Remembering the Manhattan Project: Voices of the Veterans

Sunday is Veterans' Day, a day remembering the Armistice signed ending World War I, and Oak Ridge is celebrating by offering an informative program on the Manhattan Project at the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge.

The Manhattan Project was the government initiative during World War II to develop atomic weapons, which eventually ensured victory over Japan, thus ending the war. The Manhattan Project has special significance for the Oak Ridge community as it was founded as a "secret city" during the war in order to research key elements used in the creation of nuclear weaponry. The uranium used in "Little Boy," the bomb dropped on Hiroshima, was created by gaseous diffusion in the Y-12 plant in Oak Ridge.

Oak Ridge was chosen as the location for material development because of its unique landscape, which protected the various plants from possibly chain reaction explosions, provided easy access to electricity and water, and it was a non-Union state Combined with it's low population, Oak Ridge was suited perfectly for the project's demands. The town grew from 3,000 residents to 75,000 residents within a matter of years. The development of a town was inevitable as the massive need for workers for the project grew.

After the war, the plants became a driving force behind employment in the area, leading to an influx of the scientific community and major advances in the research and development both in military and civilian technology. Currently, the site has given way to the construction of the Spallation Neutron Source, the largest neutron source in the world. The SNS project has the potential to yield exciting advances in research into the structure and dynamics at the atomic and molecular level.

The SNS project, nor the city of Oak Ridge, would have been possible without the Manhattan Project. The importance to the Oak Ridge community could not be overstated. Sunday's program will be a fascinating study into the inner workings of the project that started it all. Students and citizens alike will enjoy this exciting opportunity to learn about the origins of their hometown.

The program "Remembering the Manhattan Project: Voices of the Veterans" will be presented at 2 pm on Sunday at the American Museum of Science and Energy at 300 S. Tulane Ave, Oak Ridge, TN. President of the Atomic Heritage Foundation Cynthia Kelly will discuss her book The Manhattan Project and speakers will include citizens who were involved in the project during World War II.