The Atomic Heritage Foundation recently received a donation of a collection of memorabilia belonging to PFC James B. Snodgrass. Snodgrass served as a member of the Mounted Military Police working on site security at Los Alamos and the Trinity test site.
Snodgrass was born on March 29, 1919 in Elizabethton, Tennessee. Prior to serving at Los Alamos, he was a member of the Tennessee National Guard.
In 1943, Snodgrass enlisted as a Military Policeman (MP) and was assigned to the 9812th Technical Service Unit at Los Alamos. He worked as a standing and mounted guard protecting the secret city, including highway patrol. According to his son, Snodgrass ventured out to the Trinity test site with another MP only hours after the blast and recalled green glass crunching under their feet.
The collection includes 121 photos, participation and discharge papers, and a declassified report on Project Trinity. The photographs were taken by PFC Snodgrass during his time at Los Alamos and Trinity, and were developed shortly after his discharge in 1946. In addition to showing the Trinity site itself, they give an inside glimpse to the life of the MPs, displaying their friendships and recreational activities, including many MPs on horseback playing polo.
For more about Snodgrass and to view a selection of photographs from the collection, please click here.
The Atomic Heritage Foundation would like to express its sincere gratitude to Quentin Reynolds for donating this wonderful collection.