Alumni Sandstorm ~ 10/17/16
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3 Bombers sent stuff: 
Marilyn "Em" DeVINE ('52)
Larry MATTINGLY ('60)
Roy BALLARD ('63)
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BOMBER BIRTHDAY Today: Doug CRAWFORD ('71)
BOMBER BIRTHDAY Today: Joe BOMBINO ('75)

BOMBER CALENDAR: Richland Bombers Calendar
    Click the event you want to know more about.
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>>From: Marilyn "Em" DeVINE ('52)

Re: my report that Luana IVERS Portch ('52) had a stroke

Sadly, I must now report that Luana passed away yesterday
[10/15]. Wow... I am feeling shocked. Bless her heart.
Obviously, there were things going on inside that weren't
apparent on the outside. No further details. 

Bomber tears,
-Marilyn "Em" DeVINE ('52) ~ Richland   
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>>From: Larry MATTINGLY ('60) 

Re: Trinity Site

Saturday October 1st Jackie and I were about the 15th car in
line at 7:30am to visit "Trinity Site" where they shot the
world's first Atomic Bomb. We flew into ABQ, NM a week
earlier and as we usually do we made it a multi-purpose 
trip. Jackie located the address of a cousin living near
Farmington, NM. He has some of the needed family pictures for
Jackie's family genealogy book. We were undecided about what
to do at first but about dark we decided to go ahead and
drive to Farmington that night as one of the items on our
list was a visit to several ancient ruins of pueblos. One was
5 miles from where her cousin lived. We had rented a Kia
Sorrento to drive and the road was flat, straight and empty
so I put the hammer down and that car was smooth and quiet at
90. The Speedo went to 165 and I have no doubt it would do
it. But 90 was enough. We did not see more than 9-10 vehicles
the whole way. Yep, they were passing us.

After getting the genealogy visit out of the way we bounced
from one side of that state to the other as well as north and
south. Even Roswell. For what appeared a dumpy little town it
was spotless clean and orderly. I am not much into tourist
traps so I got into a 1500 page book while Jackie took
pictures of all the tourist foofoo. We visited numerous
ancient ruins in several areas of the state and ended up
Friday night in Socorro, the closest town to Trinity.

The White Sands Missile Range is in a vast valley. After
driving about 20 miles from the hiway, the mountains on the
other side of the valley did not appear much closer.

There were lots of Army and Air Force MPs present helping the
Range Police keeping traffic moving and orderly. From the
parking lot you walk about 300 feet to the monument at 
Ground Zero. There is a slight depression about 200 feet in
diameter. There is a fence at about that 200 ft. diameter.
They had hung lots of pictures on the fence.

A sign at the site said picking up material was "Theft of US
Gov't Property and Prosecution and Large Fines" would result.

Jackie and I took numerous pictures of us and the monument.
And she got a close up of the plaque denoting the event.

I met a fellow who was a retired Nuclear Engineer from Oak
Ridge. We had a fun conversation about our living conditions
in the "atomic cities". Other visitors overheard our
conversations and started asking us questions, most of which
we had some kind of answer for. After about 30 minutes of
this our wives were giving us the "come on NOW". 

We rode the bus over to the McDonald farm where the Plutonium
parts were assembled in a small room. Compared to the modern
facilities it was very primitive. Piece by piece they are
restoring the house and out buildings.

I did find a couple of nice pieces of Trinitite. Several
vendors were selling pieces of it for $30-45, out on Highway
238. They even had Geiger counters to show it was genuine.
However in discussion they admitted they are getting it from
the islands in the Pacific where the US tested several H
bombs. Some of the natives have moved back on the islands,
traditional home for countless years.??

The visit to Trinity Site was a life long wish, now
fulfilled.

In my semi-retirement I set up "Pyro Consultants LLC". So
far I have done 2 Forensic Exams of pyro-explosive incidents
and I am in discussion with 2 entities for training. Both of
these have said they will be offering contracts for services.
So I can keep busy.

Incredibly, EFI has a request for a very large display
Christmas Eve. Not one of our 90 licensed pyros wants to work
that night. I did get 2 single guys that will work crew. So I
will do it and fly to Anchorage Christmas morning and on to
Dutch Harbor early on the 26th. Jackie and I will have a
couple of hours of Christmas Eve and 2-3 weeks in January
together.

-J. Larry MATTINGLY ('60)
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>>From: Roy BALLARD ('63)

To: Rick MADDY ('67)

Rick, I was there... sat in Nha Trang and up and down the
coast, with vehicles. but in the Air Force. We had the puff
47s and shy war planes along with the C-23s that flew... 
we don't know where they went and weren't supposed to go...
anyway, I agree with you on women in the medic position. No
place for them there... don;t believe they could handle the
job and all the politically correct crap in a bad thing for
the military... started when they got rid of all the high
ranking officers when they didn't agree with the so called
commander in chief...

-Roy BALLARD ('63) ~ Richland   
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That's it for today. Please send more.
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