William Lewis "Bud" Uanna played a critical role in maintaining security of the atomic bomb project. Uanna graduated from Officer Candidate School at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia in November 1942. As a 2nd Lt. in the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, he was assigned to Military Intelligence, Counter Intelligence Corps (CIC). He held several posts of increasing responsibility and was appointed Security Officer for the Clinton Engineer Works at Oak Ridge, TN in August 1944.
In February 1945, Uanna was assigned to the Office of the Secretary of War and attached to the 509th Composite Group as chief of security. In September 1945 he was assigned to the investigative team that visited Nagasaki. After the war, Uanna was appointed Chief of the Central Personnel Clearance Office of the Atomic Energy Commission and later became head of security for the State Department.
William L. “Bud” Uanna’s Timeline
1909 May 13th Born in Medford, Massachusetts.
Assigned to the Counterintelligence Intelligence Corps (CIC), where he served on the staff of Service Command and the X Corps.
1943 Nov1945 Feb Joined the Manhattan Project and was appointed Security Officer at Oak Ridge.
1945 Feb Assumed command of the 1st Technical Service Detachment, which was responsible for the security of the 509th Composite Group, including its personnel, bases and equipment.
1945 Aug Accompanied Manhattan Project team sent to Nagasaki to survey damage from the atomic bomb.
1947 Appointed Chief of Security for the Atomic Energy Commission, where he helped name and develop criteria for the AEC’s Q clearance.
19491951 Appointed Administrative Officer at the newly created Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
1953 Appointed Chief of the Division of Physical Security at the Department of State.
1961 Dec 22nd Died at the American Embassy in Ethiopia in Addis Ababa.
