The Manhattan Project Heritage Preservation Association, Inc.
"Preserving, Exhibiting, Interpreting and Teaching the History of the Manhattan Project"
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The Manhattan Project Heritage Preservation Association, Inc. "Preserving, Exhibiting, Interpreting and Teaching the History of the Manhattan Project" |
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| In conjunction with our commitment to the Veteran History Project of the Library of Congress, we proudly present the Veterans of the Manhattan Project. Below are the personal histories of 12 of these veterans. Please "click" on a name below to go directly to that veteran's section or simply page down to view them all. Please "click" here to go to the Veteran Archives Directory. |
Manhattan Project Veteran Archives
Archive Section
4 of 50
| Paul Metro | John Tucker | Sam Macaione |
| George R. Briggs | Richard Emanatian | Frank C. Holden * |
| Thomas Karnes * | George M. Weisiger | Ralph West |
| Ed Westcott | Ted Stellmack | John Weil |
4-1
| Name:
Paul Metro |
Table | Location: Wendover, UT / Tinian Island Assigned Unit: 509th CG - 393rd BS Job/Position: Radar Section Dates of Service (if Known): ???? Information Submitted By: Paul Metro Archival Record #: CG-MO-METP-1201 | Picture 1 | Document 1 | Story 1 | |
Paul Metro was born in Linden, NJ on July 6, 1923 and entered military service there on Jan. 20, 1943. He was inducted into the Army Air Force at Ft. Dix, NJ and had basic training at Miami Beach, FL. He trained as a Radio Mechanic at Truax AAF, WI and as a Radar Mechanic at Boca Raton AAF, FL. Upon graduation, June 1944, he was assigned to the 393rd Bomb Sqdn, 504th Bomb Grp at Fairmont AAF, NE. In Sept. the squadron was detached from the 504th and shipped to Wendover AAF, UT. The 393rd became the nucleus of the 509th Composite Group. After the mission was completed, Paul transferred from Tinian Island back to Roswell AAF, NM for discharge. He along with a buddy hitchhiked home. Paul was married to Linda Hubbard and they have one daughter, Felicia, and one granddaughter, Hannah. Paul retired in 1986 from the Continental Insurance Co. In retirement, he spends time with the VFW and with 509th activities. |
4-2
| Name:
John L. Tucker |
Table | Location: Oak Ridge, TN; Los Alamos, NM; 509th CG Wendover, UT & Tinian Island ** Assigned Unit: USNR - Project Alberta Job/Position: X-Unit Section Dates of Service (if Known): 3/44 to 12/45 Information Submitted By: John Tucker Archival Record #: LA-MO-TUCJ-1201 | Picture 1 | Document 1 | Story 1 | |
** John may have been the only individual to work at these four locations. |
4-3
| Name:
Samuel R. Macaione |
Table | Location: Los Alamos, NM Assigned Unit: Military - SED Job/Position: Unknown Dates of Service (if Known): 1943 - 1945 Information Submitted By: Sam Macaione Archival Record #: LA-SD-MACS-1201 Picture 1 | Document 1 | Story 1 | |
During 1943-45, it was my pleasure to be a part of the
Keynotes and The Sad Sack Six. The Keynotes, 13 musicians and a
vocalist, provided Saturday night dance music from the stage of the Post
theatre. The swing band members were assembled from all areas of the
Project. Although we were unaware of each others contribution to the
bomb, we shared a common goal in providing a professional sound to our
music. Saturday nights always brought large numbers from the Los
Alamos community to the theatre for dancing and socializing. The Sad
Sad Six, a group from within the Keynotes, provided dance music each
Friday night at the Officer's Club.
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4-4
| Name:
George R. Briggs |
Table | Location: Los Alamos, NM Assigned Unit: Military - SED Job/Position: Electronics Group Dates of Service (if Known): 8/44 to 6/46 Information Submitted By: George R. Briggs Archival Record #: LA-SD-BRIG-0102 Picture 1 | Document 1 | Story 1 | |
As far as my effort on the project, I was only 20-21 at the time and
didn't even get down to see the Trinity shot. My major contribution was
functioning as "Mr Tektronix" in turning out one oscilloscope (of a fixed design of Bill Elmore's) a week. The display used a short-persistence blue phosphor and the max display rate was something like 1 cm/ microsec! I did it all, even punching chasses, with some of the girls winding the Litz-wire HV xformers for the RF power supplies. At the end I did help Bill Elmore and Matt Sands get data together for the book they wrote summarizing the various circuits they developed. |
4-5
| Name:
Richard Emanatian |
Table | Location: Los Alamos, NM Assigned Unit: Military Police Job/Position: Post Security Dates of Service (if Known): ???? Information Submitted By: Marsha Brunelle (Daughter), Vance Emanatian (Son), and Bill Emanatian (Nephew) Archival Record #: LA-MP-EMAR-0202 Picture 1 | Document 1 | Story 1 | |
We know from available records that Richard Emanatian was with the military police detachment at Los Alamos during the war years. Richard died in 1969 and it wasn't until recently that his family learned that he had been a military policeman at the Project. If anyone remembers Richard Emanatian, please contact us via "Feedback". |
4-6
| Name:
Frank C. Holden |
Table | Location: Los Alamos, NM Assigned Unit: Military - SED Job/Position: Unknown Dates of Service (if Known): Unknown Information Submitted By: Frank C. Holden Archival Record #: LA-SD-HOLF-0102 | Picture 1 | Picture 2 | Picture 3 | Document 1 | Story 1 | |
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4-7
| Name:
Thomas Karnes |
Table | Location: Wendover, UT / Tinian Island Assigned Unit: 509th CG - Headquarters Job/Position: Group Adjutant Dates of Service (if Known): ???? Information Submitted By: Thomas Karnes Archival Record #: CG-MO-KART-0901 Picture 1 | Document 1 | Document 2 | Story 1 | |
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4-8
| Name:
George M. Weisiger |
Table | Location: Oak Ridge, TN Assigned Unit: Civilian Job/Position: Unknown Dates of Service (if Known): WWII Information Submitted By: Mary Jenkins, Daughter Archival Record #: OR-CO-WEIG-0801 Picture 1 | Document 1 | Story 1 | |
George M. Weisiger worked at Oak Ridge during the war years. It is not known which facility he worked at or what his specific duties were. His daughter desires to learn something of his role with the Manhattan Project. If you have any information about Mr. Weisiger, please contact us via "Feedback". |
4-9
| Name:
Ralph West |
Table | Location: Los Alamos, NM Assigned Unit: Military Police Job/Position: Security Dates of Service (if Known): Unknown Information Submitted By: Bernice Vickio Archival Record #: LA-MP-WESR-1000 Picture 1 | Document 1 | Story 1 | |
 Ralph
West was a military policeman at Los Alamos and was a close friend of
Michael J. Vickio, another MP. We have not been able to locate any
family members of Ralph West or anyone who remembers him. If you
have any information about Ralph West, please contact us via "feedback". |
4-10
| Name:
Ed Westcott |
Table | Location: Oak Ridge, TN Assigned Unit: Military - Other Job/Position: Official Photographer Dates of Service (if Known): ???? Information Submitted By: Anonymous Archival Record #: OR-MO-WESE-1101 Picture 1 | Document 1 | Story 1 | |
Ed Westcott is shown at left in front of a new display of his work at the American Museum of Science and Energy at Oak Ridge. May 19, 2001 was designated as Ed Westcott Day in Oak Ridge. Ed Westcott still serves as an expert consultant to the AMSE museum and other historic institutions, and is as avid a photographer as ever. |
4-11
| Name:
Ted Stellmack |
Table | Location: Los Alamos, NM Assigned Unit: Military Police Job/Position: Post Security Dates of Service (if Known): ???? Information Submitted By: Ted Stellmack Archival Record #: LA-MP-STET-1201 Picture 1 | Document 1 | Story 1 | |
Following graduation from high school in June "45,Selective Service sent "Greetings" and an invitation I couldn't refuse. After a few weeks at Ft. Sheridan, IL and a battery of evaluation tests, I was told I was an excellent candidate to go to school to learn Japanese .They put through the paper work ....and put me on the train to Lamy, NM (Santa Fe) assigning me to the MP Detachment at Los Alamos. The explanation being....it's the Army Way. In the following 20 months I pulled duty at every site on The Hill Our first couple of months were split 24hrs on duty and 24hrs in training. The physical training took place in a large open area called Bradley Field. Our arms training took place at the bottom of a canyon. A couple of hours of the echoing reports would leave your ears ringing for a day or two. Part of our group became eligible for transfer and/or discharge when civilian security began to phase in ,in "47 ,and I was discharged thru Ft. Bliss, with the rank of S/Sgt. |
4-12
| Name:
John Weil |
Table | Location: Los Alamos, NM Assigned Unit: Military - SED Job/Position: Unknown Dates of Service (if Known): Unknown Information Submitted By: John Weil Archival Record #: LA-SD-WEIJ-0801 Picture 1 | Document 1 | Story 1 | |
John Weil arrived at Los Alamos in early 1943 from the ASTP at Ohio State where as a soldier he was studying mechanical engineering. He was assigned to Maj. Gerald Ackerman at Los Alamos for whom he performed a wide variety of tasks: heat transfer problems; he poured high explosive castings at S Site, he drove 6 x 6's and jeeps. He accompanied Capt. Sam Devalos to Trinity Site from where Mr. MacDonald had not yet removed his cattle. John first mapped the slow-burning mesas and canyons and then helped extinguish the 1945 forest fire. He designed and built several appliances used for processing various prototypes of parts and tools used in the development of high explosive portions of Fat Man. |
John Tucker served at Oak Ridge, Los Alamos, and with
the 509th Composite Group at Wendover, UT and on Tinian Island. At
Oak Ridge, he had several assignments that resulted in his recruitment for
the Los Alamos Destination Team, Project Alberta, by Lt. Cdr. Norris
Bradbury. At Los Alamos he was assigned to the Fat Man firing unit,
x-unit team, and participated in the breadboard construction of the first
prototype x-unit. He made almost weekly trips between Los Alamos and
Wendover where he helped train the assigned 1st Ordnance Squadron
personnel to assist in the disassembly, inspection, and assembly duties.
John also flew three training missions with prototype Fat Man bombs as the
Bomb Weaponeer while at Wendover. In early July 1945, John and two
other Navy Ensigns were sent to Tinian Island to start setting up the Fat
Man assembly facilities. After the Trinity test on July 16, 1945,
the remaining members of the Project Alberta team arrived on Tinian.
