Heidi Alexander: “I come to the floor today to give thanks and show respect to World War II and Cold War heroes who served in our Nation's…”

“I come to the floor today to give thanks and show respect to World War II and Cold War heroes who served in our Nation's nuclear weapons programs on this fifth National Day of Remembrance. They weren't serving in the heat of battle but in the laboratory, handling materials on a daily basis that ranged from benign to toxic and highly radioactive. These materials posed risks that many scientists did not understand at the time. Today in Oak Ridge, TN, the American Museum of Science and Energy, and Cold War Patriots are gathering to celebrate former workers and view a quilt that honors nuclear workers for their contribution to America's safety. This one-of-a-kind remembrance quilt has 1,250 commemorative handwritten quilt squares that form an American flag that measures 17 feet by 11 feet. I want to specifically remember Bill Wilcox for his service to our country and passion for preserving Oak Ridge history. Bill passed this September. Bill was a former manager of the K-25 operations, a Manhattan Project veteran, and the official historian for the city of Oak Ridge. In 1943, Bill was hired by Tennessee Eastman on a ``Secret, secret, secret!'' project in an unknown location. When he started at Eastman he was told: As chemists you'll have to know that you'll be working [on] this project with a substance called uranium. That is the last time that you will hear that word or you will speak it until after the war.…”