National Museum Of Nuclear Science & History – Albuquerque, New Mexico

A few days ago I went to the above named museum. During my working years, I was associated with the Nuclear industry for 20+ years.

Here’s the museum’s official website link…
http://www.nuclearmuseum.org/

Here are some photos that I took…

As always you may left click upon an image to see an enlarged view and then click once again to see an even larger view...

On the front plaza is a Terrier Missile launcher. The U.S.S. Boston CAG-1, was the World’s first-guided missile heavy cruiser and the first ship to carry the Terrier Missiles. I was stationed about the Boston from 1959 to 1962 as a Radarman.

I found this 50 second YouTube video of a news report of the U.S.S. Boston firing its missiles. Click this link to see the video…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghCaBHA8mD0

In the below photo are replicas of two famous atomic bombs. The green one was known as Little Boy and dropped on Hiroshima, Japan on August 6, 1945. The yellow one was known as Fat Man and dropped on Nagasaki, Japan on August 9, 1945…

To read about those two bombings, click this Wikipedia link…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_bombings_of_Hiroshima_and_Nagasaki

In the below photo is a replica of a device called The Gadget. This was the first atomic bomb test on July 16, 1945 about 90 miles due South of my current location..

To read about that test blast, click this Wikipedia link…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity_%28nuclear_test%29

For a number of years I was an Industrial Radiographer (an X-Ray technician using radioactive isotopes as the radiation source). The below photo shows a meter similar to the ones I used to use to monitor the associated radiation levels of our work area…

This next photo is a model of a commercial reactor used as a power source to generate electricity…

The below photo is a diagram of the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Station in Maryland. It’s one of the seven Nuclear reactors on which I worked during their construction…

To see the other 28 photos that I took, click this link…
https://picasaweb.google.com/110455945462646142273/NationalMuseumOfNuclearScienceHistoryAlbuquerqueNewMexico

Because of my years of working in the Nuclear industry…I spent three hours in the museum and enjoyed it greatly.

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2012
For more information about my three books, click this link:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

Fredericksburg, Texas

Yesterday Mary and I drove the about 200 miles Northeast to Fredericksburg, Texas, home of Chester Nimitz, a famous Naval Admiral during World War II. We started through the museum but is was too large to complete, so we’ll finish it tomorrow.

The Nimitz World War II Naval Museum in Fredericksburg, Texas.

Here’s Wikipedia link about Fredericksburg…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fredericksburg,_Texas

There is a huge Memorial Wall commemorating many who served during that war. I finally found the ship I served on from 1958 to 1962. The U.S.S. Boston was re-commissioned in 1995 designated as CAG-1…The World’s first guided missile Cruiser.

The Memorial Wall plaque commemorating the U.S.S. Boston during World War II.

What a difference 50 years makes! I was a Radarman aboard the U.S.S. Boston.

Here’s a Wikipedia link for the Boston…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Boston_%28CA-69%29

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2010
For more information about my three books, click this link:
http://www.panamaorbust.com