knopp have created and nurtured a lasting and valuable institution—a true haven for those who love books. Alsace Walentine in particular has helped me with events, signings, publicity, and so much more. George Fleming kept my spirits up. Buncombe County Library’s Lyme Kedic helped track down the untrackable in the book world. Drake Witham was not only a valuable set of eyes, but also boots on the ground in Los Angeles when I needed them. I can’t say enough about the luminous spirit and rigorous mind of Kathryn Temple, whose assistance kept me sane.

  And finally, this book would never have been possible without the support, patience, sharp eyes, and kind heart of my husband, Joseph D’Agnese.

  Thank you.

  Index

  A

  Abelson, Phil, 107

  ACME Insurance Company, 74, 168, 184

  Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments (ACHRE), 293

  Alamogordo, N.Mex., Trinity test at, 233–38, 239, 241, 242, 244, 251, 275

  alcohol, 143–44, 154

  Allison, Sam, 236

  Aluminum Company of America, 100

  American Journal of Psychiatry, 201

  American Museum of Science and Energy (AMSE), 304, 312

  Anderson, Herb, 77

  Archer Daniels Midland warehouses, 10

  Arizona, USS, 71

  Army, U.S., 49, 145

  Corps of Engineers, 21, 291

  Counter Intelligence Corps, 275, 303–4

  Asahi Shimbun, 290

  atom, 32, 56

  Bohr’s model of, 60

  neutrons in, 32–34

  bombardment of Tubealloy with, 33, 58–59

  fission and, 61, 76, 100

  nucleus of, 32, 60

  splitting, 34

  atomic bomb (“the Gadget”), xvii, 100, 230–31, 298

  Eisenhower and, 246

  Germany’s research on, 62, 119, 228, 252–53, 258

  gun version of, 207, 226–27, 251

  implosion version of, 207, 226, 235, 272

  Interim Committee and, 227–28, 230

  Jumbo container for, 235

  Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and, 299

  news of CEW’s involvement in, 249, 256–57, 259–62, 264–68, 270–71, 273

  in popular culture, 298–99

  Soviet Union and, 243, 298, 299

  Stimson on, 258

  test of, 233–38, 239, 241, 242, 244, 251, 275

  atomic bombing of Japan, see Japan, atomic bombing of

  atomic energy, 257, 260

  Atomic Energy Act, 295, 297

  Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), 293, 296, 297, 298, 305–6

  files on, 312–13

  Atomic Energy Community Act, 297

  atomic fission, 61, 76, 100, 260, 263, 293–94

  Atomic Heritage Foundation (AHF), 313, 314

  atomic number, 32

  Austria, 58

  B

  B-29s, 230

  Enola Gay, 252, 313

  babysitting, 95–96, 127

  Bainbridge, Kenneth, 244

  Baker, Nicholas, see Bohr, Niels

  Baker and Williams Warehouses, 9–10

  barium, 59, 60

  Barkley, Alben, 296

  Barnett, Paul, 44

  Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, The, 298–99

  beer, 143–44

  Beginning or the End, The, 294

  Belgian Congo, 18, 99

  Bell, Daniel, 104

  Berkeley Radiation Laboratory, xv, 16, 102, 152

  Bethe, Hans, 174

  Big Ridge Park, 142

  Bingaman, Jeff, 313

  Black, Clifford (“Blackie”), 126, 139–40, 214, 216, 247, 280–82, 305–6

  Colleen’s marriage to, 305

  proposal of, 216, 280–82

  Black, Colleen Rowan, xiii, 1, 81–82, 85–90, 117, 138, 139, 141–42, 189, 214–16, 219, 247, 253, 280–82, 305–7, 314

  arrival at CEW, 82, 84

  Christmas and, 189–90

  Clifford Black and, 126, 139–40, 214, 216, 247, 280–82

  Clifford’s marriage to, 305

  Clifford’s proposal to, 216, 280–82

  fatigues worn by, 214–15

  housing and, 86

  as leak test operator, 124–27, 214, 260

  memorabilia saved by, 90

  Black Oak Ridge, 82, 209

  black residents, 47, 91–92, 97, 144–46, 276, 301–2

  cafeteria for, 92

  housing for, 47, 48, 91–92, 145–46

  school segregation and, 302

  Bohemian Club, 15

  Bohemian Grove, 15–17

  Bohr, Niels (“Nicholas Baker”), xvi, 58–61, 174–75

  Bragg, Peter, Jr., 172

  Braun, Eva, 227

  Brewing Industry Foundation, 143

  Brooks, Robert, 308

  Brown, Helen Hall, xiv, 1–2, 72–74, 158–62, 167, 189, 247, 260, 265, 277, 302, 314

  basketball and softball played by, 140–41, 158–59, 160, 302

  as calutron cubicle operator, 114–17

  clearance for, 72

  marriage of, 302

  recruited as informant, 72–74, 117–18

  recruited for CEW, 159–60

  Brown, Lloyd, 302

  Brown, Mrs., 134, 135

  Brown-Patterson Agreement, 85

  Burchett, Wilfred, 290–91

  Bush, Vannevar, 258–59

  C

  Cade, Ebb (HP-12), xv, 209–11, 246–47

  plutonium injections of, 221–22, 247, 292–93

  calutron cubicle operators, 14, 103, 109, 112–17, 120, 189, 262

  calutrons (D units), 102–4, 119, 243

  Campbell, Miriam White, 251

  carbon, 33

  Carrizozo, N.Mex., 237

  Celotex Corporation, 83

  cemesto, 83

  censorship, 154, 157, 237, 259–60

  of mail, 161–62, 177

  of news reports, 290, 291

  CEW, see Clinton Engineer Works

  Chapel on the Hill, 52–53, 141–42, 217, 276

  Chicago Defender, 301

  Chicago Metallurgical Laboratory, xvi, 75, 80, 151, 152, 174, 230, 234, 241, 242, 288

  Chicago Pile-1, xvi

  China, 245

  China Syndrome, The, 304

  Churchill, Winston, 236, 238, 239, 242, 253

  church services, 52–53, 141–42, 145

  Clark, Dwight, 221, 222

  Clarke, Eric Kent, xv, 96–97, 135, 184–86, 198–200, 315

  Clement, Frank, 297

  Clinch River, 22, 26

  Clinton, Bill, 293

  Clinton, Tenn., 20–21

  Clinton Engineer Works (CEW; Site X; Kingston Demolition Range; the Reservation), x, xvi, 19, 174

  advantages of location, 21–22

  attitudes about, 185, 186

  average age of workers at, 138

  badges for workers at, 113

  cafeterias at, 51, 92

  black employees at, 47, 91–92, 97, 144–46, 276

  bus system for,
112–13, 211–12

  Castle on the Hill (administration building), 1, 39–41, 51, 83, 111, 189, 196

  censorship of letters and, 161–62, 177

  clearances for workers at, 63–65, 153

  codes used at, 119

  Congress and, 224–25, 227

  construction of, 20–21, 28–29, 37, 52, 82–84, 85, 88, 211

  displaced former residents as workers at, 28

  expansion of, 211

  Groves’s address to workers at, 287

  guards at, 90–91, 113

  informants at, 72–74, 117–18, 167–69, 212–13

  K-25 plant, xiii, xvi, 29, 47, 82–85, 87, 100, 106, 108, 117, 122–24, 189, 191, 192, 205–6, 209, 247, 259, 273, 295, 302, 313, 314

 

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