Alumni Sandstorm ~ 04/15/15
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5 Bombers and Don Sorenson sent stuff:
Dick WIGHT ('52), Mike CLOWES ('54)
Burt PIERARD ('59), Mary RAY ('61)
Brad WEAR ('71), Don Sorenson (NAB)
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BOMBER BIRTHDAY Today: Lanny WILSON ('54)
BOMBER BIRTHDAY Today: Sandy CARPENTER ('61)
BOMBER BIRTHDAY Today: Mickey LYNCH ('66)
BOMBER BIRTHDAY Today: Cindy DeHART ('67)
BOMBER CALENDAR: Richland Bombers Calendar
Click the event you want to know more about.
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>>From: Dick WIGHT ('52)
Re: FBI
Yep, FBI guys were around here "way back when". I went of USCG
officer candidate school summer '57, and a prerequisite to
being commissioned was top secret clearance, etc. Local FBI
folks were around Richland "checking me out" I'd put Dutch Haag
(Col-Hi vice principal) and a couple other locals down as
character witnesses - Joe Perrier who ran Diamond Variety Store
was another... FBI visited both of them.
In summer of '51 (I think) Pres. Harry Truman came to Pasco and
gave a speech on an outdoor platform downtown. We Richland CAP
cadets were an honor guard for him... there was a photo in
Tri-City Herald of Jane ROLLISON ('52) and I saluting him as
he walked up the stairs to the platform. There were "dark suit"
guys all over the place with flowers in their lapels, on the
roof tops too. Not FBI - Secret Service. They stood out like
sore thumbs! Ha!
I read David RIVERS' ('65) dialogue through twice - guess it
was tongue in cheek - any interpreter out there?
-Dick WIGHT ('52)
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>>From: Bob Carlson, aka Mike CLOWES ('54)
Re: FBI
At least the Junior Gyrene isn't spilling the beans about the
"interrogation" chamber under the old Pass and Badge Building
(ooopppssss! they're knocking at the door).
There are (is) more important things to bring up. One of which
is the tipping of the ol' propeller beanie account today is the
birthday of a fellow classmate. Some may have memories of this
member of The Class of '54, his brother and Ray WELLS (also
from The Class of '54) doing gymnastic things at pep rallies on
the odd occasion. At any rate let's hear a hearty "Happy
Birthday!" cheer for Lanny WILSON ('54). Keep on lifting.
Finally, thanks to Don Sorenson (NAB) for clearing up the
early Pu days.
-Bob Carlson, aka Mike CLOWES ('54) ~ Mount Angel, OR where
the near by mountains are still getting snow; which they
didn't get last winter. And a happy Tax Day to one and all
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>>From: Burt PIERARD ('59)
Re: Plutonium - Continuing
To: Don Sorenson (Honorary Bomber)
Yo Don - nice to chat again. I just noticed that you are not on
the BRMA mailing list (and not privy to the 3 Part Moderator
Article that I wrote on the B Reactor Startup) so I am granting
you a Comp Membership and will send you the back issues in
a separate email. I will be referring to some parts of my
research for that article in the following reply.
First, I want to be perfectly clear that I am not challenging
anything you've said - only clarifying a couple points and
maybe adding some more.
When you referred to Seaborg's rumor about the experimental
pile, he was referring to what became CP-1 later in 1942. There
is a story about why they decided to build it at the Squash
Court instead but I don't recall it and don't have time to dig
it out. My other nitpick is that your pencil slipped a bit on
the decimal point when you said I referred to "kilograms" of Pu
from Oak Ridge. I said "gram amounts." The whole core for Fat
Man was just a little above 6 Kg. Even the Docents at X-10
admit that the Oak Ridge Pu was barely adequate to develop the
Chemical process for the Hanford Separation Plants.
I am going to refer to Col. Matthias' 1992 Video Oral History
to expand the Hanford to Los Alamos Pu. I do this with great
trepidation as I have always contended that Oral Histories are
pretty much useless for historical purposes due to fragile
memories, "Senior moments," embellishment, and even false
memories. But in this case, I know of no way to document the
accuracy except to refer to the B Reactor Operator logs when
possible. Matthias started with the statement that Los Alamos
was desperate to get enough Pu to start working on the Bomb
design. Therefore, they did the first fuel discharge from B
Reactor, Nov. 20, 1944, when the irradiated slugs were still
"green" (after a one month power run instead of the desired
three months). Another discharge was done in Dec. The first
batch was sent to startup the T Plant on Dec. 26. Matthias then
picked up the first batch (unknown date) in a "packing box" and
drove to Portland to catch the train to Los Angeles. At L.A.
he handed over the package to the military courier who took
it on the train to Los Alamos, arriving Feb. 2, 1945.
Matthias also mentioned that a 2nd batch (the 2nd discharge?)
was transported in the same manner by Harry Riley, his
Administrative Officer. He said that after that, they used the
ambulance method, described by Don, twice a week (D Reactor was
up and running by that time). As an aside, I used to wonder why
they used the ambulance relay while there was the Wartime Speed
Limit of 35 MPH - how could they possibly beat the train? Then
it dawned on me that the ambulances could turn on their Red
Light and drive much faster!
Bomber Cheers,
-Burt PIERARD ('59) ~ Richland
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>>From: Mary RAY Henslee ('61)
To: Judy WILLOX ('61) and Ruth PATTY Holesworth ('56)
Mystery of the soil on Craighill solved! Now if I can just
figure out where we lived on Craighill for that short period
of time. We didn't live in a "B" house. We lived in what was
called a "V-Precut" house. If my memory serves me correctly,
there were hardly any houses around when we moved in. It was
like that section of Craighill was just getting started. I
don't remember having anyone to play with until after we moved.
[Mary -- I was born in Richland in '45 and my
Washington birth certificate has my Symons street
address on it. maybe you have younger siblings born
in Richland? "V" Pre-cuts were built in '47 -Maren
To: Burt PIERARD ('59) and Don Sorenson (NAB)
You both have obviously done your homework. Could what you are
saying be summed up to mean the Oak Ridge plant was involved
with the enrichment of uranium? Perhaps there is a difference
between saying the Oak Ridge plant produced uranium and saying
it enriched uranium that I didn't realize when I made my post.
The World Book and other sources that don't get technical,
describe the Oak Ridge plant as originally being built for
uranium enrichment purposes. I need to narrow things down to
simple terms for my project is the reason I ask.
Thanks!
-Mary RAY Henslee ('61)
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>>From: Brad WEAR ('71)
To: Lisa PETERSON ('71)
You're right.. it was Clem Parkhurst who was the local SAC for
the FBI with all the Parkhurst chil'ren in charge. If you only
knew the stories he could tell, it would curl your hair. Clem
was a mentor of mine, from his exploits as an FBI agent to a
Marine Officer on Guadalcanal receiving a letter from J. Edger
Hoover wanting to know why his pistol was dirty while locked
up in his desk draw. An amazing man and a prime example of
"The Greatest Generation" I truly enjoyed his guidance and
tutelage. His experiences could fill several novels.
-Brad WEAR ('71, USMC Capt, one each)
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>>From: Don Sorenson (NAB)
Re: B Reactor future
To: All Bombers
This Wednesday [4/15 - TODAY} at 4:30pm at the Richland Red
Lion there will be a public Open House sponsored by D.O.E. and
the National Parks Department to discuss the future of B
Reactor. There will be a display of artifacts from early
Hanford construction and operations along with several other
businesses participating. The event will go to 6:30pm.
-Don Sorenson (NAB)
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That's it for today. Please send more.
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