New Mexico: Atomic Spy Capital

I knew much of the story, but not all of it. Everybody local knows Oppenheimer's office on Palace Avenue - part of the Rainbow Man gallery now. This story filled in a lot of the details and locations.

One detail I did not know at all ...

Regarding the long and somewhat tiresome debate about whether the atomic bombs were "necessary" or appropriate,

quote:

Poignantly, the 500,000 Purple Hearts minted for the American invasion casualties were never awarded but are still being handed out. Clearly the bomb decision was justified from the American viewpoint 65 years later. Additionally, in the years that followed, Europe was not invaded by the Soviets. The line was held in Korea. Berlin never fell to Soviet control.

I was certainly not aware that we actually minted 500K purple heart medals, or that current recipients are still receiving medals struck 77 years ago in anticipation of casualties from the presumptive invasion of Japan.

It's reasonably certain that many people of my age knew people somewhat older than us that would not have been alive had the A-bombs not been dropped in 1945. I think their use was the right choice.

Big Al

Why engage in a debate if you think it's long and tiresome?

Again, you don't seem to bother reading the article or thinking about what people say. I didn't post that article to debate the dropping of the bomb (tiresome or otherwise), but to note the really neat espionage history in northern New Mexico. The Purple Heart anecdote was just an interesting side event in that larger story.

Reading about the Soviet spying apparatus along with the various people known or suspected of communist party membership or sympathies made me think of the slogan that had some currency, at least around the time of the Vietnam war - "Better Red than Dead."

The assassination of Trotsky and the purges initiated by Stalin and executed by Beria alongside the Cultural Revolution of Mao make it pretty clear in the long run that for many the slogan would better have been "Red then Dead."

Big Al

The Spies at La Fonda

My wife and I have loved the old La Fonda hotel since our first visit over 30 years ago. We've had many a breakfast in that restaurant where the first plutonium sample was exchanged.

The Watering Hole