Betty’s Column

LOCAL HISTORY T he Making of the Bomb in Oak Ridge - Part 5

On Aug. 21, 2020 I wrote an article about the involvementofmyauntanduncleinthemaking of the atomic bomb at Oak Ridge, Tennessee. I receivedseveralcommentsfromothershowthey toohadfamilymemberstakingpartinthatManhattanProject.

A number of weekslatermy cousinsentme a picture ofmy aunt in thenursing home beside her bed that had a beautifulquilt on it. On the quilt was a book titled, “The Girls of Atomic City.”

While the snow and ice makes it treacherous formetogetout,I am goingtogiveyounumerous detailsofwhatitwasliketobea part of that time inOakRidge,Tennessee.

Thebookansweredmanyquestionsformeand you may be interested in what I found out as I readthisbookpublishedin2013byDeniseKiernan. Thestorylinefollows16women and12men whoplayeda part in theirlives.Theauthorcalled themthe“principalcastofcharacters.”

It was August of 1945 and a torrent of secrecy came flooding out. The words that had been contained for months echoed across the Oak Ridge complex. Toni at her job as secretary found the phone ringing incessantly as women babbled across the phone lines. Katie at her job as a janitor now felt she knew what the building she had been cleaning was used for.

Toni finally had to call her husband Chuck to see what was going on. Surely he would know what was happening but he hung up on her after she uttered the words, “It’s a BOMB!!!”

Virginia, who had been a chemist, and had worked in the chemical department, had been ready to go on vacation when she was told to cancel it. “You might not want to go anywhere right now” she was told. “Whatever it is” they continued, “it’s about to happen.” Puzzled, she wondered what is going on!

Rosemary, a nurse in the clinic, had been gathered around Dr. Rea’s radio in the clinic at eleven o’clock along with other medical personal. Rosemary thought it must be something important. That day in August had been like any other hot day in the summer until the radio started broadcasting. It was President Truman.

Hours before an atomic bomb had been dropped on Hiroshima and the news came out that would shock the entire world. The president continued in his address to the people and eventually he mentioned Oak Ridge as a site where parts were made for the bomb.

When the words Oak Ridge came out, it was not any longer about a bomb. It was about a secret that had just been revealed. No longer was the secret to be kept. It was out in the open what the Manhattan Project was all about.

People ran for phones, windows were thrown open, and shouts could be heard. Many remained stunned as they attempted to process what they had heard and that they were part of making an atomic bomb.

Some of the women had already guessed it but the men that day remained quiet and pensive. My uncle was one of those. He simply never spoke of it and never told what he did. In fact, he made light of what he did and told my aunt he just played cards with the guys.

My aunt was one of those who watched the dials on machines and perhaps recorded what they said.

She had several places that she would check. Years later at the age of 95 she spoke of it to her daughter when my cousin Doris questioned her about her work.

We were at war and men were dying. Pearl Harbor had made a lasting impression and my aunt had brothers in the service. The women were all working for a cause and that was to end the war.

COMMENTARY Betty Obendorf Polo Historical Society

Photos supplied by Betty Obendorf

This is the caption that accompanied the images in “The Atomic City” book. “Billboards and posters extolling patriotism and discretion were found throughout the United States during World War II. Images throughout Oak Ridge reminded residents to work hard and keep quiet about what went on inside their fences.”

This New York Times bestseller tells the true story of the top-secret World War II town of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and the young women brought there unknowingly to help build the atomic bomb.

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