The Girls of Atomic City by Denise Kiernan - start reading today!

7/29/2019 The Girls of Atomic City by Denise Kiernan - start reading today!

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3

C h A p T e R 1

Everything Will Be Taken Care Of

Train to Nowhere, August 1943

Soutbou trais irc t arly morig umiity. T iro a

stl o rogrss cut troug t wakig lasca.

Clia sat i r brt, t licat ols o r bra-w rss

raig ovr r ks as s gaz out t wiow o t trai.Soutbou. Tat muc s kw, a tat s a a slig brt

bcaus it was goig to tak a wil to gt to r stiatio. Tows

a statios simmrig i t August at ril ast r viw.

Builigs a arms bubbl u abov t orizo as t trai s

by. Still, otig s saw troug t strak glass aswr t

most rssig qustio i r mi: Where was she going?

Alray may ours log, Clias tri lt mor lss bcaus

r ial sto rmai a mystry. S a o way to masur tistac lt to travl or to lt r subcoscious ool ovr wat or-

tio o t tri a alray las. Tr was oly t xaig

lasca a t comay o a small grou o wom, rviously u-

kow to r, but wit wom s was ow sarig tis scrcy-soak

avtur. Clia a quit willigly mbark o a joury witout

irst obtaiig muc tagibl iormatio. So s sat, waitig to ar-

riv at t ukow.

A wavy-air 24-yar-ol, Clia was always u or a cag o

scry, a tis tri was ot r irst. hr air was a brow,


3/14

4 The GIRLS ofATOMIC CITY

ot quit as black as t coal as tat coat li i t psylvaia

tow tat s a lt bi: Saoa. It was a tow about 100

mils a rougly t quivalt i ligt-yars rom pilalia,a wic writr Gorg Ross Ligto rrr to as a mmorial

to t ag o ramat iustry. h scrib r oc- rosrous

omtow as o tat was, i may ways, rmiisct o so may

otr Amrica tows: ast its rim, igtig to surviv, a

abao by t busiss tat a saw its yay, a busiss

tat kt t lios sar o roits ar rom t rac o t rock-

sr, black as tat a built it. It was alray a rgio

i cli, v back i 1939. But tat miig tow a giv polis

amilis lik rsa Czcs, Russias, Slovakswork. Somtims

it was stay, most tims ot, but it was a cac at a ct livig.

La o atracit! Clias omtow was lik may miig tows

i t ast, its libloo lik to t rcious rock buri ow

i t surrouig ills a vallys; a ig-carbo, low-imurity,

mor lustrous icaratio o miral coal. Lock i t bos tat

l it togtr was rgy itsl. It coul b rlas i ramy blulam a bstow its owr o its librators. But soo t allur a

s o coal a giv way to grim a glct, muc as t bak-

ig room o t Saoa Trust, a victim o t Grat drssio

tat was still rs i olks mis, a giv way to Stis Cut Rat

drug a Quick Luc. Ratr ta trivig, t tow was cokig.

Rust smokstacks uctuat t ow-ollut orizo, rbrick

iics a surrr tir vibracy to t soot o a ovrwork

art, all igy rmirs o a iustry tat oc ra ramat aow obbl o its last lgs.

Tat was bi r ow. evry assig momt sarat Clia

rom wat coul av b a as-covr xistc as t wi o

aotr mir. S a vr wat tat utur but oly rctly

raliz tat it was ot carv i sto. As or r w mloy-

mt a soo-to-b om, scrt was t orativ wor. It was

rat rqutly, a rr t most iocuous o qustiosauaciously osy. W Clia a ask t obviousWhere am I

going? What will I be doing?t aswr was tat s was ot allow


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Everything Will Be Taken Care Of 5

to kow ay mor ta s a alray b tol. S woul b giv

oly t iormatio tat s to gt wr s was goig.

Askig qustios was row uo.S a gott a tast o tis ot ask worl o work urig

t sort tim s a st workig as a scrtary or t projct

i nw York City. Scrts wr scrt or a raso. S a to b-

liv tat. I tr was a or r to kow somtig critical, s

woul b tol w t tim was rigt. Watvr it was, it must

av b vry imortat. Tat sai, oig a trai wit r o,

siml suitcas i a a lt mor ta a littl o. Woul s

kow r sto? Woul somtig jum out at r rom t lasca,

som tail o its aarac cryig out to r, Ys, Clia Szaka!

Tis is it! T agai, s a vr vtur sout a s was

ow soutbou. Tat muc s kw.

Everything will be taken care of . . .

Clia a cos to trust r boss, a so ar wat littl tol

r a rov tru. T limo a ick r u t morig bor

rom r sistrs om i patrso, nw Jrsy. S sat alo i tcar a t rivr ma o otr stos as t car motor sout

troug t iustrial art o t Gar Stat bor arrivig at

t trai statio i nwark. Tr s boar t trai, situat

r scat blogigs i r rarrag brt, a wait to art.

Oc at t statio, s a b joi by otr youg wom, most

smig to b about r ag, a o o tm ay mor iorm

ta s was. Clia was somwat rliv to kow tat s was ot

t oly o big kt i t ark. S a all t otr youg (as assum sigl) wom sittig arou r wr aig i t

sam irctio. Ty wr All i t Sam Boat.

nitr Clia or ay o t otr girls sittig o t trai woul

comlai about t scrcy. Comlaiig was ot i asio i 1943,

ot wit so may sacriics big ma tousas o mils away,

across ocas s a vr s. So muc loss o li a amily.

how coul s or ayo ls aig to a goo, sa job comlai?T war rmat vry asct o xistc, rom sugar, gas, a

mat ratios to scra mtal rivs a t rat. Busisss across


5/14


t coutry wr abaoig t mauacturig o tir usual

warsrom kitc aliacs to ylosi orr to cur out v-

rytig rom tirs a taks to ammuitio a airlas.dtails o battls a ws o troo movmts i littl to

sort t xcruciatig lass i tim btw lttrs arrivig rom

abroa, or to rliv t sass or losss sur by ris, wic

wr somtims ollow by a twig o guilt-la rli w ws

o t a a sar your om yt agai. Small lags o rmm-

brac, a star or ac lov o, mark t oms o tos act

by t war. So may stars ug i so may wiows, stitc car-

ully by rvous motrs, sistrs, a swtarts. no mattr t

tow, a walk ow ay rsitial strt was sur to tur u blu-star

bars wavig alo i livig-room wiows, rqustig siltly to

assrsby to ray or t sa rtur o t brotr, atr, or us-

ba tat ac iv-oit abric mmorial sigii. A vry Blu

Star Motr liv i ar tat r stars color migt o ay cag,

migt b rr gol by a uwat tlgram or a kock at t

oor, tat wat oc ug as a sig o suort a cocr woul btrasorm ito a symbol o mourig.

evryos atic a rvs wr big tst, a Clias wr

o xctio. Crtaily t Szaka amily a ur tir sar o

iicultis. dsit it allt tigt moy, r atrs log ours i

t coal mis, t caslss work at omty rsvr. Com-

laiig woul ot l scur t sa rtur o r brotrs Al a

Clm. It woult mak r atrs work ay mor stay or o ay-

tig to clar is rsistt coug, wic sm to b gttig worswit ac labor brat.

I summr, t mis a o work or r a. T rou pol,

vr o to tak a aout o mattr ow toug tigs got, rus

to go o t ol. So wit littl moy to tir kis, Clias ar-

ts ack Clia a r tr brotrs a two sistrsw ty

wr all at omo to tir gramotrs ous i nw Jrsy.

Mmoris o tos summr visits to Grama wr ot ill witoscotc, swimmig, or cooki-bakig. Clia was ut to work, cla-

ig a scrubbig loors. hr graarts look atr r a r


6/14


sibligs, makig li a littl asir o r arts util t mis

o back u a it was tim or t kis to go back to scool. But

tr woul b o miig work or r brotrs. hr arts vrwat tat or tir sos. Ty wr all go ow: Al to t pili-

is a Clm o to Italy. A e, lovly e, r olst brotr a

r avorit, was i t tiy tow o Vro, Txas, t oly lac

coul gt is ow Catolic aris.

A tis was ow Clia was oig r art. S quickly lar

tat all t wom o t trai a b tol tat tir w jobs

srv o uros oly: to brig a sy a victorious to t

war. Tat was oug or r.

It a tak svral yars to brak t bos wit Saoa a

r motr. T yar Clia a grauat ig scool, r motr

st r to nw Jrsytats wr t jobs arto liv wit

r olr sistr i patrso. But tat was about as ar as Motr

wat Clia to travl. Clia got a job makig tr ollars a wk as

a scrtary a at vry miut o it. S wat baly to attcollg, but tr was o moy. hr arts bliv r yougr

sistr, Katy, t lg u mor ta Clia i. At tr ollars

a wk, Clia kw s wast goig to b abl to st moy asi or

collg aytim soo. Tat rosct look o mor romisig i pa-

trso ta it a back i Saoa.

T a w oortuity rst itsl. Clias cousi tol r

about t civil srvic. Tr woul b classs, xlai, a t

a tst. Jobs coul b aywr, sai. Somtims t govrmtst you ovrsas to lacs lik euro. Europe. T ossibility alo

was oug to gt Clia to class.Besides, s tougt,whats the harm

in taking a test?

Sur oug, witi tr wks t irst or cam troug: to

work or a rcostructio iac comay. Clia wast xactly sur

wat tat was, but it it mattr: Motr orba it.

Youre not going away. Youre too young. We need you close to home . . . hrmotr sout a litay o rasos wy Clia soul ot b allow

to xlor t bst oortuity tat a vr com r way. Clias


7/14


olr sistr was marri. hr yougr sistr was goig to go to col-

lg. Clia was stuck i t mil, t gri o t Kysto Stat

urltig, suocatig. At r motrs isistc, Clia clit or. T aotr job or arriv, tis o wit t Stat d-

artmt i Wasigto, dC.

Tis tim w t lttr la i Clias la, Clias rctly or-

ai brotr was om visitig rom Txas. how s miss im.

Sv yars r sior, e a mov away w Clia was still i

lmtary scool. S cri or ays. Mayb your ot suos to

av avorits, but Clia it car. e was rs. Mama a always

sai t air wr cut rom t sam clot. e saw Clias ys ligt

u w s rciv t Stat dartmt lttr a r ac bgi

to all w Mama start to rotst about Wasigto big too

ar ail. Clia a gott ovr ot big abl to go to collg, s

gott ovr sayig o to t last job or, s tougt s gt ovr

tis, too.

But fatr e wast staig or it. A toug-but-lovig Mary

Szaka was o matc or a rist o a missio. T iscussio wasat but sort, a it was ci: Clia was goig to Wasigto

to tak tat job, e sai. A Im takig r.

Wasigto a b a sctacular xric, o tat a r-

sa Clias ias about r ow utur. S aor livig i t

boarigous o e Strt, avig roommats r ow ag, work-

ig or t Stat dartmt. A t salary! By t tim s lt

dC s was arig $1,440 a yar! S vr tougt s vr s

umbrs so big o a aycck tat a r am o it, lt alo at 22yars ol. S sar a broom i a boarigous wit iv otr

girls a ac ay ma r way ow t gra siwalks o t

atios caital to work. Tr, t oic s sar wit t otr

scrtaris a a small balcoy wit its ow viw o t Wit hous

Ros Gar. Clia woul walk out tr o r braks, a o a w

lucky occasios, s a t otr youg wom si prsit Roo-

svlt ow blow, as slowly ma is way arou t maicurgrous. T girls woul wav xcitly. Oc v wav back.

T prsit o t Uit Stats. Imagi tat.


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Tos yars i Wasigto a loos Clias tis to om, but

r motr kt o tuggig. W r boss, Ambassaor Jos

Grw, wat Clia to trasr to Australiaa big vot o coici Clias abilitistat tug tur ito a yak. But Clia coult

rtur om. not aymor. S s too muc, o too muc,

ar too muc. Ay utur i Saoa sm ismal, crtaily

voi o ay itrigu. Tr a to b a bttr way to aciy r

motr a ot abao vrytig s a alray built or rsl.

S a to s about gttig a jobcloser to omjust otat om.

nw York City. W Clias trasr cam troug all s kw

about r job was tat it was or t war ort, it was not i Sa-

oa, a r motr coult comlai tat it was i Australia. S

was livig back i nw Jrsy agai, but tis tim it was irt.

S was a ral workig woma ow, joiig t ors o otr Jr-

syits wo took t trai vry ay across t huso a ito p

Statio.

Clia aor Maattat ois a grim a glitz a

crows. hr walk rom t trai to r oic was ill wit sosa ol a a costat buzz tat sustai r vry st. Som-

tims atr work, s walk alog fit Avu, or stroll troug

Tims Squar. Saoa was agai a mmory.

At irst glac, tr was otig articularly otworty about

t Artur Lvitt Stat Oic Builig at 270 Broaway i nw York

City. Staig across rom City hall park, it was a larg oic buil-

ig i a sa o larg oic builigs crammig t twistig strts o

lowr Maatta. By t tim Clia boar r soutbou trai iAugust o 1943, t 18t loor o 270 Broaway a b t om o

t nort Atlatic divisio o t Army Cors o egirs a t

irst aquartrs o t projct or arly a yar.

T 270 builig wast t oly sit o t isla tat lay

a rol i t projct or wic Clia ow work. All across nw

York City, otr ics wr allig ito lac. T Maiso Squar

Ara egirs Oic at 261 fit Avu was carg wit scur-ig matrials. Rsarc was aig i pui hall at Columbia

Uivrsity. T Bakr a Williams Warouss or tmorary


9/14


storag or tos o rocss matrial rom t elorao Miig a

Riig Limit comay i Caaa, matrial tat was t ky to

t projct. Tis matrial was ot t ki o or rom Clias corro psylvaia, but aotr rock altogtr. Tis or was call

Tuballoy by may i t projct, its ral am o logr to b so-

k alou or writt ow. Tuballoy was t lmt uo wic all

t projcts os , a ug quatitis o it wr stow

away across nw York harbor, i t Arcr dails Mila war-

ouss o arby Stat Isla.

Tuballoy was wy Clias job xist, toug s kw o mor

about it ta t avrag nw Yorkr bumig a bustlig ast r

o t ovrru trai latorms. But all across t isla, i aoy-

mous builigs a oics, coutlss ol wr quitly icat

to iig, xtractig, a uriyig t Tuballoy or t

Gagt.

Clia quickly bcam accustom to scrcy i r scrtarial

ost. S sig may ars, or r igrrits willigly, a

ur ot a w lcturs about t imortac o vr iscussigaytig tat s i at work. S coul still ar r motrs voic

warig r about t agrs o cotracts.

B sur you ra vrytig you sig! You migt sig your li

away! s sai.

Clia a rso wit t customary O, Mom . . . But s

a, vrtlss, ra vrytig tat s a sig. It all sm

atural to r somow, as toug t absc o tail imli t

jobs imortac.Tis latst, culiar trasr a com sortly atr Clia a

rlocat to t projct oics i nw York City. Oly our mots

a ass w Clias boss, Lt. Col. Carls Va Bulck, call

Clia ito is oic a ask r i s woul b willig to trasr

yt agai. T oics wr rlocatig, xlai, a to

kow i s was willig to go alog wit tm.

Wr ar w goig? Clia ask.I cat tll you.

Clia wast quit sur wat to mak o tis a rss a bit,


10/14


watig to kow at last wat irctio s was a. I it was ar,

s was goig to ar it rom r motr.

It all s o ow ar away its goig to b, s tri to x-lai.

But Va Bulck still woul ot say. All woul tll r was

tat t mov was or a imortat rojct a tat t stiatio

was to scrt.

Wll t, wat will I b oig? s wor.

Agai, o ral tails. S wast quit ray to giv u yt. Ty

a to tll rsomething.

Didnt they?

for ow log? s ially tri. I s wr goig away agai,

r motr woul at last wat to kow ow log s woul b go.

Surly ty coul tll r tat muc.

probably about six mots, mayb i, was t aswr.

Tr it was, r oicial or: som ki o w job i som ki

o lac a robably or about six, mayb i, mots. prct. hr

motr woul lov it.how am I goig to gt tr?

Wll ick you u a youll go by trai. evrytig will b tak

car o.

Clia sig o.

S woul xlai to r motr tat it was or t war, or Clm,

a or Al. Mama coult say o to tat.

My Go, it was a job! A goo job, a wll-ayig job. Tr wr

wors ats ta a bit o scrcy as ar as s was cocr. Otrwom i otr citis wr oig wat ty coul, movig ito t

workorc i rcor umbrs. A covr o t Saturday Evening Post i

Stmbr 1943 woul ict a Stars a Striscla woma, marc-

ig orwar, totig vrytig rom milk, a tywritr a a comass

to a watrig ca, tlo, a moky wrc. Woms rols i

t workorc wr xaig xotially. A wit ot o but

two brotrs igtig ovrsas, Clia lt somtig tat ovrro aymisgivigs: puros. duty. I oig r art mat lavig om or

som ukow, goorsak lac, t tats wat s woul o.


11/14


now t tracks strtc out bor t trai, t istac tat

sarat Clia rom r arts was t gratst it a vr b,

a was growig still. S a maag to gt som sl urig t

igt as t rickty sway a swivl o t trai rock bois gtly

to a ro. S a ma som w ris o t joury. But it was

ast aw ow a s was gttig axious. S was warig r w

rss, t o r sistr Katy a bougt or r. T rss was

black a wit, wit a straigt skirtot too log but crtaily ot

too sort. It may ot av a a sigr labl, but it was t asio

o t momt. A smart at sat ato r mticulously groom locks,a s wor t covt I. Millr sos tat s a bougt or r-

sl ar Tims Squar i oor o tis w clasti assigmt.

Wrvr s was goig, s wat to look r bst. dot ol

r back, fatr e a sai to r arts. S woult b r

witout im. S a t cac to mak somtig o rsl. S

wast goig to wast it.

Soo a sligt buzz grw ito a ull cattr tat bouc o t

sly bois i t trai car. T gaggl o girls bga wisrig to

ac otr tat t trai was slowig a tat ty wr all gttig o

at t xt sto. Clia look out t wiow a soo t sig ag-

ig abov t statio latorm cam ito viw: Koxvill, Tss.

Is this it? s wor.

Clia gatr r bag a ollow t otr wom as ty

ma tir way troug t car, ow t stairs, a oto t lat-

orm. August smack r ucrmoiously i t ac, a umistagat llo grtig r as s xit t trai. It was quit a

xous. It aar to Clia as i vryo a gott o t trai.

A ma aroac tm xlaiig a car was waitig to tak tm

t rst o t way.

Everything will be taken care of . . .

Clia il ito o o svral vicls ark outsi t statio,

burstig to kow tir xt sto. But it was arly stillrigt arou

six oclock i t moriga t oicial-lookig ma wo a

com to tc tm sai ty wr all goig or brakast.


12/14


T owtow builigs loom ig or Koxvill but ot so

muc i Clias ys, accustom as s was to t clou-grazig

rootos o nw York City. T car tur ow Gay Strt, o oKoxvills mai rags. T strts wr startig to awak. dliv-

rym cart wat ratio mats a suris wr availabl to

t sos vyig or tir sar, t bark o a wsar vor cut

troug t arly morig um a sul o workrs aig o

or t arly sit. T tow car slow a alt at 318 nort Gay

Strt. Clia look u. nstl bat t Watauga hotl sat t

Rgas Brotrs Ca.

S xit t car a tr t rstaurat, a log, larg, o

sac wit soarig ciligs. Boots li o wall a a log cou-

tr acor t oosit si o t room, its lgt masur by

18 swivl stools. Six largr tabls strtc btw tm ow t

mil o t room, ra i starc wit tablclots a lak

by arc, ca back cairs. M i cris wit sirts, log ivory

aros, smocks, a arrow, black tis urri across t olis

til loors. Clia a t otr girls sat at t coutr orig tmu.

O mu itm uzzl tm. Lik Clia, most o t wom

ail rom psylvaia, nw York, a nw Jrsy. no a

ar o ay suc tig as grits. At t Szaka ous, it was pol-

is oo tr tims a ay, a tat suit Clia just i. ev w

tigs wr tigta ty almost always wrr motr ut a

goo mal o t tabl. nigbors wo lack Mary Szakas bak-

ig rowss sar xtra buttr a lour i xcag or a sar ot trats tat o out o t Szaka ov. A wvr Clias

motr st Clia to t butcr wit a ollarGt as may o-

tatos as you ca!t butcr, wo a kow Clia r tir

li, always trw i a w xtra. potato acaks, otato i, otato

umligs. potatos.

W Clia ar t wor grits, r curiosity was iqu by

aytig tat was ot o sulik origi. A tall black waitr i a logwit aro gav t girls a siml a straigtorwar scritio:

Grits wr littl wit tigs ma rom cor. A you ut buttr o


13/14


tm. Just like potatoes. T waitr courag Clia to giv tm a

try. T bowl o ot, buttr-soak ull cor arriv a Clia ut

a stamig, sliry sooul i r mout, joyig t irst tast or w li.

Oc t wom a iis tir morig mal, ty il back

ito t limo agai. T rivr, lasat oug yt worlss, rov

o. Koxvill soo isaar bi tm. T lasca o

wi i vry irctio, ram by t low rollig ills tat mark

t timlss tail o t Smokis. T risig su o t east crt

artr u t backro o morig sky bi tm.

Toug ts coutry roas wr ar rom wr Clia a

start o i psylvaia, tir istory, too, was big sa by a

burgoig iustry, o also built uo a rockot as lustrous as

atracit, but o tat l trmous owr. Tis rock, ukow

to most Amricas, was rcastig ot oly tis oc-quit slic o A-

alacia armla but t lasca o warar orvr.

Clia i t oly tig tat s coul: wait.

Wil s i, otr wom o otr trais kt ullig ito tvry sam statio, tir routs lik vis ruig ow t iustrial

arm o t east Coast, xtig rom t art o t Miwst, t

rcious libloo o a rojct about wic t wom kw otig,

all o tm coursig towar a lac tat oicially i ot xist.


14/14

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