linda~lou
Pearl Clutcher
Keep calm and eat crumpets
Posts: 2,744
Location: Motown but my heart is in San Francisco
Jun 25, 2014 21:57:08 GMT
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Post by linda~lou on Jul 30, 2014 3:47:19 GMT
I had no idea what it was about, just set DVR to record. It is about the Manhattan Project during WWII where they researched and developed the Atomic bomb. I'm a avid history buff and love stories in that era but don't know much about this so I'm looking forward to learning more from watching this show. I've only seen part of first episode and it looks really promising. The clothes, set, hair styles are spot on.
I'm sure there will be discrepancies between the show and actual facts, however watching how these people were sworn to secrecy and their wives knew nothing of what they were doing is fascinating. This show takes place in New Mexico where the testing was done and these poor women had to live in the desolated desert knowing nothing what was actually going on.
I'm definitely going to do some reading about the real project, I feel kinda dumb cause of all the books I've read about WWII, I never read about this. Looks like a good show, if you're interested in this era, you should watch.
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Post by cadoodlebug on Jul 30, 2014 3:48:18 GMT
We are DVRing it! DH's dad worked on the Manhattan Project so we can't wait to see it.
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linda~lou
Pearl Clutcher
Keep calm and eat crumpets
Posts: 2,744
Location: Motown but my heart is in San Francisco
Jun 25, 2014 21:57:08 GMT
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Post by linda~lou on Jul 30, 2014 3:51:20 GMT
We are DVRing it! DH's dad worked on the Manhattan Project so we can't wait to see it. Oh wow, Joy. I'll be anxious to hear how accurate the show is! He must have some stories to tell! How cool!!
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Post by cadoodlebug on Jul 30, 2014 4:01:38 GMT
We are DVRing it! DH's dad worked on the Manhattan Project so we can't wait to see it. Oh wow, Joy. I'll be anxious to hear how accurate the show is! He must have some stories to tell! How cool!! Unfortunately he passed away in 2009. He usually didn't like to talk about it but when DS was in middle school they had to interview someone who had involvement in a war. Most kids interviewed their relatives who were soldiers but DS got to interview my FIL. I sat in on the interview and it was so interesting. He was the project manager in Hanford, WA, one of several sites where they built the reactors to make the plutonium for the bombs. DH was born in Richland, WA which is right next to Hanford.
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Mystie
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,300
Jun 25, 2014 19:53:37 GMT
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Post by Mystie on Jul 30, 2014 4:11:26 GMT
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 7, 2024 12:34:20 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2014 4:13:09 GMT
I'm DVR'ing it, too! The preview looked so interesting. It is funny how that all seems so far away until we ( cadoodlebug in this case) know someone who was involved. Slight hijack - we have a new client in our firm who is 92 and fought in WWII. We hang onto every word of his stories. (He's eating it up, so it's all good.)
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 7, 2024 12:34:20 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2014 4:14:53 GMT
Thanks both for the recommendation and for handy-dandy Amazon link!
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linda~lou
Pearl Clutcher
Keep calm and eat crumpets
Posts: 2,744
Location: Motown but my heart is in San Francisco
Jun 25, 2014 21:57:08 GMT
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Post by linda~lou on Jul 30, 2014 4:33:18 GMT
I'm DVR'ing it, too! The preview looked so interesting. It is funny how that all seems so far away until we ( cadoodlebug in this case) know someone who was involved. Slight hijack - we have a new client in our firm who is 92 and fought in WWII. We hang onto every word of his stories. (He's eating it up, so it's all good.) It's so sad to think that in a few years there won't be anyone left who fought in WWII. I envy you knowing someone who lived through it. I would love to hear his stories. My dad didn't go to war, he worked for a gasket company that made gaskets for cars, they needed him to make gaskets for army trucks and tanks. I was born in '46, soon after war ended, I think that's why I'm so fascinated with learning as much as I can. Thanks cadoodlebug Joy for sharing your story. I can understand why he didn't like talking about it. I'm so anxious to see Unbroken, that was another powerful book and thanks for the book link, Mystie I would love to read it!
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AmeliaBloomer
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,842
Location: USA
Jun 26, 2014 5:01:45 GMT
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Post by AmeliaBloomer on Jul 30, 2014 4:34:26 GMT
My neighbor worked on the project when she graduated from college (science degree). She had a couple of crazy stories, including meeting her job interviewer on the steps of a museum (Chicago).
If I remember right, she had very little idea why she was doing the work she was assigned.
Ironically, she was serious pacifist - kind of a lifelong hippie.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 7, 2024 12:34:20 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2014 4:43:29 GMT
If I remember right, she had very little idea why she was doing the work she was assigned. Ironically, she was serious pacifist - kind of a lifelong hippie. Wow - what are her feelings now that she knows "the rest of the story?"
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AmeliaBloomer
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,842
Location: USA
Jun 26, 2014 5:01:45 GMT
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Post by AmeliaBloomer on Jul 30, 2014 4:55:56 GMT
Wow - what are her feelings now that she knows "the rest of the story?" She died a few years ago. I'm fuzzy on the details; I think she was regretful - but resigned, not bitter. I know she was adamantly against nuclear proliferation. ETA: She only had a Bachelor's degree - I think in Chemistry - so it wasn't like she was splitting atoms or anything. I wish I remembered more.
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Post by ntsf on Jul 30, 2014 5:12:38 GMT
we knew someone who worked at the manhattan project as one of the main scientists. his son was born there and his birth certificate listed a post office box. seems to me that his wife knew all about it..but I can't imagine at his level of involvement she wouldn't know what was going on.
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Post by ~summer~ on Jul 30, 2014 5:17:41 GMT
My relatives were central to the project --- I should watch it...
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basketdiva
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,649
Jun 26, 2014 11:45:09 GMT
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Post by basketdiva on Jul 30, 2014 14:17:51 GMT
We watched it and thought it was a bit choppy in regards to the characters. I felt like we started with episode 2 or 3 and missed somethings about the characters.
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maurchclt
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,646
Jul 4, 2014 16:53:27 GMT
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Post by maurchclt on Jul 30, 2014 14:48:09 GMT
I really wanted to watch this, but our cable company (Time Warner)dropped that channel, not happy about that.
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linda~lou
Pearl Clutcher
Keep calm and eat crumpets
Posts: 2,744
Location: Motown but my heart is in San Francisco
Jun 25, 2014 21:57:08 GMT
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Post by linda~lou on Jul 30, 2014 17:53:50 GMT
I'm surprised it was on WGN as well, I don't think I watch any other program on that channel. I was pleasantly surprised that directv carried it. It's really very interesting even if not totally accurate. I am in awe how well they captured the clothes, hair and just the setting in general. Looks so authentic.
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Post by pretzels on Jul 30, 2014 18:05:24 GMT
I've DVR'd it, but haven't watched yet. Thanks for the book recommendation upthread, though!
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Post by cadoodlebug on Jul 30, 2014 18:50:15 GMT
I'm surprised it was on WGN as well, I don't think I watch any other program on that channel. I was pleasantly surprised that directv carried it. It's really very interesting even if not totally accurate. I am in awe how well they captured the clothes, hair and just the setting in general. Looks so authentic. I love shows from other periods of time. Mad Men, Downton Abbey, Call the Midwife, etc.
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Post by kimpossible on Jul 30, 2014 18:52:31 GMT
I'm so glad I DVR'd this - I went back and forth whether not to or not. Haven't watched it yet, but excited to!
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Post by cadoodlebug on Jul 30, 2014 19:45:36 GMT
I'm DVR'ing it, too! The preview looked so interesting. It is funny how that all seems so far away until we ( cadoodlebug in this case) know someone who was involved. Slight hijack - we have a new client in our firm who is 92 and fought in WWII. We hang onto every word of his stories. (He's eating it up, so it's all good.) It's so sad to think that in a few years there won't be anyone left who fought in WWII. I envy you knowing someone who lived through it. I would love to hear his stories. My dad didn't go to war, he worked for a gasket company that made gaskets for cars, they needed him to make gaskets for army trucks and tanks. I was born in '46, soon after war ended, I think that's why I'm so fascinated with learning as much as I can. Thanks cadoodlebug Joy for sharing your story. I can understand why he didn't like talking about it. I'm so anxious to see Unbroken, that was another powerful book and thanks for the book link, Mystie I would love to read it! My dad was a 30-year Navy vet ~ 27 of them in subs. He joined the Navy right before Pearl Harbor was attacked. I have his little Bible that a family friend gave him and it is inscribed with her name and the date: 12/7/1941. She gave it to him that morning which was right before the attack. I used to love his stories about his experiences during the war. Some interesting, some heartbreaking. He was on a destroyer and was transferred to another one. Two weeks later, the first one was bombed and sunk. Most of his career was spent as a *writer* ~ think secretary for an admiral or such. He was on deck on the destroyer and they were being attacked and one of the officers came up on deck and yelled if anyone knew how to type. Daddy was thinking he would do anything to get below deck so he raised his hand. And that's how his career started ~ all because he took typing in high school. After the war he applied to submarine school and was one of the chosen few. We loved the Navy life as it included two tours of duty in Hawaii starting in 1955. I just wish I had asked him more questions about his time in the Korean Conflict.
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Post by peasapie on Jul 30, 2014 19:45:47 GMT
I'm so glad you posted this. My husband tivo'd and we started watching. Looks great!
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linda~lou
Pearl Clutcher
Keep calm and eat crumpets
Posts: 2,744
Location: Motown but my heart is in San Francisco
Jun 25, 2014 21:57:08 GMT
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Post by linda~lou on Jul 30, 2014 20:08:09 GMT
Joy thank you so much for sharing that. You must be so proud of your dad!!!
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jediannie
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,037
Jun 30, 2014 3:19:06 GMT
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Post by jediannie on Jul 30, 2014 20:15:27 GMT
cadoodlebug - my dad was in the Navy during WWII as well. He joined up after Pearl Harbor was bombed because he didn't want to get drafted into the Army. He died a year ago and was 92. He used to tell all kinds of fun stories from when he was on his ship in the South Pacific and as he got older (and the Alzheimer's kicked in) he would tell the heart-wrenching stories. I can't think about them without crying. As for Manhattan - we have it recorded as well and it looks great!
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Post by cadoodlebug on Jul 30, 2014 20:51:31 GMT
Joy thank you so much for sharing that. You must be so proud of your dad!!! I am! He was a wonderful father and passed away way too early the day before DS's 3rd birthday. He was 68 years old and had cancer. Unfortunately I think there is a higher incidence of dying of cancer for men who served on nuclear submarines. My two biggest regrets is that DS didn't get to know him and that he died before computers were commonplace. He would have LOVED the technology and would have embraced it. linda~lou, we are from pretty much the same era. My sister was born in 1945 and I was born in 1948.
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linda~lou
Pearl Clutcher
Keep calm and eat crumpets
Posts: 2,744
Location: Motown but my heart is in San Francisco
Jun 25, 2014 21:57:08 GMT
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Post by linda~lou on Jul 30, 2014 21:43:29 GMT
I am so grateful my dad lived healthy until he was 92 yet still there are so many questions I wish I would have asked.
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Post by cadoodlebug on Jul 30, 2014 21:47:07 GMT
I am so grateful my dad lived healthy until he was 92 yet still there are so many questions I wish I would have asked. I totally understand. My immediate family (mom, dad and sister) have all passed away and earlier this year my last aunt passed away. I have a few scattered cousins back east but it's very sad. I told DH that the hardest part is that no one shares my childhood memories any longer. THAT is the toughest part for me. I can no longer say *...remember the time...*.
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linda~lou
Pearl Clutcher
Keep calm and eat crumpets
Posts: 2,744
Location: Motown but my heart is in San Francisco
Jun 25, 2014 21:57:08 GMT
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Post by linda~lou on Jul 30, 2014 21:53:04 GMT
Can so relate. I'm a only child. All my aunts, uncles gone, my closest cousin passed early at 65. My dad always said it's tough to get old, you have no one to say remember when with.
We have our memories, I hold dearly to that.
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Post by cadoodlebug on Jul 30, 2014 21:58:46 GMT
Can so relate. I'm a only child. All my aunts, uncles gone, my closest cousin passed early at 65. My dad always said it's tough to get old, you have no one to say remember when with. We have our memories, I hold dearly to that. And thank goodness our memories are wonderful ones!
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Post by cadoodlebug on Aug 1, 2014 4:02:17 GMT
We just watched the first episode. We enjoyed it. DH was saying that his mom never knew what his dad was working on.
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Post by ntsf on Aug 1, 2014 17:04:27 GMT
I checked with dh about what our friends would have known. He knew them the best. We are sure the wife knew about everything because her husband was in the top circle and he was a nuclear scientist before the war and Los alamos. She even wrote a small book about living there
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