Inside Box 1663

In 1943, I lived in Croton-on-Hudson, New York, with my husband Eric and my son Bill, who was almost ten years old. At that time I had no idea there was a Box 1663 in the Santa Fe post office, nor that I would disappear into it, lose my identity, and emerge from it at the end of 1945 an entirely different person."

With those words, Eleanor Jette opens her story of two amazing years when she and her family "disappeared" into the world of secrecy, isolation, and intense work that produced the first atomic bombs and eventually ended World War II. On "the Hill," as Los Alamos was nicknamed in the war years, they became part of a group of people who lived, for the most part, in hastily built wooden housing or dormitories, had their mail censored, couldn't have out-of- town visitors, and continually battled a water shortage. Their unpaved streets were muddy or dusty, the electricity in their homes went off whenever the laboratory needed more power, and most modern conveniences were left behind in the Outer World. Despite the challenges in living conditions, they supported each other and were determined to make the best of the situation.

They had come to a mountainous setting of great beauty and a land of different cultures. The average age of the group at Los Alamos was twenty-five, so they hiked, rode horses, explored ruins, built a rudimentary ski hill, and made friends at the nearby pueblos. Life became an adventure.

Looking back, the fact that they all shared one address, P.O. Box 1663, seems appropriate for people who felt such a sense of oneness in focus and dedication. They were there for a reason, each fighting the war in his or her own way, and sacrifices were routine. Together, with spirits intact, they accomplished one of the greatest feats in history. This is the story of their community and those two incredible years.