Realizing that some of you may not appreciate an off-topic post, I feel compelled to remind everyone (myself included) that Memorial Day is about more than just picnics and the "unofficial start of summer".  As we pause to reflect upon the sacrifices of our military men and women, we also need to remember those "unsung heroes", the families and loved ones who have "kept the home fires burning".

Not everyone who has served our country has worn a military uniform.  Countless others have answered the call to duty right here on the homefront, keeping our boys on the front lines supplied with the food, clothing, tools and equipment they needed to fight the good fight for our beloved America.

Such were the men and women who served with the Manhattan Project.  Begun in mid-1942, the Manhattan Project was a top-secret joint military-civilian effort by the United States to develop an atomic weapon capable of bringing the war to a swift close.  There were three sites which comprised the Manhattan Engineer District: Los Alamos, New Mexico; Hanford, Washington; and Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

My grandfather, Hallie Nolen Perry was a journeyman lineman for the Clinton Engineer Works at Oak Ridge, Tennessee and was involved in the construction phase of the three main plants which were built to refine raw uranium ore into the fissionable material neccessary to produce the Atomic Bomb.  He worked for various civilian contractors during that time, after which he was employed as Chief Fire Alarm Technician for the entire Oak Ridge reservation.

Wartime security at Oak Ridge was so tight that even those working on the project had no idea what they were building until after the war.  All personnel, including townsite residents, were required to wear color-coded ID badges.  Each color code gave the bearer access to specified areas within the project.  My grandfather wore what was commonly referred to as a "rainbow" badge, which granted him unquestioned authority to access any building or facility on the reservation.

The work being undertaken at Oak Ridge was cloaked in such secrecy that residents of the surrounding communities could only guess at what was taking place right in their own back yard.  A common saying of the time was, "Tons and tons of stuff goes in, but nothing ever comes out!"

On 6 August 1945, the nation and the world discovered the true purpose of the Manhattan Project.  Two atomic bombs were dropped, first on Hiroshima, then three days later, Nagasaki, forcing the unconditional surrender of the Japanese Empire on 15 August 1945.

This story is dedicated to the memory of my "Papaw" Perry and others like him who served in secrecy right here at home to assure our victory and to save the lives of untold thousands of American GI's.  We must never forget the efforts and the service of these truly "unsung heroes" of our nation.

Respectfully submitted,
Scott L. Perry