Government conspiracies, cover-ups, and secret military operations are all things that certainly can pique our interest. It is the same reason people constantly wonder what is really going on in Area 51. In Tennessee, there was a little farming town that transformed overnight into one of the biggest and most secret military operations on U.S. soil. Here's more about the small town of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and its significance with the end of World War II.
Tensions were high and the world was still recovering from what was the first World War when the rise of a German dictator started threatening the globe again.
The conflict was unavoidable in the face of such pure evil. Word made its way from Europe that work was being done to create the world's biggest weapon yet: the atom bomb. This began the race to build the first atom bomb. When the attack on Pearl Harbor happened, it thrust Americans into the fray. Plans went into place to build three facilities that would together research and build the bombs that became known as Fat Man and Little Boy. The Manhattan Project started, and Oak Ridge, Tennessee, was chosen as one of those sites.
Millions of dollars and hard labor were poured into this city that seemed to rise overnight.
Thousands of Americans joined in from all over and efforts across the country were made to aid in the conflict in any way that could be done. Oak Ridge was guarded and work was done in secret; the city was built so fast that it didn’t appear on a map and so it seemed invisible.
Like most of the jobs performed during that era, many of the workers were women.
Many of the women that toiled also had to balance the weight of their loved ones fighting overseas fighting. Many of them would lose their husbands, sons, and brothers. Back in the U.S., the labor put forth towards the war effort was in good faith that everyone was working toward a common goal.
Posters and signs were placed all over the city and facility to remind workers of the importance of keeping the project under lock and key. The motto was “Loose talk helps our enemy.” The message was clear and the response was silence from the employees.
Among the scary headlines and horrifying details of the war across the seas, a new headline appeared.
Hiroshima had been bombed. It was then that the mission they had all been working on had become clear: Tennesseans were researching, aiding, and helping build an atomic bomb. After the second bomb was dropped, Japan finally surrendered and the war was over.
Our country erupted in cheer over the end of WWII.
Freedom was won, the price was paid, and now the sense of jubilee was palpable. Families would receive back their fathers, brothers, and sons once more and the world that was turned upside down could now start being put back together again.
Oak Ridge, Tennessee, will forever be linked to the end of WWII. Today, the site had been used to further the boundaries of science and technology is home to a few museums. The secret is out and the history is being shared with anyone who wants to come and see just what happened nearly 100 years ago in a hidden TN city that wasn't even on the map yet. For more information, please visit the Explore Oak Ridge website.
Here in Tennessee, if you want to continue learning about history, the Sgt. Alvin C. York State Park is a place you will want to visit.
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