Story 001 - Monroe Messinger

Monroe Messinger was born in New Jersey, the second of five children. His parents moved to Brooklyn, NY when he was a baby. A few years later they bought a home in St. Albans, Long Island where the children grew up and were educated. Monroe received a Bachelor of Science degree from the College of the City of New York in upper Manhattan. While in college, he joined the Army in the Enlisted Reserve in 1942. In mid-1943, his unit was called up.

Monroe received his first few weeks of training at Camp Upton on Long Island. He was then transferred to Fort Hood in Texas. After a series of aptitude examinations he was transferred to the Army Specialized Training Program which was set up to assign students with certain abilities for further study. The ASTP assigned Monroe to the University of Illinois to study civil engineering and surveying. His knowledge of surveying led to his serving as a Teachers' Assistant. While at the University, he received an order to confer with a few men, who, as he was told, were Washington "brass". Their conversations revolved around his abilities in Chemistry and Photography. He asked why he was being questioned along these lines and he was told that when the time came he might be informed. After some time had passed he was ordered late one night to pack all his things including battle gear. He was taken to the railroad station and led to a special Pullman Car. Monroe remembers that he met two or three other young men whom he knew from the University. Other men, also students, were coming in from other areas to join them. When the train left the station there were about 20 men in the Pullman; none of whom had the slightest idea of why they were there or where they were going! The conversation on the train dealt with various far-out guesses as to their final destination. Many of these ideas included secret spy work and/or being shipped overseas to infiltrate enemy lines. No one had an inkling of what the true nature of their jobs would be.

The train arrived at Camp Claybourne, Louisiana, where several more men came on; the final count was now 35. They still were not given any information about their new status. By this time, however, their discussions among themselves led them to realize that all of them were college graduates, some with advanced degrees, Masters and Ph.D's, in scientific fields. From Louisiana once again they boarded the train...destination unknown...and were deposited on a siding at Santa Fe, New Mexico during a snowstorm. A WAC (Women's Army Corp.) driver picked them up in a bus for the final leg of the journey. They crossed the Rio Grande and climbed up dirt mountain roads with no protective barriers, in blinding conditions, to go up 7,000 feet above the Rio Grande. Many times the bus stalled and the men had to exit it to push it up. Finally the last lap of the journey was over when they reached the outer security tower of Los Alamos. The guard called in for permission to allow the bus to enter. Major Peer daSilva was in charge at that time, and the guard opened the gate leading to the Technical Area. Dr. Robert Oppenheimer was notified that the "first" Special Engineering Detachment (SED) had arrived; however, he had to be located from another area as he had not been told that the bus was on its way. The men remained outside or on the bus for awhile, until Dr. Oppenheimer found space in an auditorium to meet with them. At that time he apologized to the group for keeping them waiting. He told them they were needed for a most important technical project. They had been sent for as an important and necessary addition to a civilian group already in place. Their skills were needed on work connected with a "New Era", an "Atomic Era". Monroe felt that Dr. Oppenheimer was avoiding using the word "bomb" at this time.

Although Dr. Oppenheimer told them that they were to be housed and treated like the civilian scientists, this was not to be. Their accommodations were poor...in fact, no adequate provision had been made for them until their arrival. It wasn't until Dr. Kistiakowsky, under whom the Detachment directly worked, complained to General Leslie Groves that it was impossible for the men to live under these conditions, which demanded also that they rise earlier to drill, and then to be expected to do scientific work during a long day, that their living quarters were improved, and that they were not expected to train as arduously as before. Monroe, as a sergeant, was put in charge of this, the first SED to work at Los Alamos. Many other detachments were to follow.

General Leslie Groves was in charge of all the Army personnel, and as an engineer himself, took an interest in the scientific part of the project. Monroe recalls that once while he was inspecting a metal fragment under a microscope, General Groves came into the laboratory. While the General was inspecting another area, Monroe finished his work and removed the fragment from the slides. The General asked him if he could look into the eyepiece of his microscope and Monroe quickly agreed. General Groves made a cursory viewing, the arose from the chair, patted Monroe on the shoulder and said.."Good work, soldier!" Monroe, of course, never revealed to his superior that nothing was on the slide!

A small group of SED personnel, with Monroe, were assigned to the Research and Explosives Testing Group under Dr. Kistiakowsky. They were given "white" badges, which allowed them access to the most secret areas of the project. (See Photo above). The testing was done in a hidden canyon on Site S. Monroe worked on this site for about one and a half years; at which time he was hurt in an accidental explosion and hospitalized. When he returned to duty he was transferred to the Optics Unit which had the responsibility of working with high speed photographic equipment. This was the same group which coordinated the pictures of the first test of an atomic explosion at the Trinity site.

Anyone who remembers Monroe Messinger or the Research and Explosives Group under Dr. Kistiakowsky, or the Optics Unit are encouraged to contact us via "Feedback" above.

Monroe and his wife, Esther, presently live in Florida. If you would like to contact Monroe about his experiences with the SED, please contact us via "Feedback" above.

Society for the Historical Preservation of the Manhattan Project

Los Alamos, NM

Monroe Messinger

"In His Own Words"

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