The Peace Bell Needs to Go

On July 10th, in a swift move, after lots of legal wrangling, the town of Charlottesville, Virginia quickly and quietly took down statues of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. Those two dismantlings  went so swimmingly well, the city council met in emergency session, the same day as the first take-downs, to approve a motion taking down another statue of Lewis and Clark and Sacagawea. Three monuments in a single day.

The very next day, the University of Virginia hauled off a statue on campus of George Rogers Clark who slaughtered indigenous peoples while expanding colonial real estate.  In fact, the statue shows him confronting the natives. It doesn’t get much worse than that. All four statues were dedicated in the 1920’s and, I would guess, had strong support at the time.

The city of Charlottesville is in quite a pickle about slavery. The identity of the community is centered around the University of Virginia. UVA was founded by an owner of 600 slaves: Thomas Jefferson. It is almost impossible to square the institution in 2021 with the founder. To be appropriately woke the Board of Visitors needs to demolish the famous lawn of the original campus and tear down The Rotunda, an iconic symbol of the south, and by extension, of slavery. 

If the Board of Visitors wants to have a clean break with Jefferson, they must also rename the institution Sally Hemings University. Only then can the university move forward.

The city council of Oak Ridge is confronted with a similar troubled legacy of a monument on city property: The Friendship Bell. It is sometimes referred to by locals as the peace bell. With the 76th anniversary of Hiroshima this week and events in Charlottesville, it is a good time to reflect on the bell.

The bell was dedicated 25 years ago. The bell was highly controversial. Lots of letters to the editor and lots of meetings. A council motion to support the bell barely passed 4-3.  

The images on the bell are strongly Japanese, as is the structure which suspends the bell and also too the landscaping around it. Much like the statues in Charlottesville, the Peace Bell is a relic from another time. To me it always felt like a slight taunt: reprimanding the community for its actions during the war under the subterfuge of a gesture of goodwill.  

Today, not supporting the bell goes against local political correctness. Political correctness is when you utter something you know to be a lie. The lie? The bell is a good thing and is supported by the community. Plenty of Oak Ridgers I meet, in public places, do a 360 degree scan of the room, and then tell me in quiet tones, they agree with me about the bell.

The bell needs to come down and the community needs to ship it, as a peace offering, to the city of Hiroshima. Certainly, Japan will embrace the bell as the apology it is. It will vindicate their feeling they were deeply wronged by the bombings. They will skillfully use the bell in their ongoing campaign of victimization. A nation which slaughtered 15-20 million during the war are now victims. It’s a cute trick if you can pull it off.

I care little about the Japanese except for their total denial of their own atrocities during World War II. The list of atrocities is very, very long. A few examples. Let’s start with the 200,000 to 300,000 Filipino, Chinese and Korean comfort women(sex slaves) they abused during the war? Japan replies that it wasn’t that bad.

How about the six week assault of Nanking from December 13th 1937 to January 31st of 1938 where 300,000 Chinese were slaughtered? Japanese response? The deaths are exaggerated by the Chinese for reasons of propaganda. Can you imagine the international response if Germany claimed Jews inflated the holocaust numbers for their own propaganda?

The massacre in Manila in February 1945 killed 100,000 civilians over four days. Japan hasn’t commented on the massacre. Perhaps the numbers were too low to bother. 

The Japanese offer terribly weak apologies wrapped in the veil of regret and remorse. They never offer responsibility for the slaughter they authored. And yet, every August the international community, led by the Japanese, wags its moral finger at the United States about Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The hypocrisy stings. 

Whenever I drive by the Peace Bell I imagine Oak Ridgers groveling and cowering at the feet of the Japanese, begging for the absolution of their sins at Hiroshima. The bell implies we are an evil people. It deeply offends me. It wounds a community which helped end the war. I imagine printing up t-shirts which say,

Oak Ridge helped bring

a swift end to World War II.

Sorry about that.

It has always baffled me that a community which helped end the war is ashamed by what it did. Pride isn’t the right emotion either, but there is something between shame and pride. I refer to remorseful gratitude. This is not a contradiction. You can be remorseful for the loss of life at Hiroshima and yet grateful too that Japanese surrendered nine days later. Ending war is always a good thing.

I hope the Oak Ridge City Council has the courage to the do the right thing. Council can either support the Japanese or support Oak Ridgers.

A time to try anew.

Ed Wescott and Richard Cook sharing a Wescott beer at Crafter’s Brew in Oak Ridge, Tennessee

A Chance to Start Anew.

Thank goodness 2020 is behind us. As we enter 2021, if tradition holds, a new president will be sworn in at noon on January 20th.

This event should be celebrated by all Oak Ridgers for a small, but very important reason. With a new administration, the nomination of Ed Westcott to be awarded The Presidential Medal of Freedom can be resubmitted to the White House.

This would be round two for the nomination. In 2017 Rep. Chuck Fleischmann and Senator Lamar Alexander submitted the nomination of Ed to the White House. The nomination was problematic from the start. President Trump is a transactional politician. In 2016, Trump won Tennessee by 26 percentage points. There was no upside for Trump to give the award to Ed.

Rep. Fleischmann didn’t have enough pull in the Oval Office, so the nomination gathered dust in somebody’s desk drawer. Sen. Alexander didn’t endorse Trump in 2016, so even more dust gathered. Trump, evidently, was in no mood to do favors where he did not directly benefit.

As the White House changes administrations, the dusty Westcott nomination is in a huge trashcan somewhere, waiting to find a final home in a landfill on the outskirts of Washington, D. C.

All nominations are problematic. A second Westcott nomination would be no different. Rep. Fleischmann could sponsor it again, but circumstances have changed. Fleischmann signed onto the effort by the state of Texas to have the Supreme Court overturn the election results in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Georgia. He won’t be getting a Christmas card from the White House this year. Rep. Burchett won’t be getting a Christmas card either. He signed onto the attempted judicial coup too.

Sen. Blackburn doesn’t have much pull in the Biden White House. Senator-elect Hagerty might be a wild card, in a good way. He lived in Japan for a total of five years on two separate occasions. Hard to know if he would support or oppose a Westcott bid. He was Ambassador to Japan for two years.

Oddly enough,  retired Sen. Alexander might play an important role this time around. He and Biden were in the Senate together for six years. Alexander has said nice things about Biden on the floor of the Senate. I certainly understand it is a very long way from complimenting a vice-president to asking a president for a favor, but compliments are a good start. If Alexander could get one or two Democratic Senators to co-sponsor the effort, the odds of an award increases too.

The unknown in all this is what Biden believes about Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In most public surveys about the bombings, Republicans (74% Pew survey 2015) generally support the decision to use the atomic weapons more than do Democrats (52% Pew).  Biden would certainly get criticism from the left wing of his party for a Medal of Freedom award.

Ed has earned this award. As a 21 year old he tackled the job of recording the most important event of 20th century American history. He completed the most important photographic archive of our nation’s history before he was 24. The last photographer to win the Medal of Freedom was Ansel Adams in 1980.

It is time for Westcott to take his place with Adams. He has been ignored far too long. The only question is if we have a president-elect who can make the decision. I hope we know the answer very soon.

New English version of Japan PBS segment on Hiroshima

New English version of Japan PBS segment on Hiroshima

August 20, 2020

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This link is to another story from the Japan version of PBS. This one focuses on the National Park Service doing a project of folks sending paper cranes with messages written on them. The cranes will be placed in a time capsule which will be opened on the 100th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. My part was to offer “balance” to the story about the bombings. It’s at the 2:30 mark and lasts about 40. seconds.

YouTube video: Taking Back Hiroshima

Memorial Service August 6, 2018

Here is the link to a five minute video about the United States taking back from the Japanese the narrative of Hiroshima

Taking Back Hiroshima

Every August 6th, around the globe, people gather to hug the Japanese and slap the United States in the face. The Japanese need to be soothed. They need compassion and empathy. 

They suffered a trauma at the hands of the United States military. We committed an injustice against these Japanese. The world must offer them solace.

Japan has cultivated these offerings of sympathy and the implied condemnation of the United States that goes with it.

I might be more sympathetic toward the Japanese if they had embraced and apologized for their own atrocities. Japan slaughtered 25-30 million people during the war, most of them Asian, and the majority of them Chinese.

Japan Invaded the Dutch West Indies, Burma, Indochina and  the Philippines. Over 8.5 million natives died during those invasions and occupations.

While building the Burma Railway, over 110,000 Asian slaves and Allied POWs died.

In 1942, American bombers, in Doolittle’s Raid took off from aircraft carriers east of Japan. The planes wouldn’t have enough fuel to return to the carriers. The daring plan for the 18 planes was to bomb Japanese cities and then head to airfields in China. Most ran out of fuel before reaching the airfields. The pilots parachuted into Japanese held China territory. The 68 pilots were hidden from the Japanese by the Chinese. In retribution for helping the pilots escape, Japan burned down dozens of villages, killing 250,000 Chinese. Before the burning they raped all the women and killed everyone. Then they poisoned all the water wells with anthrax. 

Over the last 75 years both the short term and long term deaths from the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings hover around 250,000 people. During the Japanese seven week  invasion of Nanking in 1937-1938, soldiers killed almost 300,000 Chinese. During The Rape of Nanking, Japan did in seven weeks what the United States could not do in seven and a half decades.

Every August, the world community, led by the Japanese, wag their moral finger at the United State, while at the same time the world ignores Japan’s own massive atrocities.

For 75 years the Japanese have been viewed as victims of an horrific act. The United States has stood by silently. This must stop. We must no longer let these implicit condemnations go unanswered. We must take this narrative back from Japan who stole it so they could be victims on the world stage.    

Hiroshima and Nagasaki is our narrative. We did it. We own it. We must vigorously defend our actions against Japan’s propaganda. We saved millions of Asian lives. Sorry about that.

Countdown: 1945

Tuesday(June 9, 2020) Chris Wallace’s book was published. I am always delighted when a main stream media person, puts out print or broadcast content about the Manhattan Project. Anything that gets this amazing, epic American story to a wider audience is a good thing. I got the digital version the day of publication and finished it the next day. It is very easy to read and is a fast-paced page turner. I would encourage folks to read it.

Caring for the Books of the Dead at Hiroshima

Every May citizens in Hiroshima go through a ritual. A powerful, symbolic ritual that reveals one  perspective of the Japanese toward Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Wednesday, May 16th was the day last year. At the cenotaph in the Hiroshima Peace Park volunteers open a tomb beneath the cenotaph. 

It houses 114 books which list the victims of Hiroshima of Nagasaki. Each May, the books are removed and inspected. Stored in an underground tomb, in a tropical/swamp environment where mold and fungus are constant enemies, the books are inspected page by page for signs of damage. The books list 308,725 names. 

The Masters of Marketing never miss a marketing opportunity. The Japanese know, today, exactly the number of victims of the bombings. A criteria was established decades ago: exposure based on distance from the epicenter within a specific time frame after each bombing.

The books could have been filled very long ago, but that would have squandered a wonderful annual marketing opportunity of victimhood. The annual ritual, which memorializes the victims who died in the previous 12 months totally blurs the line between victims and casualties. This is exactly what the Japanese want. The Japanese leverage the bombings with the international community to divert attention from their own massive atrocities during World War II. Adding names to the books each year is one part of the campaign.

The Challenge of the Coronavirus.

With the huge challenges of the Coronavirus, a little story about The Manhattan Project in Oak Ridge during World War II.

General Groves, head of the project, was a no nonsense taskmaster. He met with his building contractors and showed them blueprints for this building named S-50. It was complicated. Over 2,000 36 foot tubes would be used to separate two isotopes of uranium.

Groves asked the contractors if they could build it. The men replied that of course they could. Groves said he needed the building in 120 days. The builders laughed at Groves and said that was impossible.

Groves replied, okay, how about 90 days. S-50 was operational in 68 days.

We sure could use General Groves today.

Emperor Akihito and Nanking

Japanese Emperor Akihito (first photo) abdicated the throne in late April citing his advanced age and health concerns.

December 13th will be the 82th anniversary of The Rape of Nanking, the seven week Japanese siege of the Chinese capital which left almost 300,000 Chinese dead. There will be a memorial service that day in Nanking. Former Emperor Akihito should attend the memorial service in Nanking, but of course, he won’t.

Akihito’s father, Emperor Hirohito(second photo), oversaw the siege which happened when Akihito was four years old. It would be of massive symbolic value for his son to attend the service.

The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki resulted in about the same number of deaths as Nanking, but with a big difference: The bombing totals also include all those who died over the last 74 years from the long term consequences of radiation exposure.

The Nanking totals cover seven weeks. The Japanese killed as many people in seven weeks as the United States did in seven decades.

The Japanese have been very slow to accept responsibility for the slaughter 82 years ago. The Japanese claim the Chinese numbers of the slaughter are exaggerated and politically motivated. In short, the Japanese claim it really wasn’t that bad.

It would be a source of profound reconciliation for former Emperor Akihito to attend the memorial service in Nanking on December 13th.

Perhaps, in good time, Emperor Akihito’s son, newly enthroned Emperor Naruhito can offer a gesture of reconciliation to the citizens of China.

Joan Ellen Zucker Talks Turkey

“Oh sure. Everybody remembers the mud. My mother cried for I think six weeks after we got here, wondering what she was doing here, but she was always a good sport – and she rallied. I think we kids thought it was sort of a crazy adventure, but I have one mud story. I’m not going to tell anymore, but my mother for a Thanksgiving; everything was rationed so she learned that you could get turkeys in Knoxville. So, she took a bus to Knoxville with a couple of friends. They went some place to get a turkey. The only turkey was a giant turkey and the only bus stop was at the bottom of a steep hill covered with mud. So my mother used to tell a story and all the neighbors tell the story of the day my mother took this giant turkey and dragged it up this hill. So when we got the turkey it was completely encased in mud, but somehow we cleaned it up and we ate it. That was our mud story. It was my mother and the turkey.”

Don Wilson Gets The Groves Treatment

On this date, 77 years ago, Groves, like an unstoppable freight train, makes his second most important decision(#1 was hiring Robert Oppenheimer).

This quote comes from Stephane Groueff’s “Manhattan Project.”

Now fully aware of the urgency of his mission, Groves did not even wait for his appointment to become official before he began making decisions and sending a flurry of instructions right and left. His first concern was about the procurement priority that the Project had been given. “We’re not going to be able to get the materials fast enough with just this AA-3 priority,” he told Nichols.

Nichols agreed and showed him the draft of a letter, which had been prepared earlier, requesting the War Production Board to give AAA priority—the top—to the Manhattan Project. Groves took one look at the letter and shoved it aside. Then he took his pen and drafted a letter addressed to himself and to be signed by Donald Wilson, head of the War Production Board. When it had been typed, Groves himself took it to Nelson’s office.

“No! Absolutely not!” Nelson exclaimed after glancing at the letter and listening impatiently to Grove’s request for top priority. “We have too many other war projects of capital importance that are waiting desperately for higher priority ratings.”

Groves stood up to leave controlling his cold anger. “All right, Mr. Nelson,” he said sternly. “In that case, I must recommend to the President that the Manhattan Project be abandoned because the War Production Board is unwillingly to cooperate with his wishes.”

The bluff worked. A few minutes later Groves left with the letter signed by Nelson and authorizing AAA priority for the Project.

Groves admitted in his memoir “Now It Can Be Told”….

Just why Nelson gave in so easily, I will never know. I would have been most unwilling to have had this difficulty brought up to the President: the problem was mine. To have admitted frustration so early would have been most distasteful.

Japan feared carnage and humiliation.

Looking at the photographs 74 years later, it appears very anti-climatic. A delegation of Japanese officials boarded the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. Both the Japanese and the Allied leaders were subdued. A couple of men in the Japanese delegation were dressed in morning suits of a definite British flavor. Tails and top hats were the order of the day. Almost all the Allied representatives wore regular issue military uniforms. British representatives of the navy were in shorts.

The ceremony was brief, just 23 minutes by official records.. General MacArthur gives a short speech. Papers were signed and the Japanese delegation left.

Occupation of Japan would end seven years later in 1952. Just 15 years after the end of occupation, Japan would become the second largest economy in the world. It was a trend of growth unrivaled in the 20th century. Japan would eventually decimate both the American consumer electronics industry and the U.S. automotive industry.

Never before in the history of war had a former enemy helped another nation recover politically, culturally and economically from the ravages of their own making.

The allies were motivated by great forces of self-interest. They knew Germany and Japan needed to be quickly integrated into the world economy. If those countries were left in the rubble of war then tyrannical movements would take over. The lessons of World War I were not ignored.

A courier in DC and a newborn in Oak Ridge

    This story comes from David McCullough’s amazing biography of Harry Truman. The facts are true, but I have my own take on what happened. Hugh Barnett is not in the Truman biography.

Things happen which cannot be explained. At 4:10 on the afternoon of August 14, 1945 President Truman received word that Japan had accepted the terms of unconditional surrender. There were formalities to be observed. Almost three hours would pass before the announcement of the surrender would be made.

Over those three hours there was a kind of diplomatic relay race. The text of the official Japan surrender would first be sent from the Japanese to the offices of RCA(the Radio Corporation of America) in Washington D. C. Then the text would be hand delivered to the Swiss legation, which was acting as an intermediary between Japan and the United States. Then the charge d’affaires for the Swiss would take it to Secretary of State James Byrnes at the State Department. Then Byrnes would hand deliver the surrender to the president.

Sometimes the hand-offs in a relay race can get sloppy. This one was no different. It set back the arrival of the surrender to President Truman by ten minutes.

The courier left the offices of RCA to head for the Swiss legation. He made an illegal u-turn on Connecticut Ave. Probably in a hurry. A police officer saw it and pulled him over.

The account doesn’t include what the discussion was like between the officer and the courier, but my imagination takes over a bit. The courier was given at the RCA office, I assume, a sealed diplomatic pouch. It sits on the passenger side of the front seat. The courier has made deliveries like this one, now delayed many times.

The police officer maybe gave the driver some guff. He doesn’t care if the sealed pouch is going to the Swiss legation or General Eisenhower. Watch what you’re doing. Somebody could get hurt. McCullough’s account doesn’t say whether the courier got a ticket or not.

The Swiss charge d’affaires walked into Secretary Byrnes’ office at 6:10pm on August 14th. Byrnes went straight to the Oval Office. Truman addressed the nation at 7pm. The celebrating would last until the sun came up the next morning. World War II, after 70 million deaths, was finally over.

The courier delivered the end of World War II to the Swiss legation, perhaps still a bit hot under the collar over the traffic stop. We do not know what he did the rest of the night. Perhaps he joined the other half a million revelers who jammed the streets in Washington after Truman’s announcement. We will never know. We do know he was Thomas E. Jones. He was 16 years old. 

Meanwhile, in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Manhattan Project worker Hugh Barnett was having a bit of a day. 

The nation, and Oak Ridge too, was on edge for days, anticipating the surrender of Japan. The nation, nine days earlier, learned about the top secret Manhattan Project and about the atomic bomb used at Hiroshima.

Hugh knew the secret for years. He was hired by The Manhattan Project while it was, in fact, in Manhattan in New York City. From his first day on the job, he knew he would make a new fuel, uranium, for a highly destructive bomb.

He and his wife Shirley moved to Oak Ridge and Hugh supervised hundreds of people working on enriching uranium. Fewer than 1 in 200 knew what they were working on Hugh knew.

On Tuesday, August 14th. Hugh wasn’t thinking about work at all. His wife had gone into labor at the hospital with their first child. Around 7pm Lee was born. Hugh and Lee would share the same birthday separated by 29 years. Through an open window, Hugh could hear cheering. He wondered how news get out so quickly about his first born son?

Lee was born within minutes of Truman announcing the surrender of Japan and the ending of World War II. Hugh had played an essential role in the quick ending of the war.

On Wednesday., August 12th Hugh celebrated his 103rd. birthday in Maryville, Tennessee with Lee and his younger son Larry.

Jesus Christ and the bomb?

Some things you can’t make up!

The photo of the plutonium bomb casing carried by Luis Alvarez is courtesy of Alex Wellerstein’s website Restricted Data.

The photo of the statue of Jesus Christ is from in front of the San Jose Parish Hall on the island of Tinian. I have sent an email to the parish asking about the history of the statue.

This is from “Racing For The Bomb” by Dr. Robert Norris.

“Getting all of the components of the Fat Man bomb to Tinian went on simultaneously with preparing Little Boy. The plutonium, the ‘active material for the hot FM’ as it was referred to, had arrived on July 28, brought from Los Alamos by couriers Peer de Silva and scientist Raemer Schreiber.

Three B-29s departed from Mather Field in Sacramento on July 29 carrying Fat Man cases, pre-assembly units F31, F32 and F33. The plane, the ‘Laggin’ Dragon’ the last to take off, carried the F31 unit-which would soon be dropped on Nagasaki- in the front bomb bay; in the rear bomb bay was a ten-foot statue of Christ that was being taken to Tinian for one of the chaplains.”

Some things you can’t make up. 

Necessity is the Mother of Invention?

Some stuff you can't make up. While preparing for the Trinity test, the workers were concerned that while hoisting the five ton bomb to the top of the 100 foot tower that bad things could happen.

There was never a concern that the bomb would detonate, but some of the new technology was rather delicate and they didn't want anything to break if for some reason the hoisting chain failed.

So they brought in a truckload full of...mattresses to stack on the ground below while the plutonium bomb was raised to the platform.

You can't make some stuff up.

Scraps of paper at Trinity

This is one of my favorite stories. The image haunts me. It is 5:30 in the morning. A scrawny Italian scientist stands in the desert of New Mexico. There is a flash of light, brighter than any sun. The scientist waits for the shockwave. Seconds later, from ten miles away, the shockwave arrives. All hell breaks loose from the most powerful force ever developed by mankind. The scientist serenely drops scraps of paper to determine the strength of the new weapon.

My Observations During the Explosion at Trinity on July 16, 1945 - E. Fermi

On the morning of the 16th of July, I was stationed at the Base Camp at Trinity in a position about ten miles from the site of the explosion.

The explosion took place at about 5:30 A.M. I had my face protected by a large board in which a piece of dark welding glass had been inserted. My first impression of the explosion was the very intense flash of light, and a sensation of heat on the parts of my body that were exposed. Although I did not look directly towards the object, I had the impression that suddenly the countryside became brighter than in full daylight. I subsequently looked in the direction of the explosion through the dark glass and could see something that looked like a conglomeration of flames that promptly started rising. After a few seconds the rising flames lost their brightness and appeared as a huge pillar of smoke with an expanded head like a gigantic mushroom that rose rapidly beyond the clouds probably to a height of 30,000 feet. After reaching its full height, the smoke stayed stationary for a while before the wind started dissipating it.

About 40 seconds after the explosion the air blast reached me. I tried to estimate its strength by dropping from about six feet small pieces of paper before, during, and after the passage of the blast wave. Since, at the time, there was no wind I could observe very distinctly and actually measure the displacement of the pieces of paper that were in the process of falling while the blast was passing. The shift was about 2 1/2 meters, which, at the time, I estimated to correspond to the blast that would be produced by ten thousand tons of T.N.T.

Excerpts from The Oak Ridge Journal for February 26, 1944

Excerpts from The Oak Ridge Journal

75 years ago this week   February 26, 1944

The following letter was received by an Officer of this project, from his brother on duty on a landing boat:

1/31/44

Hope that by now you have received by cablegram and know that I am well - but by the barest of margin. This last escapade has really been something, and it isn’t all over yet, though the worst part is, I believe.

We have been under attack many times, but there had never been anything even close to seriousness: this time, however, we had the real thing - the real “blood on the deck” sort of attack. The beginning of it all was perfect,  you no doubt have read in the papers - the water glassily calm - the night dark and all other conditions just as they should have been. The Army moved up to the beach in small boats and awaited the zero hour. On the hour our barraged opened up and I mean opened up. I have never seen anything like it. Everything on the ship was shaking and rattling, especially me.  I’m sure that there wasn’t even a microbe left in the area or a grain of sand that hadn’t been turned over at least fifty-nine times. While the troops were landing there was practically no opposition.

We were scheduled to move into the beach at dawn and arrived on schedule. The ramp was down and I was on it getting ready to roll out the first vehicle when the guns opened up. As I fell to the deck, I could see two planes over my shoulder and immediately the bombs went off. There had been about 15 of us on the ramp and every one had cleared off and left me there by myself. I was positive that I had been hit and had had my arms blown off because I kept trying to crawl back into the ship, but couldn’t move. Later I realized that I moving them as so fast that I couldn’t get any traction. The planes had come in fast and so low over the sand dunes that they couldn’t be seen till they were right on us. There were about a dozen of them, and it seemed that they were all after me. I  looked back into the tank deck and saw the whole cargo hatch falling in. I knew then that we had been hit and could expect any minute to see the back end go up in flames. I ran back to start a fire hose but found that the concussion had lifted the sections of the cover from the girders that support them and when they came down had missed the retaining ledge and fallen through. Luckily no one was on or under the hatch.

The bombs had exploded so close that I still thought we had been hit somewhere and I could hear the shrapnel clacking down on the deck. Some vehicles on the beach had been hit and the fire and smoke roared out as the gas tanks went up. I had no way of knowing what was happening topside and I was trying to get the vehicles off before the inevitable next wave of comers cane over. I have never been near such explosions (and hope I never am again). Every nerve and fibre seems to be rubbing against the other with the feeling you get when walking on sugar plus hot and cold ants gnawing at your skin. After the planes had passed I was sick at my stomach but fortunately was able to “contain” myself.

Places had been fixed for two of us to beach and these spots were what the planes were after. There were two more waves of bombers of about 15 each over us before we unloaded. I had to stay below to keep the vehicles moving. I could tell when the planes were coming over - the big guns would start rhythmically throwing up projectiles and seconds later the stacatto  crackling noises of the smaller guns would open up. There was nothing for me to do but fall on the deck and “play like” I was in a foxhole and that takes a lot of imagination when you are lying on the topside of a slab of cold steel.

After a year had passed we were unloaded and could retract. It was a relief to get off the hot spot, but the bombers were still coming in. After we had discharged our dead and wounded I had a chance to look around the ship. The deck was horrible. Nothing could be done about it, because all the men had to stand by their guns, so I went around throwing sand over the red spots. It wasn’t very pleasant but I thought it better to get rid of them than have the men see it all.      Cool

I had to laugh at Frank when we went into his bunk. One the planes had sent a projectile into his cabin - through the bulkhead - a chair and table - and through one side of his bunk; the counterpane was slightly wrinkled and the slug had cut off the high spots fraying the cover all the way across and the slug was still in his bed.

The next trip up was almost as bad; after we had discharged the vehicles and were turning around to pull out the planes came in. The AA fire kept them up high, but one of them came down toward our port bow and our guns opened up. The pilot realized he was in a hot spot and tried to pull out; he came aft and across the stern, lurching and twisting his plane trying to dodge but he couldn’t get clear. Two of our aft guns were dead on him. I could see the tracers going into the fuselage. He didn’t blow up or spiral down in flame as they usually do in picture shows, but started trailing smoke and sinking behind some trees. Other planes were coming in and I couldn’t watch any longer, but some of the men said he crashed.

Just at twilight, they came over with the radio controlled glider bombs. These are terrifying. It seems that they are bombs mounted on gliders that can be partially controlled by radio -  that is, they can be guided horizontally. They carry a white light so the guide can tell where they are. It is a weird feeling one gets when the white light moves slowly toward the ship.

Later on flares were dropped - these are harmless but terrifying - they light the targets for bombers. From the ship we cannot tell whether we are in the field of light. If you think you can be seen, you are supposed to fire when you hear the planes come in, but if you think you are not seen you should hold fire so the flash dies not give away your position. So there you sit, not knowing whether to fire or jump overboard. The flares burn for about five minutes, but when they are near one feels at least a year older when they burn out.

Such is life in the Navy!

Some other things have been more pleasant. We have been to some lovely villages. Some of them are famous as resorts. Frank and I walked high up a mountain to see an old palace, which is now a tenement. We made friends with the people who keep the grounds - now a citrus and vegetable grove. With Frank’s Spanish and my French, we had an interesting conversation. When they found we were American, they gave us tangerines, but when they found we were non-Catholic, dud not offer us any more. We finally convinced them that C’s and non-C’s do not fight in America, and the situation eased. They gave us things to smell - sweet basil - rosemary - rose geranium, etc., and fenuchi (?) to eat. Like celery, but sweeter - delicious!

More later.

H.”

And we think we’ve got trouble.

P. E. O’MEARA

Captain, Corps of Engineers,

Town Manager.

Excerpts from The Oak Ridge Journal for February 19, 1944

Excerpts from “The Oak Ridge Journal” 75 years ago this week.

February 19, 1944.

A MESSAGE FROM OUR TOWN MANAGER

(Reprinted by request from Oct. 16th issue)

Writing for this space each week is thing - SAYING something is another - doing both without preaching is difficult - but we thing some consideration should be given to the purpose of all of us in being in Oak Ridge.

That purpose is to “GET THE JOB DONE” and WIN THIS WAR.

We, in Town Management - we know out job is to satisfy you - we we know we are public servants - we want to do things which time, lack of manpower and sufficient critical materials have delayed. We have tried to give you hope that that which has not be done will be done. Our problems come faster than we solve them - consequently, life in Oak Ridge has its share of trials and tribulations, and becomes a little rugged for some.

Those who consider themselves martyrs for having left more pleasant or convenient surroundings will be unhappy - decide the effort is not worth while - quit, and leave “the job” to others. Those who make the best of what is at hand will stay on “get the job done” and be happy in their accomplishment of overcoming adversity.

Life, at any time, under most favorable conditions, is a challenge. Difficult times such as we are passing through here, temporarily, magnifies that challenge. Staying on becomes a test of our mettle. Sole will survive Oak Ridge’s present troubles-others will not, depending upon the amount of courage they have.

War is hell-but so is the life of the conquered.What he have in this country is worth fighting to keep-be the scene of action the battlefront or behind the lines. Keeping it depends upon - how man of us have the courage to stay on, not only in Oak Ridge, but anywhere when the going is rough-how many of us the the courage to “get the job done”.

Anyone can do an easy job — it takes guts to do a tough one.

P. E. O’MEARA,

Captain, Corps of Engineers.

Town Manager.

TOWN MEETING

Public interest in Towning Meeting continues to run high. This was amply demonstrated by the meeting last Monday night when a large number of citizens turned out in spite of bad weather conditions and temporary failure of the power supple to many home homes in the Area.

The Library Committee made a report covering a survey of plans made to date by the Welfare and Recreation Association and By Town Management for the establishment of a Town Library.

…recommended…that a full-time librarian be hired as soon as possible and that the purchase of any books for the library be withheld pending this step…

….that a Library be started now with whatever funds are available, rathen than wait for some time until more money may be at hand.

…that Town Meeting wants to contribute to building Town moral, loyalty and good-will through providing ideas and information that will help individuals to adjust themselves to this community and to this section of the country…

….Town Meeting wishes to do all in its power to make this community the kind in which people are glad to work together for victory.

Handball Court is now available at Pine Valley School. Call Ext. 630 to reserve court.

WANT TO PLAY BRIDGE

It has come to the attention of the editors of the Journal that a number of bridge players in the both the W and M dorms are longing for a good (and Serious) evening of bridge. Some lighter minded ones would like to play gin rummy or something similar where talking is not barred…Let’s get together — both experts and frivolous card players.

MEDICAL SERVICE AT OAK RIDGE

It becomes necessary from time to time to remind the residents of Oak Ridge of the type of medical service that is being offered and of the limitations of this service.

…Personnel in the various departments is hard to obtain and with the terrific shortage of doctors and nurses all over the country, we must expect to find our facilities also shorthanded on occasion…

…Another problem that deserves a lot of attention is that of house calls. Doctors are available to make house calls for serious illnesses only… With the number of doctors available it is a physical impossibility to treat all minor illnesses by having doctors make house calls…

“YOU ALL”

“Come all of you from other parts,

Both city folks and rural,

And listen while I tell you this;

The world ‘you-all” is plural.

“When we say “you all” must come down

Or we-all shall be lonely,

We mean a dozen folks, perhaps,

And not one person only.

“If I should sat to Hiram Jones

For instance, “you all’s Lazy;

Or, ‘Will you-all lend me your knife?

He’d thin that I was crazy.

“Now if you’d be more siciable 

And wit us often mingle,

You’d find that in the native tongue

You-all is never single.

“Don’t think I mean to criticize,

Or act as if I knew all

But when we of one alone

We all say “you: like you-all

Contributed

WANTED OLD FELT HATS

Yes, the Red Cross really wants that old discarded felt hat. These hats are used to be used for soles on slippers for convalascent soldiers. Please bring them by Red Cross Headquarters, Tenn. Ave., across from Elm Grove School.

LOST

$30.00 in bills, one $20.00 and two $5.00’s. The bills were folded, money was lost on Sunday 13 Feb. 44. Please return to Town Hall, clearance clerk or call 1208——collect generous reward.

OPENING OF GROCERY STORE

The grocery Store on New York Ave. will be opened Mon., Feb. 21. The Grocery Store on Tenn. Ave., near Elm Grove School will be opened Wed., Feb. 23, 1944.

Oak Ridge Journal excerpts for February 12, 1944

From “The Oak Ridge Journal” 75 years ago this week, excerpts for

February 12, 1944.

More excerpts can be read at my blog at ignoredheroes.com.

A MESSAGE FROM OUR TOWN MANAGER

On December 7, 1941, at Pearl Harbor, there was an “airplane wedding” of Uncle Sam and Aunt Tenny See. The ceremony was by proxy, and without their knowledge, but it caused them to realize their importance to each other and to worry about their mutual problems of the present and the future. Uncle Sa was trying to recover from a bad case of Depression, and Aunt Tenny was concerned mainly with her own domain. Neither were properly preprared for the responsibilities thrust upon them.

On June 15, 1943, there was an addition to the family - and it was named Oak Ridge.

Like all newly born, Oak Ridge was slow to react. The surroundings were strange and unpromising, provisions had not been made for its growth. At first it slept and are - then it began to cry once in a while, and to fuss when things were not right. A smile appeared occasionally.

Gradually it grew and with growth came more problems - how to provide food - clothes - shelter - recreation - medical attention - transportation. All of them have not been solved completely, but we are happy to announce that on February 15th the child will be eight months old - not perfect yet, but doing nicely.

The parents are feeling better too.

P. E. O’Meara

Captain, Corps of Engineers,

Town Manager

AT THE CENTER THEATRE

Sunday, 13, 1944, February

“IT COMES UP LOVE”

Gloria Jean - Donald O’Connor

Mon-Tues. 14-15

The Shocking Truth

About the Japs:

“BEHIND THE RISING SUN”

News & Glen Gray Orchestra

Saturday, Feb. 19

“APACHE TRAIL”

James Craig

Plaus Chap. 3 “G-MEN VS. BLACK DRAGON”

Disney Cartoon, Comedy and News

THIS WEEK IN OAK RIDGE

MONDAY, Feb. 14th.

3 to % PM Valentine Tea, New Rec. Hall

5:00 PM Children’s Dance-Elmgrove Gym

6:00 PM Ladies Dance Class “ “

6:45 PM Basket Ball- High School Gym

7:15 PM Basket Ball- Robertsville Gym

FRIDAY, Feb. 18th.

8:00 PM Open House- New Rec. Hall

      Sponsored by Little Theatre  Group

LITTLE THEATRE NOTES

     The Little Theatre of Oak Ridge looks forward to welcoming all interested in the activities of the group at the open house reception at the New Recreation Hall 8  P.M. Friday, 18 February. Refreshments music and varied tidbits of entertainment will be offered for enjoyment of all who find time to drop in. No charge will be made, just come and get acquainted with the Little Theatre, Mixed Chorus, Community Concert Band, Strings Orchestra, and all contributing groups…

VICTORY GARDENS

Now is the time to start planning your victory garden.

All residents having space adjacent to their to their homes, suitable for gardens, are urged to make use of it, if interested in gardening.

Where the area is large enough for plowing, this service will be availale to residents at their expense. Seeds and plants of varieties suitable to this section will be available for on the reservation, time and place to be announced later…

MEDICAL SUGGESTIONS

The following suggestions are offered by the Medical Staff:

1. Diabetics should war a dog tag or some means of identification stating their name, address and the fact that they are diabetic…

2. Patients who have a history of tuberculosis should be checked at regular intervals to be sure they are in good health…

3. Cold vaccines are of questionable value in preventing upper respiratory infections…many patients get just as good results from sugar pills…The same is true of the indiscriminate use of vitamin pills to prevent colds…

4. When possible, patients should be brought to the hospital rather than have the doctor come to the house…

CATHOLIC YOUTH ORGANIZATION

Twenty five members of the group were present Sunday evening at 103 E. Geneva Lane for the weekly meeting of the Catholic Youth Organization. The group completed plans for traveling to Gatlinburg two weeks hence…

TOWN MEETING

Principal order of business at the regular meeting of residents of Oak Ridge on Monday evening in the high school auditorium will be the election of members to the Town Council or the deciding on a manner of selection of representatives.

Other interesting features will be discussions on gardening and landscaping with Mr. Palton of the University of Tennessee and Mr. Vicars, County Agricultural Agents as guest speakers. There will also be a report by the Library Committee.

Oak Ridge Journal excerpts for February 5, 1944

Excerpts from the Oak Ridge Journal, 75 years ago this week 

February 5, 1944

A MESSAGE FROM OUR TOWN MANAGER

Things are NOT different “back home”………………………………

It has been reported by travelers recently returned from “back home” that problems, formerly believed to exist only in Oak Ridge, are present in other places.

For instance….taxi drivers, cashiers, clerks, waitresses, and others serving the public are not always courteous, thoughtful or interested - presentation of a $20.00 bill in payment of taxi fare is regarded as an act of only the most audacious - hotels, even the better ones, are not always able to provide maid service every day  -no butter is served at luncheon in hotels or restaurants - two meatless days are observed, laundries give five to seven day service - barbers are in a hurry - shows are crowded - soap is hard to procure - beer is scarce - dancers are noisy and ill mannered - money is cheap - many people think of the war only when it affects their personal comfort - people burn soft coal, and it smokes - hospitals require information from incoming patients, causing delay in treatment - food and service is not always excellent in public eating places - people are tired, worried and irritable.

In a most expensive hotel, with a reputation for quality and service, it was found that turkey hash with waffles could not be served for the reason that the waffle iron was out of order. Hash, yes-but no waffles. It may be some comfort to know that we are not alone in our struggles with conditions of the times - conditions which are likely to continue until we have defeated those responsible for them. One way in which we all may contribute to that defeat is the Fourth War Loan Drive.

P.E. O’Meara

Captain, Corps of Engineers,

Town Manager.

AT THE CENTER THEATRE

Saturday, February 5:

“HARRIGAN’S KID”

Reedick - Craven

Also “Miss Cotten”, in Person

Monday-Tuesday, February 7-8:

“SAHARA”……………………..

Humphrey Bogart

Thursday-Friday, February 10-11:

“PHANTOM OF THE OPERA”

Eddy-Foster-Rains

PERFORMANCES

Week days: Matinees 11;45 am to 2:00 pm

Evenings continuous from 5:15 P. M.

Saturday: Continuous from 11:45

Sunday: Continuous from 2:45 P. M.

PHOTOGRAPHER AVAILABLE

It has been approved by the District Public Relations Officer that a representative in Oak Ridge may photograph and submit articles of sccial and religious interest to the Knoxville newspapers.

In most cases names of Oak Ridge residents, along with photographs may be published providing it has the clearance of the District Public Relations Officer…

D. A. R. MEMBERS

D.A.R. Members interested in forming an Oak Ridge Chapter are requested to communicate with 122 Georgia Ave. or Ext. 906-W.

ATTENTION GIRL SCOUTS

All Girl Souts and leaders interested in any phase of organizing a troop on the area, please write or call Miss E. Novy, W-F, Rm. 139, Tel. No. 1044W.

HOUSE WANTED

In support of the Fourth Bond Drive, I hereby offer a $25.00 War Bond as reward to anyone giving me information which leads to my renting a suitable furnished house or apartment (within any reasonable distance from Oak Ridge) for my wife, two months old son, and myself. Bernard M. Blum, 1st. Lt., Medical Corps…

CUB DEN MOTHERS AND DADS

    There will be a meeting of the Den Mothers and Den Dads of the Cedar Hill, Elm Grove and Pine Valley Cub Dens at the High School in Room 115, 7:30 P.M., Monday 7 Feb.

FOUND:

(May be claimed at Townsite Police Department.)

2 Black Billfolds

Residence pass No. 3980

Ration Book No. 1 Name: Fanny Broad