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Oppenheimer and Groves statue in Los Alamos

This month’s calendar features the statues of J. Robert Oppenheimer and General Lesie Groves located in Los Alamos, New Mexico.

The sculpture of the directors of the Manhattan Project were designed to memorialize the historic photo of the two men standing at Ground Zero at the Trinity Site after the successful test of the plutonium bomb on July 16, 1945.

Physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, left, and Army Maj. Gen. Leslie Groves in 1945 at the site of the remains of the Trinity atomic test in New Mexico. Credit: Army

The bronze statues were created by Santa Fe artist Susanne Vertel, who created the life-size statue of Oppenheimer through the Shidoni foundry. However, the foundry closed before completing the Groves statue, which was cast by a Colorado foundry. Thus explains why their patinas are a little different.

The statues are at the intersection of Central Avenue and Bathtub Row, near Fuller Lodge. The dedication occured on May 19, 2011, with grandchildren and great-grandchildren of both men present for the ceremony.

Dedication photo — On the day of the dedication this historic photo was taken of three distinct groups of people: On the left, are the members of the Council-Appointed Committee, assigned the task of spearheading the production of the portrait bronzes. Susanne Vertel, the sculptor who created the two pieces, stands within that group with the red rose on her lapel. Next, are the Los Alamos County Council members and the group on the right is made up of Oppenheimer and Groves family members. (Photo courtesy of Leslie Bucklin)

In addition to the photo of Oppenheimer and Groves, this month’s calendar features all 141 atomic shots that occured in May from 1952-1989. Unfortunately, that means there wasn’t room for some May events, but you can find some of them at the Atomic Heritage Foundation timeline at the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History web site.

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This month’s featured image looks southeast across the Columbia River to the B Reactor on the Hanford Nuclear Reservation and the Hanford Reach.

The Hanford Reach is a free-flowing section of the Columbia River which is the only section that is not tidal nor part of a reservoir. Most of this flows through the Hanford Site. The Reach was created as a National Monument in 2000 encompassing the original security buffer surrounding the Hanford Nuclear Reservation.

The image was taken from a pullout on northbound WA-24 on the north side of the Columbia River, just east of the Vernita Bridge. From this vantage point, visitors can see nearly all of the remaining buildings, processing plants, and reactors of the Hanford Site.

Also this month, you’ll find some interesting atomic events that occured in April over the years as well as 88 atomic shots that occured organized by day.

If you visit the Hanford Reach, be sure to visit the REACH museum in Richland which provides geographical, biological, and historical displays of the area from Ancestral land usage, through early settlements, to the Manhattan Project, and current communities and wildlife.

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Featuring the M65 Atomic Cannon (“Atomic Annie”) across from Fort Riley in Junction City, Kansas.

March’s calendar features the M65 Atomic Cannon (“Atomic Annie”) which is right off I-70 outside Junction City, Kansas. This view shows Fort Riley in the distance. The calendar also features some interesting March Atomic Events as well as a complete listing of all atomic shots during March from 1955 through 1984.

This Atomic Annie is located in Freedom Park near Junction City, Kansas, at exit 301 on I-70. The trail to the top of the hill with the cannon has recently been improved and was reopened for visitors.

Atomic Annie Kansas — M65 Atomic Cannon (“Atomic Annie”) atop a hill in Freedom Park, Junction City, Kansas

The M65 Atomic Cannon was built by the United States and capable of firing a nuclear device. It was developed in the 1950s during the Cold War and fielded between April 1955 to December 1962 in West Germany, South Korea, and on Okinawa.

On May 25, 1953, the Atomic Annie was tested at the Nevada Test Site as part of the Upshot-Knothole series of nuclear tests. Codenamed “Grable,” it resulted in the detonation of a 15kt shell at a range of 7 miles. This was the first and only nuclear shell to be fired from the cannon.

Of the 20 M65s produced, seven are on display. Only two have their original prime movers:

United States Army Field Artillery Museum, Fort Sill, Oklahoma. This is the original cannon fired with the live nuclear shot. Restored in 2010, original prime movers were restored and added.
The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History in their Heritage Park, Albuquerque, New Mexico
United States Army Ordnance Training and Heritage Center, Petersburg, Virginia

Atomic Annie in Albuquerque — Atomic Annie at the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History, Albuquerque, NM

You can visit any of these Atomic Annie cannons. However, if you’d like to visit the one featured, and you’re traveling through Kansas, be sure to stop and take the hike to the top of the hill.

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