Bena Mae’s Kitchen: Girls of the Atomic City

In Oak Ridge, Tenn., during WWII, thousands of young women were helping in the war. They knew that sharing even innocent details about their labors could be cause for dismissal, but their work was as mysterious as it was top secret–until the bombs were dropped.
Thus was the atmosphere in Oak Ridge and surrounding cities in and around the area. I lived there during the construction of the secret city and can tell my own story of what it was like to live in a bubble where nobody knew what was going on. We just knew it was built to help us win the war but beyond that, nothing. But I can only relate the everyday life of what went on with my family and thousands of others who had come to work on what we called “the project.”
 When I read that Denise Keirnan, New York Times best-selling author had published a book, “The Girls of the Atomic City” and read the rave reviews of her book, a flood of memories washed over me. Everyone who lived here during that defining era in history has their own story to tell and I have mine.
We lived in Clinton from 1943 to 1945 when Japan surrendered. Daddy worked on “the project” and I was a sophomore in high school. Life was hectic and chaotic, but there was a sense of adventure among the influx of thousands of workers who found themselves in a strange place doing mysterious work about which they had no clue. And secrecy was preached on signs and billboards every where you looked. Secrecy about what, we wondered.
I recall visiting my sister Inez who lived there with her family. Never for over 3 or 4 days because restrictions were very tight. In order to get through the guards gate, I had to show the guard my pass which indicated the date and time limits I could stay. I lived in terror of overstaying my visit and being hauled off to the authorities.
I rode into Oak Ridge on a decrepit-looking bus that was hitched on to a cab — sorta like a boat trailer hitch. It would weave to and fro as we drove along and I lived in fear that the hitch would break free of the cab. Along each side of the bus were long narrow benches for the passengers, and in the middle of the bus was a pot-bellied stove. It was crude beyond belief but was one of the sacrifices we had to make because everything else was needed for the war effort.
The war was never far from our minds but there was no complaining about shortages. I cried a lot because many of my friends were being taken out of school and inducted into the service and I never knew if I would see them again. And often I would hear about someone I knew being killed in battle. I was very faithful in sending cartons of cigarettes and corresponding with soldiers I knew. But this was the norm for those of us who were daily aware of our boys in service.
But life was not all gloom and doom. I made friends with people from all over the country and there were school projects, dances, parades, and a sense of camaraderie among the strangers who had been thrown together by circumstances of the most terrible war that was ever fought.
Kiernan tells of the girls who came from small towns and farms to a place they had never heard of, to work in jobs they knew nothing about and were sworn to secrecy about things that didn’t seem important. I think about 60 per cent of the workforce was handled by women because the men were all in the service. So it wasn’t until that August night when the Japanese surrendered that they, we, the whole world knew what had been going on in the secluded mountains of Tennessee in a place called Oak Ridge. The secret city wasn’t a secret anymore.

White Cheddar Potatoes

3 1/2 pounds red potatoes, washed well and quartered
Kosher salt
1 stick butter, cut into pieces
3 shallots, minced
1 cup whole milk
Freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded extra-sharp white Cheddar (7 ounces)

Add the potatoes to a large pot and cover with cold water. Add a large pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain well in a colander.
Add the butter, shallot and milk to the same pot the potatoes were cooked in and heat until the butter is melted and hot; season well with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
Add the potatoes to the hot milk and butter mixture. Add the sour cream. Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes until semi-smooth. Add the cheese and stir until the cheese is incorporated. Adjust the seasoning as necessary.