DOCSLIB.ORG

Leslie R. Groves Keeping Life Simple Through Chocolate and Control

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Leslie R. Groves Keeping Life Simple Through Chocolate and Control Leslie R. Groves Keeping Life Simple Through Chocolate and Control Abbi Ward It was pretty awesome. I was told to use the shield in which I had placed that little piece of welder's glass. We were told to lie down and face the ground zero, but I didn't want to lie down because it was wet and clammy, so I sat on a stump. And when the bomb went off, the heat on the back of my hands holding my little shield was so intense and the light all around me was so bright that I got terribly shocked and I hit the dirt. The awe of seeing that thing and seeing the cloud and then realizing there would be people next time under that.1 The atomic age began at 5:30 A.M., June 16, 1945 in Alamogordo, New Mexico with the Trinity Test, marking the first atomic bomb explosion and denoting a great technological advance of the time. The leader of this initiative, commonly known as the Manhattan Project, was General Leslie Richard Groves. This project was an undercover government operation to create the atomic bomb. Although Groves served as the head administrator and was headquartered in Washington D.C., the bomb was created through the research and engineering which occurred at over 30 sites across the United States, Canada, and England. The three major American sites were Los Alamos, New Mexico; Oak Ridge, Tennessee; and Hanford in Richland, Washington, although two other important sites involving the theoretical aspects were the Radiation Lab in Berkeley, California and the Metallurgical Lab in Chicago. General Groves was a tall man with broad shoulders and a presence that demanded attention and obeisance. After meeting him as a teenager, his future wife described him through this rhyme: “This is Dick and this is fudge, from it little Dick won’t budge.”2 Through this, Grace explained two of Groves’s main characteristics: his stubbornness and his predilection for sweets. 1 Hans W. Courant in interview with Nicole Bengiveno et al. “Voice of the Manhattan Project.” in New York Times, (New York, 2008), 1. 2 Richard Hulbert Groves, DNO Chronology, (Unpublished manuscript), 126 as quoted in Robert Norris, Racing for the Bomb. (South Royalton: Steerforth, 2002), 53. 1 A scientist at the Chicago site, Libby Leona Marshall characterized him as “a tall, fat man who weighted perhaps as much as 300 pounds. He bulged out of his khakis above and below his belt, straining to perfect sphericity. His aides said that he was addicted to chocolate turtles and ice cream sundaes.”3 He was certainly tall and portly with penetrating, crisp blue eyes, and he donned a small, carefully trimmed mustache, and by the time of the Manhattan Project, his dark brown hair began to morph to an iron gray. Groves’s intense, military-oriented childhood and his forceful personality formed him into a successful leader. His unorthodox leadership methods and administrative skill were imperative to the rapid development of this incredibly powerful military weapon. His leadership style is rare today, and would be frequently frowned upon in today’s modern society, but, in a time of the country’s urgent need, this style proved more, if not most, efficient and accomplished the job efficiently. Leslie Richard Groves, Jr. became the third child of this eighth generation American family on August 17, 1896 in Albany, New York.4 He joined a mother, a father, and two brothers, and, six years later, in 1902, his sister Gwen was born. As an army chaplain, his father, Leslie Richard Groves, Sr., moved his family frequently. Between his return to the United States in 1901 and 1913, the family moved 6 times.5 Though not always present in his son’s life, as Groves’s first memory of his father was at age 5 or 6,6 the Chaplain had a profound influence on his son’s morals and life. According to Richard Groves, grandson of the Chaplain, competition was an innate part of the Groves’ household. Expected to compete within the family and the community, 3 Libby Leona Marshall, The Uranium People, (New York: Crane Russak, 1979), 92-93. 4 William Taylor Groves, A History and Geneology of the Groves Family in America Descendents of Nicholas La Groves of Beverly, Mass. (Ann Arbor, 1915). 5 Norris, 5. 6 Joseph Ermenc, ed. Atomic Bomb Scientists: Memoirs, 1939-1945 (Westport: Meckler Corporation, 1989), 205. 2 the children were taught that “if it is a game, you win it. If there is a class you stand number one.”7 While supporting her children , his mother Gwen Griffith Groves also fostered this competitive spirit, continuously urging her sons to success. For example, she urged competition in this letter to son Owen at Hamilton College, I am very glad indeed that you have second, if the judge wouldn't give your first. Second best in class is good. Next year we will try hard for first...Richard should be trimmed in tennis, in mind, manners and in everything. And A[llen] isn't going to be equal to the job…Are you going to write for prize this year and on what subject? Do your best, I expect you to win. You must practice your signature. Make it larger, as a man of your importance in the world ought to.8 Leslie Groves’ oldest brother, Allen, evinced from an early age signs of genius. In college, he was remembered not only for his incredible mastery of language but also for his amazing memorization capabilities, such as the ability recite all the names and batting averages of every major league player or the census figures for all American cities.9 According to biographer Robert Norris, “[Allen] was not just smart, he was brilliant. He remembered everything he read, was versatile, and was able to master whatever challenge was put before him.”10 The family also participated in sports, as a part of the competitive nature; Groves played tennis and enjoyed horseback riding. As the youngest by three years, Leslie Groves, Jr. always had to push ahead, not only to meet his two brothers’ achievements, but to push beyond. This constant pushing and catching up led to his philosophy in which he treasured speed over quality, a belief which manifested itself in his high school career, and may have in the Manhattan Project had it not been for his almost unlimited resources. The philosophy gave him a competitive spirit and drive, so he was willing to work as hard he could for a long duration to achieve his goals. 7 Interview with Richard Hulbert Groves by Robert S. Norris, January 25, 1999 as quoted in Norris, 41. 8 Letter, Gwen Griffith Groves to Owen Griffith Groves, June 24, 1912 as quoted in Norris, 49. 9 Homer Davis, ed, Allen Morton Groves: An Appreciation Together with Selections from His Orations and Essays, 8- 9 as quoted in Norris, 48. 10 Norris, 42. 3 Chaplain Groves influenced his children in other ways as well. Grandson Richard Groves explained, Chaplain Groves believed in one-on-one contact with children during their formative years. In the spring of 1937, I became the object of his close scrutiny when… he spent a week with me, probing all the time my beliefs and my manners -- an awesome experience for a thirteen year old, which I shall never forget. In like manner, in mid-1911, Chaplain Groves seems to have decided that his third son [Leslie R. Groves] needed his personal attention. Until this time, whatever interaction they had was always in the presence of others. Now they would be alone together for several months. And, like me, [Leslie R. Groves] came away deeply impressed. He had always respected his father from afar; after this encounter, they really knew each other -- and they developed a mutual admiration, which endured through their lives.11 From this experience, Groves found new admiration for his father and his father’s views and learned the value of direct personal attention. A classic characteristic of Groves’s administrative style, his bluntness, was partially developed through his positive experience of this direct style of discovery. The one-on-one, personal contact of these few months taught him much about the values and beliefs of his father quickly and directly, as in the same manner in which Groves preferred to deal with his problems. In gaining respect for his father, Groves also gained respect for the army life. His father, who taught him many of his beliefs, is partially responsible for his impeccable integrity later on in life. His father’s piety also helped cultivate Groves’s strength of character. Between the Christian and military morals drilled into him in childhood, Groves developed a strong moral compass and high standards to which he held everyone. Though Groves later chose not to attend church as frequently, opting to work or to spend time with his family, he never lost his veracity. This intense adherence to moral standards also contributed to his bluntness, which functioned as a sign of his integrity. Although he understood the bounds of social propriety and the extent of army 11 Richard Hulbert Groves, unpublished manuscript, 103 as quoted in Norris, 47. 4 security, Groves was always frank about any problems; he did not try to make himself more than he was nor allow himself to be considered less. While his father helped foster many strong, positive qualities, he also passed on many views of the world that hampered Groves’s ability to work with others. Although the close-knit family yielded a sense of intimacy, it also produced exclusiveness, and because the family was eighth-generation American, white, and Protestant, it was easy to adopt the standard racist and anti-Semitic views of the time.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Doctor Atomic
    What to Expect from doctor atomic Opera has alwayS dealt with larger-than-life Emotions and scenarios. But in recent decades, composers have used the power of THE WORK DOCTOR ATOMIC opera to investigate society and ethical responsibility on a grander scale. Music by John Adams With one of the first American operas of the 21st century, composer John Adams took up just such an investigation. His Doctor Atomic explores a Libretto by Peter Sellars, adapted from original sources momentous episode in modern history: the invention and detonation of First performed on October 1, 2005, the first atomic bomb. The opera centers on Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer, in San Francisco the brilliant physicist who oversaw the Manhattan Project, the govern- ment project to develop atomic weaponry. Scientists and soldiers were New PRODUCTION secretly stationed in Los Alamos, New Mexico, for the duration of World Alan Gilbert, Conductor War II; Doctor Atomic focuses on the days and hours leading up to the first Penny Woolcock, Production test of the bomb on July 16, 1945. In his memoir Hallelujah Junction, the American composer writes, “The Julian Crouch, Set Designer manipulation of the atom, the unleashing of that formerly inaccessible Catherine Zuber, Costume Designer source of densely concentrated energy, was the great mythological tale Brian MacDevitt, Lighting Designer of our time.” As with all mythological tales, this one has a complex and Andrew Dawson, Choreographer fascinating hero at its center. Not just a scientist, Oppenheimer was a Leo Warner and Mark Grimmer for Fifty supremely cultured man of literature, music, and art. He was conflicted Nine Productions, Video Designers about his creation and exquisitely aware of the potential for devastation Mark Grey, Sound Designer he had a hand in designing.
    [Show full text]
  • Building 9731 – Secret City Festival’S Y-12 Public Tour Or: Building 9731 to Be Featured in Secret City Festival's Public Tour (Title Provided by the Oak Ridger)
    Building 9731 – Secret City Festival’s Y-12 public tour Or: Building 9731 to be featured in Secret City Festival's public tour (title provided by The Oak Ridger) In March 1943 the very first structure to be completed at the newly emerging Y-12 Electromagnetic Separation Plant was Building 9731. It was only a little over a month earlier that ground had been broken for the first of nine major buildings designed to hold cautrons (CALifornia University Cyclotron). But the real push had been to complete the construction of a smaller building, one with a high bay and especially designed to house four very special units of newly designed equipment using huge magnets. The Alpha Calutron magnets stand well over 20 feet tall and are still standing there today―the only ones in the world! For the first time ever, the public will have a chance to see these huge magnets and will also be able to tour inside historic Building 9731. This historic event is a part of the Secret City Festival this year. On Saturday, June 19, 2010, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, a major part of the Y-12 public tour will include Building 9731. The public will be allowed to see inside the historic structure and view the magnets of both the two Alpha and two Beta calutrons. These calutron magnets have been designated as Manhattan Project Signature Artifacts by the Depart- ment of Energy’s Federal Preservation Officer in the DOE Office of History and Heritage Resources. The building is being submitted for Historical Landmark status on the National Register of Historic Places.
    [Show full text]
  • A New Effort to Achieve World
    Marshall and the Atomic Bomb Marshall and the Atomic Bomb By Frank Settle General George C. Marshall and the Atomic Bomb (Praeger, 2016) provides the first full narrative describing General Marshall’s crucial role in the first decade of nuclear weapons that included the Manhattan Project, the use of the atomic bomb on Japan, and their management during the early years of the Cold War. Marshall is best known today as the architect of the plan for Europe’s recovery in the aftermath of World War II—the Marshall Plan. He also earned acclaim as the master strategist of the Allied victory in World War II. Marshall mobilized and equipped the Army and Air Force under a single command, serving as the primary conduit for information between the Army and the Air Force, as well as the president and secretary of war. As Army Chief of Staff during World War II, he developed a close working relationship with Admiral Earnest King, Chief of Naval Operations; worked with Congress and leaders of industry on funding and producing resources for the war; and developed and implemented the successful strategy the Allies pursued in fighting the war. Last but not least of his responsibilities was the production of the atomic bomb. The Beginnings An early morning phone call to General Marshall and a letter to President Franklin Roosevelt led to Marshall’s little known, nonetheless critical, role in the development and use of the atomic bomb. The call, received at 3:00 a.m. on September 1, 1939, informed Marshall that German dive bombers had attacked Warsaw.
    [Show full text]
  • Leslie Richard Groves, Jr. Years
    Name: Leslie Richard Groves, Jr. Years: August 17, 1896 – July 13, 1970 Residence: Albany, New York; Brief Biography: Leslie Richard Groves, Jr. was born to Leslie Richard Groves, Sr. and Gwen Griffith. Groves attended both the University of Washington and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology before he attended the U.S. Military Academy in 1916-1918. After his graduation from U.S. Military Academy, Groves spent an additional year at the Engineer School at the Camp A.A. Humphreys when he was made a second lieutenant of engineers. This was followed by a brief tour with the American Expeditionary Force in France soon after the end of World War I. In 1921 he graduated from the Engineer School. In 1922, Groves married Grace Wilson with whom he had two children with. From 1921-1931 Groves traveled extensively to Hawaii, San Francisco, Texas, Delaware, and ending up in Nicaragua in 1931. The work he conducted in Nicaragua led him to receive, from the Nicaraguan government, the medal of merit. Ambition led Groves to attend and graduate from the Command and General Staff College, in 1936, and the Army War College, in 1939. He then received the ranks of lieutenant colonel, which lead him to the War Department where he became the head of the Operations Branch, Corps of Engineers. During this time Groves became responsible for the design of the new Pentagon Building. During World War II he was picked to lead the Manhattan Engineer District, what would later be referred to as the Manhattan Project. Groves involvement in this project resulted in the a promotion to the rank of brigadier general.
    [Show full text]
  • Annual Report 2013.Pdf
    ATOMIC HERITAGE FOUNDATION Preserving & Interpreting Manhattan Project History & Legacy preserving history ANNUAL REPORT 2013 WHY WE SHOULD PRESERVE THE MANHATTAN PROJECT “The factories and bombs that Manhattan Project scientists, engineers, and workers built were physical objects that depended for their operation on physics, chemistry, metallurgy, and other nat- ural sciences, but their social reality - their meaning, if you will - was human, social, political....We preserve what we value of the physical past because it specifically embodies our social past....When we lose parts of our physical past, we lose parts of our common social past as well.” “The new knowledge of nuclear energy has undoubtedly limited national sovereignty and scaled down the destructiveness of war. If that’s not a good enough reason to work for and contribute to the Manhattan Project’s historic preservation, what would be? It’s certainly good enough for me.” ~Richard Rhodes, “Why We Should Preserve the Manhattan Project,” Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, May/June 2006 Photographs clockwise from top: J. Robert Oppenheimer, General Leslie R. Groves pinning an award on Enrico Fermi, Leona Woods Marshall, the Alpha Racetrack at the Y-12 Plant, and the Bethe House on Bathtub Row. Front cover: A Bruggeman Ranch property. Back cover: Bronze statues by Susanne Vertel of J. Robert Oppenheimer and General Leslie Groves at Los Alamos. Table of Contents BOARD MEMBERS & ADVISORY COMMITTEE........3 Cindy Kelly, Dorothy and Clay Per- Letter from the President..........................................4
    [Show full text]
  • Manhattan Park Map
    Manhattan Project National Historical Park - Los Alamos National Park Service 475 20th Street, Suite C U.S. Department of the Interior Manhattan Project National Historical Park Los Alamos, NM 87544 Los Alamos, New Mexico 505-661-MAPR (6277) Project Y workers with the Norris Bradbury with Thin Man plutonium gun the Trinity device. device at Gun Site. In 1943, the United States government’s Manhattan Three locations comprise the park: Project Y at Los Alamos, Project built a secret laboratory at Los Alamos, New New Mexico; Site X at Oak Ridge, Tennessee; and Site W at site map SITES ON THIS PAGE Mexico, for a single military purpose—to develop the Hanford, Washington. The Manhattan Project National world’s first atomic weapons. The success of this Historical Park legislation references 17 sites at Los Alamos NOT CURRENTLY unprecedented, top-secret government program National Laboratory, as well as 13 sites in downtown Los forever changed the world. Alamos. These sites represent the world-changing history of Original Technical Area 1 OPEN TO THE PUBLIC (TA-1); see reverse. the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos. Their preservation and In 2004, the U.S. Congress directed the National Park interpretation will show visitors the scientific, social, Service and the Department of Energy to determine political, and cultural stories of the men and women who the significance, suitability, and feasibility of including ushered in the atomic age. signature facilities in a national historical park. In 2014, the National Defense Authorization Act, signed by President Obama, authorized creation of the Park. This The properties below are within the legislation stated the purpose of the park: “to improve Manhattan Project National Historical Park 4 the understanding of the Manhattan Project and the boundaries on land managed by the legacy of the Manhattan Project through Department of Energy.
    [Show full text]
  • Foundation Document Manhattan Project National Historical Park Tennessee, New Mexico, Washington January 2017 Foundation Document
    NATIONAL PARK SERVICE • U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Foundation Document Manhattan Project National Historical Park Tennessee, New Mexico, Washington January 2017 Foundation Document MANHATTAN PROJECT NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK Hanford Washington ! Los Alamos Oak Ridge New Mexico Tennessee ! ! North 0 700 Kilometers 0 700 Miles More detailed maps of each park location are provided in Appendix E. Manhattan Project National Historical Park Contents Mission of the National Park Service 1 Mission of the Department of Energy 2 Introduction 3 Part 1: Core Components 4 Brief Description of the Park. 4 Oak Ridge, Tennessee. 5 Los Alamos, New Mexico . 6 Hanford, Washington. 7 Park Management . 8 Visitor Access. 8 Brief History of the Manhattan Project . 8 Introduction . 8 Neutrons, Fission, and Chain Reactions . 8 The Atomic Bomb and the Manhattan Project . 9 Bomb Design . 11 The Trinity Test . 11 Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan . 12 From the Second World War to the Cold War. 13 Legacy . 14 Park Purpose . 15 Park Signifcance . 16 Fundamental Resources and Values . 18 Related Resources . 22 Interpretive Themes . 26 Part 2: Dynamic Components 27 Special Mandates and Administrative Commitments . 27 Special Mandates . 27 Administrative Commitments . 27 Assessment of Planning and Data Needs . 28 Analysis of Fundamental Resources and Values . 28 Identifcation of Key Issues and Associated Planning and Data Needs . 28 Planning and Data Needs . 31 Part 3: Contributors 36 Appendixes 38 Appendix A: Enabling Legislation for Manhattan Project National Historical Park. 38 Appendix B: Inventory of Administrative Commitments . 43 Appendix C: Fundamental Resources and Values Analysis Tables. 48 Appendix D: Traditionally Associated Tribes . 87 Appendix E: Department of Energy Sites within Manhattan Project National Historical Park .
    [Show full text]
  • Trinity Site July 16, 1945
    Trinity Site July 16, 1945 "The effects could well be called unprecedented, magnificent, beauti­ ful, stupendous, and terrifying. No man-made phenomenon of such tremendous power had ever occurred before. The lighting effects beggared description. The whole country was lighted by a searing light with the intensity many times that of the midday sun." Brig. Gen. Thomas Farrell A national historic landmark on White Sands Missile Range -- www.wsmr.army.mil Radiation Basics Radiation comes from the nucJeus of the gamma ray. This is a type of electromag­ individual atoms. Simple atoms like oxygen netic radiation like visible light, radio waves are very stable. Its nucleus has eight protons and X-rays. They travel at the speed of light. and eight neutrons and holds together well. It takes at least an inch of lead or eight The nucJeus of a complex atom like inches of concrete to stop them. uranium is not as stable. Uranium has 92 Finally, neutrons are also emitted by protons and 146 neutrons in its core. These some radioactive substances. Neutrons are unstable atoms tend to break down into very penetrating but are not as common in more stable, simpler forms. When this nature. Neutrons have the capability of happens the atom emits subatomic particles striking the nucleus of another atom and and gamma rays. This is where the word changing a stable atom into an unstable, and "radiation" comes from -- the atom radiates therefore, radioactive one. Neutrons emitted particles and rays. in nuc!ear reactors are contained in the Health physicists are concerned with reactor vessel or shielding and cause the four emissions from the nucleus of these vessel walls to become radioactive.
    [Show full text]
  • Oppenheimer & Groves
    Oppenheimer & Groves: The Duality That Led To Trinity Theresa G. Connaughton and Sharon E. Smith Presented at the SouthwestiTexas Popular Culture AssociatiordAmerican Culture Association Conference, “ATOMIC CULTURE IN THE NUCLEAR AGE,” Albuquerque, N.M. February 14,2002, Abstract: The alliance of J. Robert Oppenheimer, scientist, and Leslie R. Groves, military leader, is often interpreted as the classic example of the clash between the academic mind and the military style. Evidence suggests, instead, that it was a collaboration that led to the dawn of the nuclear age. Instead of a clash, it was collaboration and an implosion of the diverse talents needed for the success of this project. Discussion of these flawed and fascinating individuals still ignites controversy today. This presentation will explore the backgrounds and personalities of these two men and their work together to accomplish their mission. Was the aftermath inevitable, given a relationship based on respect, but perhaps not trust? The genesis of the modern military-industrial complex rested on the genius of these two men, though they personify two distinct American sub-cultures. What lessons can be drawn from their wartime and post-war relationship? What analogies can be drawn for current American values? Introduction For the past fifty-seven years the myth of the “good” scientist vs. the “evil” military man has been personified by the relationship of J. Robert Oppenheimer and Leslie R. Groves during and after World War 11. This paper attempts to discuss their lives and their relationship and dispel a bit of the myth. New examinations of their relationship and contributions to the development of the atomic bomb are overdue.
    [Show full text]
  • Character List
    Character List - Bomb ​ Use this chart to help you keep track of the hundreds of names of physicists, freedom fighters, government officials, and others involved in the making of the atomic bomb. Scientists Political/Military Leaders Spies Robert Oppenheimer - Winston Churchill -- Prime Klaus Fuchs - physicist in ​ ​ ​ designed atomic bomb. He was Minister of England Manhattan Project who gave accused of spying. secrets to Russia Franklin D. Roosevelt -- ​ Albert Einstein - convinced President of the United States Harry Gold - spy and Courier ​ ​ U.S. government that they for Russia KGB. Narrator of the needed to research fission. Harry Truman -- President of story ​ the United States Enrico Fermi - created first Ruth Werner - Russian spy ​ ​ chain reaction Joseph Stalin -- dictator of the ​ Tell Hall -- physicist in Soviet Union ​ Igor Korchatov -- Russian Manhattan Project who gave ​ physicist in charge of designing Adolf Hitler -- dictator of secrets to Russia ​ bomb Germany Haakon Chevalier - friend who ​ Werner Reisenberg -- Leslie Groves -- Military approached Oppenheimer about ​ ​ German physicist in charge of leader of the Manhattan Project spying for Russia. He was designing bomb watched by the FBI, but he was not charged. Otto Hahn -- German physicist ​ who discovered fission Other scientists involved in the Manhattan Project: ​ Aage Niels Bohr George Kistiakowsky Joseph W. Kennedy Richard Feynman Arthur C. Wahl Frank Oppenheimer Joseph Rotblat Robert Bacher Arthur H. Compton Hans Bethe Karl T. Compton Robert Serber Charles Critchfield Harold Agnew Kenneth Bainbridge Robert Wilson Charles Thomas Harold Urey Leo James Rainwater Rudolf Pelerls Crawford Greenewalt Harold DeWolf Smyth Leo Szilard Samuel K. Allison Cyril S. Smith Herbert L. Anderson Luis Alvarez Samuel Goudsmit Edward Norris Isidor I.
    [Show full text]
  • Deja Vu All Over Again
    ALL OVERALL OVER AGAIN AGAINALL OVER AGAIN ALL OVERALL OVER AGAIN AGAINALL OVERALL OVER AGAIN AGAIN DéjàALL vu OVER all over AGAIN again ALL OVER AGAINALL OVER AGAIN ALL HoustonOVERALL T. Hawkins OVERAGAIN AGAIN ALL OVER AGAINALL OVERALL OVER AGAIN AGAIN ALL OVER AGAIN he Manhattan Project grew out necessary to make such anALL assess- OVERA team of scientists was AGAIN assem- of a chilling intelligence as- ment was so compartmentalized that bled at Los Alamos and charged Tsessment by scientists—many even Vice President Truman did not with providing the required assess- of whom would later work at Los know of the existence of our pro- ments and tracking of the Third Alamos—that the Third Reich was gram until he became president fol- Reich program. Relying on techni- ALL OVER AGAINactively pursuing the development of lowing the death of President Roo- cal literature published by the Ger- an atomic explosive. Indications sevelt. Albert Gore, Sr., who as a mans even in the throes of World were that researchALL was being carried OVERcongressman was AGAINtold by Speaker of War II, on information collected by ALLout by a team OVER headed by Werner AGAINthe House Sam Rayburn to hide mil- the AlsosALL Mission,2 and onOVER contacts AGAIN Heisenberg in the Reich Research lions of dollars in the budgetALL for a thatOVER a few Los Alamos scientists, AGAIN Council, which reported to Field “special project,” did not know or such as Niels Bohr, had had with Marshall Hermann Goering. Devel- dare ask about the project for which Heisenberg, the team determined
    [Show full text]
  • The Other Atomic Bomb Commander: Colonel Cliff Heflin and His “Special” 216Th AAF Base Unit
    The Other Atomic Bomb Commander: Colonel Cliff Heflin and his “Special” 216th AAF Base Unit 14 AIR POWER History / WINTER 2012 Darrell F. Dvorak AIR POWER History / WINTER 2012 15 (Overleaf) B–17s at he Distinguished Service Medal is earned for Wendover AAFB. “exceptionally meritorious service to the gov- T ernment in a duty of great responsibility, in combat or otherwise.” The U.S. Air Force’s third- most prestigious award, it is rarely given to airmen lower than major general, but it was awarded to Col. Clifford J. Heflin upon his retirement in 1968 after thirty-one years of service. Heflin was recom- mended for the DSM primarily because he had com- manded two vital, top secret and highly successful projects in World War II. Few people—military or civilian—knew about those commands at the time, and even fewer knew about them when Heflin died in 1980. The story of his first command began to emerge in 1985 but remains little known, and the story of his second command is remembered only by his immediate family. Both deserve to be univer- sally known because together they change the pre- vailing narrative of the Army Air Forces (AAF) role in the atomic bombing of Japan. This paper is based on Heflin’s private records, overlooked primary sources, and prior scholarship. It addresses three key questions: Why was Heflin chosen for a top com- mand in the atomic bomb project; what were his specific contributions to that project; and why has his story been overlooked? After almost seventy years, “The Manhattan Further sessions between Groves and Arnold in July Project” is widely recognized as the codename for the and August conceptually defined two key organiza- massive, top secret U.S.
    [Show full text]