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Description
Oral History interview of John Bistline. Interview conducted by Giffen, Betty Jean at Village on the Green in Longwood, FL.
Log
0:01 Introduction; 0:45 Childhood; 2:14 Education; 2:58 Government Project Opportunity; 3:41 University of Chicago; 4:31 Dealing With Plutonium; 5:01 Movement of Reactor; 6:15 First Job With Project; 7:14 Transfer to Los Alamos; 8:30 Arriving at Los Alamos; 9:40 Job at Los Alamos; 11:10 Going to Louisiana/Skipping Basic Training; 11:58 Explanation of Tests Conducted; 14:00 Explaining the Different Parts of the Manhattan Project; 16:50 Working with U235 (Uranium); 18:05 Description of Los Alamos; 19:35 First Nuclear Accident; 21:51 Hospital Stay for Radiation; 22:54 Final Checks on the Bomb; 24:10 Other Radiation Incidents; 26:00 Reasons for Dropping the Bomb; 27:20 Discharge; 28:00 Return to School; 28:30 Job with GE; 30:00 Parents Reactions to Job; 30:30 Brother's Service in the Navy; 31:05 Working on Naval Reactor; 32:45 Shutting Down Enriched Uranium Projects; 33:36 Return to Florida & Grove Business; 35:08 Retirement & Family; 36:05 Conclusion.
Date of Birth
1923-09-22
Place of Birth
Longwood (Fla.)
Gender
Male
Race
White - Non Hispanic
Home State
Florida
War or Conflict
World War II
Status
Veteran
Begin/End date of Service - 1st
1944-12-12
Type
Video; MovingImage
1946-02-28
Entrance into Service
Drafted
Branch of Service
U.S. Army
Unit of Service
Manhattan Project/ Los Alamos; Army Corps of Engineers
Location of Service
Los Alamos (N.M.)
Highest Rank
Technician Third Grade; TEC3
Prisoner of War
Unspecified
Service Related Injury
Unspecified
Battles
Unspecified
Medals
Good Conduct Medal
Achievements
Determining Critical Mass of u-235 sphere in water.
Note
Continued work on atomic power submarines for remainder of career.
City of Birth
Longwood
Country of Birth
United States
Interviewer
Giffen, Betty Jean
Interview Date
6-25-2014
Location of Interview
Village on the Green, Longwood, FL.
Subjects
Bistline, John; World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives; United States. Army
Collection Description
Contains logs, audio and video recordings of interviews with Central Florida's veterans as part of a history class project for the students at the University of Central Florida (UCF). The UCF Community Veterans History Project(CVHP) started in fall 2010. It collects, preserves, and makes accessible to the public the experiences of Central Florida's veterans so that future generations will better understand the realities of conflict. It is a collaborative endeavor supported by multiple departments and offices at UCF. The veterans' histories are archived and made digitally available through the UCF library and selected materials are contributed to the Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress.
Contributor Affiliation / Organization
RICHES; University of Central Florida
Contributors
Giffen, Betty Jean
Length of Interview
37 Minutes
Publisher
Department of History, University of Central Florida
Type
video
Rights
All rights are held by the respective holding institution. This material is posted publicly for non-profit educational uses, excluding printed publication. For permission to reproduce and/or for copyright information contact Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, (407) 823-2576. http://library.ucf.edu/about/departments/special-collections-university-archives/
Repository
University of Central Florida Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives
Contributing Project
UCF Community Veterans History Project
Document Type
Interview
Recommended Citation
Central Florida, RICHES of, "Bistline, John interview" (2014). Veterans Oral Histories. 261.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/veteransoralhistories/261