Family Histories (70)
I was looking for something else and I found my draft card. Remember?
My mother, Margaret Delgado de Ortiz, wearing antique gown belonging to family now in the collection of the Sociadad Folklorica.
My maternal grandfather's citizenship naturalization certificate
Contributed by Arthur Scott
My mother’s family immigrated to the United States from Wales in 1914. This is my grandfather Gardiner’s Naturalization certificate when he became a US citizen in 1922. Apparently eightt years of residence were required. My mother became a derivative American citizen by virtue of marrying my dad prior to 1922...
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My dad, Lt. DeForest Lord Jr., US Navy, 1944. He died in 1975 from a brain tumor, most likely caused by radiation exposure he received while working as a contract dentist in Los Alamos.
In May, 1946, there was an accident involving a sphere of plutonium encased by two hollow half spheres of beryllium. The lead scientist, Louis Slotin, was using a screwdriver to gradually bring together the two halves of beryllium and measure the radiation increase. The test was called “tickling the dragon’s tail” because it was so dangerous and was being observed by 7 others in the room. The screwdriver slipped and the pieces made full contact. A blue light filled the room and Slotin felt a wave of heat over his body. He manually separated the spheres and the reaction stopped. My father later told me that he was called in to remove fillings, crowns and all metal work from the teeth of the participants so that doctors and scientists could determine how much radiation they had received and because, as my mom told me, "they were so hot." Slotin died 9 days after the incident. The plutonium core had also been involved in a previous accident in August, 1945, that killed scientist Harry Daglian. It became known as the Demon Core.
Dad was a delayed casualty of WWII and I miss him still. Thanks for your service.
--Mike Lord
Once the Gadget was in place at the top of the 100-foot steel tower, Dr. Louis Slotin did the final arming to prepare it for the test scheduled for very early morning on July 16, 1945.
