¡Colores!; 610; Trinity: Getting the Job Done; Interview with Joe McKibben, Pt 3 and Lamy Train Station

Bainbridge. Bainbridge was a director. Kishtikowsky was in charge of the development of the explosive implosion, and so I was an important part of him, a bone. And I will say it's time, a timer. Is Kishtikowsky an interesting guy? Oh yes, he was quite quite a character. He's not quite a character. We were looking at his photos the other day. He looks very European. Well, he was very excited when the bomb brought the war to the end. How about Bainbridge? He seemed like he was probably a pretty strict guy. Okay, so what you were... Well, okay, I got to go back to... It was back a few moments ago. Well, let's see. My job was to

close the switches at the base of the tower, and then also in the relay station that was 800 yards. When we went there, I checked that all the circuits were complete and was an o-meter, and then I closed the switches, and then we went back to the base of the tower where Bainbridge announced and coded language that the bomb was to be set off at 530. And we then proceeded to south 10,000, and we arrived there about 510, which was just in time for me to throw my first switch that was required and getting a bomb off.

At minus 45 seconds, I threw the switch that turned on the automatic timer, and from that time, some 20 signals were sent out to start various cameras and so forth. At minus one-tenth second, a signal was given to Ernie Titterton, who generated a couple more signals to set off the fast cameras of Berlin, Brickshner, and Julian Mack, and then the bomb went off. I was observing a panel of four meters,

which was being photographed by a well illuminated by a photo flood because I wanted to be sure that if the bomb didn't work, I could prove it. My timing was okay, but suddenly I realized that there was a lot more light coming in the back door, which was very brilliant. It was exceedingly brilliant. I had a signal at plus 10 seconds after to throw, and then I ran outside to take a look at the fireball, and it was a highly colored turbulent thing in a way very beautiful, but very awesome. I did have a feeling that it had gone off

very large, and I immediately felt that the war would soon be over because I knew that we had two bombs about ready to be used in Japan. Why do you say it was beautiful and awesome? Well, well, it's awesome. I don't know, but two better words to describe it because it was highly colored, but the fact that it was so big, it was awesome. Were you surprised by the size of it? Yeah, I was surprised as a number of other people were surprised at the size of it. I mean, that was the important part

of Trinity is that the bedding was that it would only be about one-tenth as powerful as it turned out to be, so. Was there a bedding pool or something? There had been a bedding pool. I was not involved in it because it took place supposedly at Los Alamos, and I'd been down there for three weeks, so I didn't know. I wouldn't know exactly what value to put on it, so. What was going on in the bunker when it went off when we were people excited? What did you see? Well, we were all busy on our various experiments in the bunker, so, oh, well, there is a thing, I guess I could say, during the minus 45 seconds at the timing drum,

well, excuse me, let's go back. Sam Allison gave the times out over the radio in his wonderful senatorial voice and at minus 45 seconds. There was a bone, there was a bill at Ring Aver second, and he was counting backwards. Well, it was important that we get the bone off on time. In fact, the voice of America came on at 530 on our frequency, and so people heard the voice of America come on as a bomb. Oh, he's exploded.

Well, that's great. That's what I was hoping you would tell me. Is there something else that you wanted to say? Well, I don't know. Those are... I don't think I need to get in it anything. I left the next day, and we left right away afterwards. I mean, there was quite a problem with people concerned with their radioactivity and so forth, which I personally wasn't involved with. Well, Brixton probably told you about having to get the heck out. He was trying to get his earliest film before the crew left. Well, just one last question. It's been almost 50 years. Yes. What do you think of having worked on that first bomb?

What's your feeling? Well, having worked on the bomb was certainly important. It has been an important part of my life, and I've stayed here at Los Almos, and after the... In 1945, I started planning for a large accelerator, which I built. I was responsible for building. The two that came here from Wisconsin, one was bought by the laboratory, and the other was returned to the university for training of physics students. How about winning the war? How about, you know, that... Well...

I've been told by many people who were soldiers in the area at the time that you... You people saved our lives, and I believe it to be so. You feel certain about a pride in that, or certain? I mean, aren't you glad you worked so hard? Well, of course it's pride, but I don't know how to... Say this in a way that I think I'll... I think we're done. Yeah, I think we're done too. I think she did a nice job. Thank you very much. How's the headroom on that look? It's a little tight for me. There we go. There. That's better. Getting anything on the side of the frame? I think we're all... I'll tell her I don't understand. You could zoom in just to touch.

Hello? Speaking? Yes. Yes? Oh, oh, yes, good. Yeah, that's what I can pick it up tomorrow. Oh, that would be great, Tim. All right, I've been looking for laughs. Okay, yep. It's been a great year. It's sort of thunder over there. I think we're done, Kevin. Oh, you can see the badge. Yeah, that's nice. Appreciate it. It's like scratches. Yeah, it's on the photo. Oh, okay. Words.

Yeah, it's on the foot. Well, I think it's on the photo. Yeah, it's on the photo. Okay. That's all right. Come on, let's see if I'm the class one. Oh, oh. Yeah. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.