REUNIONS Our Coat of Arms Click class year to go to that class website. Overall record: 106-45. However, I will not celebrate the deaths of the innocent. Always expecting to be on the cutting edge of nuclear technology, Tri-City residents were consistently disappointed by the twists and turns that the atomic age took. Happy finals week! By 1992 employment at the Hanford reservation reached an all-time high. Its been so long since I have felt big enough to take up and control my five foot seven figure. They called it the R-Cloud. In 1943 and 1944 the Army and its lead contractor, the DuPont company, built three production reactors and two processing buildings in which plutonium was purified. Somewhere it got lost in translation that we can be proud we won the war and be proud of the horrors we caused. I think it is impossible to really know. We wouldn't even be talking about if they didn't bomb Pearl Harbor first. Perhaps the Cold War would endure at Hanford in the form of productive reactors. Indeed, with the shutdown of all but one Hanford reactor, the economic potential of the river loomed larger than before, and proposals for harnessing the Columbia further were resurrected. I would like to preface this article by saying that I dont think Ive ever been known for my style, so take that as you will. During the 1950s Richland's annual summer festivalthe equivalent of Seattle's Seafairwas called Atomic Frontier Days. 12 Phrases EVERY New York Rangers Fan Knows. Courtesy of the U.S. Department of Energy. Indeed, the troubles associated with the development of nuclear power had helped to spur the rethinking of those attitudes in the years after 1970. We have got to stop kidding ourselves and pretending that the "bombers" are not representing the bombs dropped on the Japanese. No doubt encouraged by the presence of Hanford, Tri-City interests argued for dams on the grounds of military preparedness. In 1989 the DOE, in a deal struck with the Washington state Department of Ecology and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, promised to invest a whopping $57 billion over the next thirty years in cleaning up and managing Hanford's wastewhich represented about two-thirds of all wastes created by America's nuclear-weapons program since World War Two. So long as nuclear wastes were stored in tanks and soils beneath the Hanford reservation, the dam could not be built because it would disturb the water table and the underground wastes, and flood sensitive portions of the Hanford reserve. Local museums and faculty at the high school repeated this narrative. Tori Bender wants the. Just because I am upset about Japanese citizen lives lost does not mean that all my compassion is used up on one group of people. Pritikin is a Hanford Downwinder, who watched her parents die from cancer and has thyroid disease that she attributes to the radioactive emissions from Hanford. Yet the economy of Hanford and the Tri-Cities (if not the environmental quality) again seemed secure, fifty years after the atomic age, and forty-five years after the Cold War, had arrived in Washington. Beginning in 1943, the site was used to produce plutonium for the bomb that brought an end to World War II. The Bombers have 115 players on their Basketball all-time roster. Construction of the three WPPSS reactors continued during the 1970s, fueling the local economy, but by 1982 it had become clear that nuclear power plants would not be an anchor for the future. It is a bitter pill to swallow and maybe that is why we have been avoiding it for so long. EIN: 91-1267667; Classification Single Organization Support (Recreation, Sports, Leisure, Athletics) Nonprofit Tax Code . Yet in late 1945 and 1946 the outlook for Hanford remained uncertain as the United States debated the future of atomic weapons and its own role in world affairs. The Cold-War buildup at Hanford also increased the size of the growing metropolitan area known as the Tri-Cities. Infinite rows of lockers that stretch from floor to ceiling, mundane patterns on the tile floors, colorful posters declaring pep rallies and blood drives. RICHLAND BOMBER BOOSTERS INC RICHLAND, WA 99352-6651 | Tax-exempt since Aug. 2000. This became particularly important between 1964 and 1971, when the AEC shut down the first eight reactors built and operated at Hanford. Mushroom cloud logos are proudly displayed throughout the school and the student body used to shout "nuke 'em" at sporting events. People who had life planned perfectly and people who were just winging it. In 1943, families in two entire towns -- White Bluffs and Hanford -- were forced to move nearly overnight to make way for the 586 square mile Hanford Site, a mysterious . And Hanford, in contrast to Boeing, had not diversified its product line. "The West is the last economic frontier. The rays of music may salsa on her skin, but they dig deep into mine. As the Tri-Cities looked to the future, they gave new attention to the Columbia River. Burbank, CA 91502, Location: 11042 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604, Location: 6377 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028, Location: 1611 N El Centro Ave Los Angeles, CA 90028, Location:1810 Wilcox Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90028, USA, Location: 250 N. 1st St. Burbank CA 91502, Location:14741 Calvert St. Van Nuys, CA 91411, Location: 800 S. La Brea Ave, Los Angeles CA 90036, Songs About Being 17Grey's Anatomy QuotesVine Quotes4 Leaf CloverSelf Respect, 1. They uncover everything about him that I promised myself I would forget. But Im not proud of the death and destruction brought by the bomb. But after ordering and returning items multiple times due to feeling uncomfortable in them, I realized that this wasnt my style. The browser or device you are using is out of date. She only survived because she was away from the city the day it hit. [The Japanese government was] ready to sacrifice every man woman and child in the invasion.. Some hoped to return to the vision, laid out most fully during the 1930s and early 1940s, of a stream harnessed to serve the economic needs of the region and the national-security needs of the nation. RICHLAND, Wash. The workers inside Hanfords nuclear reactors in the early 1940s knew their jobs were important, even if many of them didnt know why. Customize any of our Richland High School Bombers designs to fully personalize your product by choosing colors, text, and even adding a back design. Hanford's economy kept going during the mid-1980s, spurred by President Reagan's defense build-up and by proposals to make storage of nuclear wastes from other sites an important part of the future. And she dances. Lets Not Talk About the Bad Things, Once again, I am reminded of Stanley Kubricks great film, Dr. Strangelove, and especially its subtitle, Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. The good doctor would feel quite at home in Richland. However, we are having a little trouble selling that dam. I feel my stomach drop like Im on a rollercoaster that only seems to go down. We have thousands of custom Richland High School Bombers t-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, jerseys, bags, backpacks, and other accessories in stock. Pre-studying study break at Starbucks. the most contaminated nuclear site in the country, The Bomber, The Bomb and the Bombers,, the most radioactive river in the world from World War II to the 1970s., people who were unknowingly exposed have filed claims. As the region has diversified since its past as a federally owned Atomic City where 90% of the population was either employed by or a dependent of Hanford, the school has since received criticism for its depiction of a mushroom cloud as an unofficial logo for the school, believing that the logo and the mascot to be a shameful reminder of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.[5]. As a writer for Odyssey, youll have the opportunity to share your voice with our community of readers from all over the world. Soon, local children were drinking tainted milk, fish from the Columbia River were contaminated, and the Oregon Health Division deemed it the most radioactive river in the world from World War II to the 1970s. Thousands of people who were unknowingly exposed have filed claims, but very few have seen any compensation. When a visiting group of bomb survivors from Japan asked them to reconsider, the principal responded, We did not start that war, and abruptly walked out of the room. It was euphoria, just the whole atmosphere was party-time, patriotic.. Class of '92 in '22 ~ 30 Year Reunion ~ August 5, 6, & 7, 2022, Class of '66 in '22 ~ 56 Year Reunion ~ August 26 and 27, 2022, Class of '67 in '22 ~ 55 Year Reunion ~ September 9-10, 2022, Class of '62 in '22 ~ 60 Year Reunion ~ September 9, 10, 11, 2022, Class of '72 in '22 ~ 50 Year Reunion ~ September 16-17, 2022, Class of '65 in '22 ~ 76th Birthday Party ~ September 16, 17, 18, 2022, 50 Year (postponed twice) Reunion and 70th Birthday Bash, Spudnuts in Richland, ~ better than donuts ~ click to see it on YouTube. (Reproduced in Daniel Grossman, "Hanford and Its Early Radioactive Atmospheric Releases." In an article titled The Bomber, The Bomb and the Bombers, Maupin wrote that the school used the mushroom cloud prior to any reference of Days Pay., Tastes do indeed change, Maupin wrote, but facts do not.. Come join the fun. MAXPREPS; CBSSPORTS.COM; 247SPORTS; B. In this second burst of growth, which lasted through 1955 or so, the site acquired five new plutonium-producing reactors and a host of new processing facilities. The Columbia Basin News (Feb. 28, 1951), in advocating construction of Ice Harbor Dam along the lower Snake, conceded that salmon runs would be injured but considered that a small price to pay: "If the state is to be maintained as a glorified national park, then the desert will remain desert, and the productive potential must be discarded and forgotten. Addeddate 2023-04-17 00:15:49 Duration 601 Identifier rcvwa-exploreRichland_-_Bombers_Baseball Run time 00:10:01 Scanner Internet Archive Python library 3.3.0 Former coach Ben Jacobs is the winningest coach in school history with over 400 wins. (732)548-0013/0015. The 1999 state champion team, led by future United States World Cup and gold medal-winning goalkeeper Hope Solo, was undefeated and ranked fourth in the nation. Some 90 percent of students and 75 percent of the staff voted to retain it. Why do we pretend that when our kids wear the mushroom cloud on their chest with pride, we aren't teaching them to celebrate death? Their mascot: Bombers. You reward yourself for studying and consume so much pizza that it actually consumes you. Please try again later or using a different browser. Prep Sportswear is not affiliated with the Richland High School Bookstore or the RHS Bookstore. They called it the R-Cloud. As a civilian, would you accept being obliterated for a decision that President Trump made? We should never forget the past. From a young age, girls are introduced to a culture where they are expected to dress to impress specifically the men around them. The football stadium, which is used for both Richland and Hanford High School events, is located immediately adjacent to the grounds of Richland High School, and was named Fran Rish Stadium in his honor in 1986. [12] In the 1960s, they won the third place game four times in five years. . The Richland Bombers were in agreement that the logo is awesome. Coordinators (base scheme): Offense - Josh Jelinek (spread). (Reproduced in Grossman, "Hanford," PNQ 85:1, p.8. Being primarily an industrial plant throughout its career, it had never amassed the resources to become a major center for scientific innovation. RHS has a very strong girls and boys soccer program. [On Richland's past see John M. Findlay, "Atomic Frontier Days: Richland, Washington, and the Modern American West," Journal of the West 34 (July 1995): 32-41. As a symbol of life, not death? [3], Richland's mascot is the "Bomber", officially named for the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress built in Seattle, but also in recognition of the city's contributions as an "Atomic City" in World War Two. Since the mid-1960s, Hanford had been seeking a mission that would replace plutonium production as its reason for existence. Jeanie Walsh Williamson ('63) ~ aka Barbra Williamson, "Desert Fathers, Uranium Daughters" available at Amazon.com, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_Fullmer, A Michael Peterson 2014 Promotional Viceo, "Drink, Swear, Steal, and Lie" on YouTube, http://www.eurekalert.org/features/doe/2002-07/dnnl-bnt073102.php, http://www.whitworth.edu/Academic/Department/Physics/DepartmentSpotlight/MillerBatelle.htm, Sally O'Neal ('79) ~ Travel & Outdoor Writer, Weekly Column at Sportsman's Guide magazine, "Hiking in the Central Cascades" available at Amazon.com, "Hiking in the North Cascades" available at Amazon.com, "Bicycling Eastern WA & OR" available at Amazon.com, Roger Jaime ('82), aka MR 80s CC Poison "The Bomber", Tari Free ('83) - Disc Jockey in Seattle, http://tman.kube93.com/pages/jock_tarifree.html, The Tragic Clowns - An Analysis of the Short Lives of John Belushi, Lenny Bruce, and Chris Farley, Stories of Hope and Courage - My Experiences with Alzheimer's Disease, http://www.misstricities.org/pastmisstc.htm, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss_New_York, makes the cover of TIME magazine (9/24/94), in the December, 1989, issue of National Geographic, Miss Tri-Cities and Miss Washington, 2002. it's an individual. New Richland city seal (right). It is time to change the Bomber mascot to one that we can deck out our kids in without guilt or question if this is OK. The money and manpower applied to the waste problem at Hanford did not initially produce encouraging results, and there were charges of gross inefficiency, excess spending, and inadequate technology. However, in the 1950s the people residing in the vicinity of Hanford began pushing to have their voices heard, too. Kelsey mentioned chocolate chip pancakes. Some Tri-City boosters, along with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, urged that the Hanford Reach be dredged in order to permit barge traffic all the way upstream to Wenatchee, and promoted the building of Ben Franklin Dam in order to facilitate more irrigation, more generation of hydroelectricity, and more slack-water recreation. Pacific Northwest Quarterly, Vol. In the 1980s the school became Richland High and adopted a new logo: a bright yellow capital R with a white mushroom cloud billowing up behind it. In 1988 a handful of teachers and students tried again to change the logo. Swinging back and forth to the strums of the guitar gently echoing, she smiles. New Richland city seal (right). Moreover, the WPPSS reactors not only ran into enormous cost overruns but also were deemed increasingly unnecessary as forecasts for future demand for electricity were revised downward. Lets create a culture that celebrates expression rather than forces unrealistic expectations. CLUB 40, aka ALL Bomber alumni - for 21 years of age and older. Standards have been set for centuries regarding expectations surrounding dress, especially for women. 10 Richland bombers Logos ranked in order of popularity and relevancy. Dressing for you and not for others is easier said than done. 5 talking about this. Not the United States government, not the president, us: The people. The Atom Bomb was the ultimate menace behind such films as The Terminator, Wargames, Dr. Strangelove, Planet of the Apes, and The Day After. I forget what is and only know what used to be. Richland BombersRetweeted Alan Hoshida @AHoshidaSports Apr 23, 2019 1st signing ceremony of the season in the books. Petersen also wrote River of Life, Channel of Death: Fish and Dams on the Lower Snake (Lewiston, ID: Confluence Press, 1995).] Your friends are all done with their finals and you still have one more to go. For some, Richland Highs mascot embodies political incorrectness: a symbol that glorifies destruction and the deaths of innocents, a mark of hatred and fear. We killed them. The development of a "local" population added an important ingredient to the politics of Hanford. You didn't study enough and you're pretty sure that last final dropped your grade at least 10 percent. In the past, he had expressed his personal distaste for the R-Cloud after visiting the Hiroshima Peace Memorial. The overall Hanford story is also contained in a rather triumphalist account by Michele Gerber, Legend and Legacy: Fifty Years of Defense Production at the Hanford Site (Richland, WA: U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, 1992)], Hanford construction camp (left). Photo credited to Burns & Roe). So, it should not surprise anyone that people somewhere worship this thing, which gibbers madly in the collective unconscious like H.P. Until the founding of Hanford Falcons in 1972, Richland High was the only high school in the city. The federal government took the lead in developing the site for the purpose of producing plutonium to use in nuclear weapons during and after World War II. I also understand that the United States only had limited options when it came to ending WWII: Invade or use the atomic bomb. The town of Richland has stubbornly stuck to their pride in this symbol. Samantha Frost, an alumna of Richland High, called for the school to adopt a less radioactive mascot in a post on Western Washington University's Odyssey community. The new symbol of the football team, the Richland Bombers, became the mushroom cloud. Johnson. '83 - Richland Bombers Class of 1983This is a Public Group '84 - Richland High School (RHS) Bombers Class of 84This is a Public Group AND. Richland High School Bombers logo (below). Senator Henry M. Jackson (D, WA) introduced a bill to this effect in 1956, and ten years later the dual-purpose N Reactor was completed at Hanford. I understand that. The school is now part of the Richland School District. These heady days were numbered. Cold War symbols pervade the state of Washington. Youll never be out of style. Camp Hanford's population peaked at 51,000, and spanned not quite two years until its abandonment in February 1945. Why do we celebrate this? Operation of the Priest Rapids Dam, just upstream from Hanford, causes the river to rise or fall as much as 10 feet over a fairly short time.) (Reproduced in "Engineering Report: Hanford Electric Generating Project." The workers building the plant, coming from all around the country, numbered as many as 45,000. The school's logo is a mushroom cloud. Americans turned against nuclear power during the later 1970s and early 1980s. However, we don't celebrate the American lives lost but we do celebrate the Japanese deaths. For those who don't know, they are the Richland Bombers, with a logo consisting of an R with a mushroom cloud behind it. That fall, the students of Columbia High voted to change their mascot from the Beavers to the Bombers, and the yearbook for that school year was dedicated to the atomic bomb. In the late 1980s the Department of Energy (or DOE), which had emerged in 1977 as successor to the AEC, decided to make a huge commitment to cleaning up the wastes at its nuclear sites. Its like the Civil War we killed a lot of our own brothers, she added, pausing, but it ended slavery., To her, the cloud represents destruction but also the sacrifices made by the people in her community to better the rest of the world. No appeal has made a dent in it. Hanfords toxic reach didnt stop at the sites barbed-wire fences: radioactive emissions released into the air fell on fields where livestock grazed. For those who dont know, they are the Richland Bombers, with a logo consisting of an R with a mushroom cloud behind it. Terry Davis ('65) ~ aka Terence Knox. Thereafter, Washingtonians took pride in Hanford as one of their state's signal contributions to victory in World War II. Manhattan Project Medal (right) (Courtesy U.S. Department of Energy). Townspeople referred to their community as Atomic City, A-City, or the Atomic City of the West (Oak Ridge, Tennessee, was the Atomic City of the East), and the city logo contained an image of the atom. Jennifer Kustanovich, SUNY Stony Brook5. Improving, advancing, encouraging and promoting the interests of athletics, activities and academics The RHS girls' cross-country team won the state championship in 1993 under coach Mike Mills, and also qualified for state in 2005 and 2006. Hes not willing to see this symbol dismissed without a fight. After more than five decades of harnessing the river by building dams and dredging its bottom, of using it to cool atomic reactors and carry away radioactive wastes, it increasingly seemed like a good idea to try to leave the Columbia alone. Tears fall from my face the same way petals fall from wilted flowers. Richland High senior Nonoka Koga, a Japanese exchange student, was surprised by the school's mushroom cloud logo, which is linked to Hanford's role in producing an atomic bomb dropped on her. Richland Bombers.com Links to EVERYTHING Richland Bomber related. Again, the Hanford community closed ranks and said the mushroom cloud was a symbol of pride, and that to change it would betray local tradition. It seems to me that would put a little dent in the pride around [the mascot], Pritikin said. The highly controversial mascot has always caused a buzz amongst not only the Richland community, but statewide. But these opportunities had closed by 1987, by which time plutonium production had ceased and decisions had been made not to import nuclear wastes from out of state. ", A view of Benton County (left) near the mouth of the Yakima River. Throughout middle school and high school, I played cross country and soccer, leading me to stick with athleisure most days. After the bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, the people of Richland decided to show their pride in what they had helped to create. Its a great story., But many alumni were outraged by what they saw as an attempt to revise history to be more palatable by modern standards. The Rail Queen by B.J. Moreover, placement of Hanford along the mid-Columbia had prevented construction of Ben Franklin Dam (named for Benton and Franklin counties), proposed for a site just upstream from Richland. The bomber mascot warps the war into a time filled with, Many people claim that 'the bombers' is referable to the, It's Time To Change The Richland High School Bomber Mascot, Beginning in 1943, the site was used to produce plutonium for the bomb that brought an end to World War II, Dressing for Yourself and Not Others, With Confidence and Comfort, "Ways to Follow Clothing Trends in 2021., These Are Hands Down The Best Bars In Los Angeles, 1810 Wilcox Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90028, USA, 9 Reasons Why 'Remember the Titans' Is The Best Movie, Why High School Musicals Should Be As Respected As Sports Programs Are. That was history. Richland High School has had a strong boys golf program since the late 1960s. The nuclear facilities at Hanford were built up in separate phases between 1942 and 1982. Richland Chamber of Commerce WELCOME TO RICHLAND. (Logo courtesy Richland High School). And that's the last major dam site left on the river. [13][14][15] Kellerman was a four-year starter at Idaho, a top ten team in 1982, and he was the Big Sky player of the year as a sophomore in 1981. The Bombers were state champions in 1981, 1999, and 2017, and played in the title game in 1975, 1996, and 2016. The lyrics seem to parade in one ear and out the other. But theres no symbol more prominent in Richland than the high schools R-Cloud, which hangs floor-to-ceiling on the side of the cafeteria. (Logo courtesy Richland High School). Only one of the Hanford power reactors was actually finishedway behind schedule and over budgetand the Washington Public Power Supply System went broke. Your favorite beach reads and binge-worthy Netflix shows. Richland has won three state championships in boys' basketball, most recently in 1979, a team led on the floor by Mark Hoke, Bob Kennedy, and Brian Kellerman. What do you see? But do we really need to dress to impress? Turn it on in Settings to view this website. It indicates a joy for destruction and death, she said. More than 40,000 adults returned there to spawn [in 1993]making it the healthiest spawning area on the Columbia." ], Richland city seal in 1958 (left). Today is not OK. Infinite rows of lockers that stretch from floor to ceiling, mundane patterns on the tile floors, colorful posters declaring pep rallies and blood drives, freshmeat dressed to a tee and seniors slopping on sweatpants that may or may not have been washed in a month. @bomberathletics send 13 athletes next level across 7 different sports Richland Bombersand 3 others 2 17 71 Richland BombersRetweeted Bomber Baseball @bomberbball45 May 19, 2019 Special thanks to the seniors of 2019. It produced only for military and not civilian purposes. Radhi, SUNY Stony Brook3. Thats our community. Those bombs actually saved the Japanese culture, he said. Why do we pretend that the bomb we are so proud of doesn't represent the thousands of people who were killed? Olingers mother was a resident of Nagasaki when the bomb dropped. The Hanford Site, near Richland, is where the US government and military performed top secret work to produce plutonium bomb-grade material as part of WWII's Manhattan Project. Tell us about your travels! Road-trips In Arizona That You're Missing Out On. Communities after 1980 were less willing to be identified with the atom, in large part because nuclear power was now viewed as a quite problematicperhaps even obsoletetechnology that had presented serious public health and environmental risks and created enormous amounts of toxic and radioactive waste. Richland found pride in the victory and this pride leaked into Richland culture just like the. The plutonium built is a huge part of Richland history. Richland High School Bombers, Sunday's letter about the bomb in Japan. Outside the. There I grew up among my friends and their parents, workers at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, the birthplace of the . The mascot is named after Archie Purcell, a WWII veteran who was a ball turret gunner on the famous B-17 "A Days Pay". The fam bam is here, and you sadly wave good bye to your dorm room. Plutonium manufactured at the site was used in the nuclear bomb detonated over Nagasaki, Japan. Your brain hurts. I would not peacefully accept myself being blown up because my government made a call to not surrender. The end of plutonium production at Hanford prompted new debate over what to do with the river. . By the late 1990s, of course, the atom seemed less appealing than before. View career profiles, stats, photos and video highlights. Covington.[6]. Best of all, you can do it all from the comfort of your own home or wherever you happen to be spending your summer. People who supported the war effort and people who despised it. According to one estimate from the early 1960s, 80% of the 28,500 jobs in the Tri-Cities were "indirectly or directly dependent on Hanford activities." Here are some of the topics wed love to hear about: Whether you're an experienced writer or just starting out, we welcome anyone with a passion for writing and a desire to share their perspective. Theres no free lunch., To Pierard, a vehement defender of the cloud, the logo remains a symbol of life, not death. Volunteer Help the coach manage this team. The next year, a National Geographic photographer captured a student in green and gold facepaint with a hachimaki band (worn by World War II kamikaze fighters) tied around his head.