Readers Remember

In 1942, as the war raged on, I did secretarial work at the University of Chicago.

My work was for the Manhattan Project. We were told the scientists at the laboratory were working on “substitute war materials.”

One morning I noticed a number of round holes cut out of the rubber pad on my desk chair. I asked my supervisor about it and he replied: “After working in the lab downstairs last night, I checked the office and found a few ‘hot’ spots. I just cut them out.” Of course, I didn’t know what he was talking about.

Later it became clear that we were working on the atomic bomb project.

JUNE DeWIND

Downey

I was a radio operator in World War II and was in Chichiang, China, in 1945. One day we received word that a B-29 had dropped something called an “atomic bomb” on Hiroshima and leveled the city.

Eager to hear Japan’s reaction, I immediately tuned in Radio Tokyo. An American-sounding young woman known as Orphan Ann prattled on for half an hour about a number of victories Japanese troops were supposedly having. Finally, she delivered this single sentence: “Considerable damage was caused by relatively few B-29s over Hiroshima last night.”

DAVE KENNEY

Palos Verdes Estates

In 200 words or less, send us your memories, comments or eyewitness accounts of the 20th century. Write to Century, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA 90053, or e-mail century@latimes.com. We regret we cannot acknowledge individual submissions.