Yes, learned some of what I learned thru the years when I was in high school. Had a science teacher who was a really great teacher and for about the last 2 weeks of my sophomore year he showed movies about "the bomb".

Edited to add: Some of the movies were actual films taken of some of the live tests before they were dropped on Japan.

I had an uncle in the navy who got to tour one of those sites, brought back a number of photographs showing the incredible destruction. Whole city completely flattened.

Saw some films in high school that showed the shock waves hitting structures when they were testing the bomb.

Never had a chance to visit the site.

We were taught about Oak Ridge, Tennessee in school from after the bombs were dropped. Prior to that, of course, not. So yes, I've known about Oak Ridge, Tennessee for a long time. Have never been there, though.

flashguy

“Birthplace” is a somewhat vague term, but Los Alamos was the primary location where the uranium and plutonium atomic bombs and later the hydrogen bomb were designed and fabricated. It’s also where the top nuclear design scientists like Oppenheimer and Teller worked, and was close to where the first atomic tests were conducted. Oak Ridge’s primary purpose was to enrich uranium for that bomb—a vital mission, but it’s not where the bombs themselves came from.

A couple of excellent histories about the early development of nuclear weapons are The Making of the Atomic Bomb and Dark Sun: The Making of the Hydrogen Bomb by Richard Rhodes. There are also several other good books about how Soviet spies made it possible for the USSR to catch up to the US much faster than they could have otherwise.

Of Course. I guess people don’t know who the Oak Ridge Boys are anymore.

Yep, I visited there as a young lad. I don't remember much about the facility, but I do remember the souvenir irradiated dime I got.

Yes, as a lifelong US history buff.

My 95 year old Mother-in-law has a certificate from the War Department for her work there on the Manhattan Project, she worked in one of the plant safety offices.....

Oak Ridge is probably better known than Hanford.

Went there in the mid 90’s with Sr management of our company looking to set up either a machine shop, or purchase available machining capacity. They took us on a tour, very informative and scary at the same time. Went by the building where the Uranium 238 was enriched for the original bombs, we were told that when the program ended they turned off the electricity and left. Partially enriched U238 still in all the plumbing, and Asbestos in the walls. Also showed us many drill presses, lathes, etc behind a roped off area, were told they had “hot spots” and had not been cleaned up yet.

I used to live off Pellissippi Parkway on the way to Oak Ridge from Knoxville. And was a member of Oak Ridge Sportsman Association with its’ 1000 yard range.

Lot’s of highly educated folks there...

Kept our horses in Clinton at our friend's farm for about 10 years. Clinton is next door to Oak Ridge - we were there all the time. People from all over the world there in Oak Ridge.

Yes, I have know about Oak Ridge for a long time. At one time I worked for a few years traveling the country as a Health Physics Tech. Oak Ridge was always on the list of places to work after our usual 3 month duty of refueling nuclear power plants. I had some friends go there for work but never wanted to go myself.

Company I worked for has designed and built buildings at oak ridge national laboratory. The security was off the charts. They had department of energy snipers in the hillsides surrounding the site calling in security and safety violations. One of the buildings was attacked / infiltrated by two catholic nuns protesting. Our security designer also worked on federal bureau of prisons Florence Co. It was not a good owners meeting.

Yes, I have. While in college, I worked part time for a retail outlet called Howard Brothers Discount...much like K-Mart. They had a store in Oak Ridge, TN. Don’t know anything about its history, though.

Yep. Ever heard of Dawson Forest and the lab/work that happened there? They flooded the area and it’s all under a lake now. Nearby is a nice range, Riverbend Gun Club.

Yes, I've heard of Oak Ridge, but admittedly have never been there and don't know much about it, other than the historic Oak Ridge Laboratory's involvement in Uranium enrichment, and the Oak Ridge Boys, I really don't know much about it...

...however, I just finished watching a documentary about the weaponized internet virus used to take out the Iranian Uranium enrichment facility at Natanz, and apparently the Oak Ridge Lab played a role in the prep work for the attack.

In addition to the production of the uranium used in the Little Boy bomb they also had a role in figuring out the process for plutonium. A Chrysler place here in Detroit (or used to be) nickel plated a lot of diffusers used in the enrichment of uranium there.

Yes, read a lot about Trinity Site as we lived in Socorro for nine years. My interest was sparked as at that time there were still many residents of the area that experienced the test.

quote:

Originally posted by 10X-Shooter:
Yep. Ever heard of Dawson Forest and the lab/work that happened there? They flooded the area and it’s all under a lake now. Nearby is a nice range, Riverbend Gun Club.

GNAL-Georgia Nuclear Aircraft Laboratory.

Sister did a college internship at ORNL. I got a tour out of it. I actually don't remember much about the tour.

heard off it, partly from high school history, and partly from reading about it years after,


I also know they hold matches there, and have for a good while,