Fish and Wildlife Service, and that an 86,000-acre national wildlife refuge be created abutting the northern and eastern banks of the Hanford Reach. It is time to shut up and actually do something about it. [7][8][9] Previous state titles were in 1972 and 1958;[10][11] and the Bombers made the state semi-finals seven times in eight years in the 1970s, advancing to five finals. Hanford was the nation's main supplier of fissionable material for bombs as the Cold, War began and the United States decided to rely heavily on its nuclear arsenal. 10 Richland bombers Logos ranked in order of popularity and relevancy. The Bombers were state champions in 1981, 1999, and 2017, and played in the title game in 1975, 1996, and 2016. . In Richland the atom, in an assortment of guises, became a very prominent icon. Your friends are all done with their finals and you still have one more to go. The 2017 team was coached by Mike Neidhold, the 1999 team by Lonnie Pierson, and the 1981 team by J.D. I remember feeling relieved when I had a conversation with my boyfriend and he explained that he would love me regardless of what I wear (the only exception being the ill-fitting cat eye glasses I wore in high school but thats beside the point). And Hanford, in contrast to Boeing, had not diversified its product line. Richland is a town whose prosperity rests on an atom bomb factory, a plant for creating plutonium.2 A quote from the Richland Chamber of Commerce Web site: Farming remained the prime industry until World War II when government surveyors arrived and announced that the federal government was assuming ownership of the area. I find it somewhat comical that this symbol is portrayed prominently on the Richland High Web site (Richland High School: Home of the Bombers), while the dresscode on that same site forbids offensive symbols, including symbols of violence. The plutonium built is a huge part of Richland history. Angel's Daughter - on Amazon, Legacy of Angels - on Amazon. 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. 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. We should never forget the past. The end of plutonium production at Hanford prompted new debate over what to do with the river. Students wear t-shirts with bombs and atomic clouds, using hashtags like #ProudoftheCloud and #GoBombers. As a writer for Odyssey, youll have the opportunity to share your voice with our community of readers from all over the world. Richland High School Bombers logo (below). The bombers is a direct symbol of the thousands of lives lost and it is a disgrace and embarrassment to celebrate it. It indicates a joy for destruction and death, she said. Until the founding of Hanford Falcons in 1972, Richland High was the only high school in the city. 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). Haven't done anything all day Time to start cramming. 5 talking about this. Richland High School has had a strong boys golf program since the late 1960s. One night, at a bridge club, I asked the women what their husbands did and did not tell them about workplace accidents. (By the 1990s, the idea of "free-flowing" had to be relative. Richland High School Bombers Apparel Store | Prep Sportswear I am deeply embarrassed that I ever sported bomber gear, and I am guilty of using hashtags that turn a blind eye to destruction. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy, Fruit of the Loom Men's 5oz Cotton T-Shirt, JERZEES Unisex 50/50 NuBlend 8oz Crewneck Sweatshirt, JERZEES Unisex 8oz NuBlend Hooded Sweatshirt, Fanthread Women's Origin Crew Sweatshirt, Fanthread Men's Origin Hooded Sweatshirt, Fanthread Men's Color Block Hooded Sweatshirt. Shop for the latest selection of Richland High School Bombers fan gear and apparel. Before you chase me with a pitchfork, take a deep breath and keep reading. Dressing for you and not for others is easier said than done. Richland found pride in the victory and this pride leaked into Richland culture just like the toxic sludge leaked. These existed but they do not make it OK to forget those whom lost their lives. We wouldn't even be talking about if they didn't bomb Pearl Harbor first. Columbia High was renamed Richland High School as the small farming community continued to develop as weapons production climbed during the Cold War and the town was designated as a first class city in 1958. They called it the R-Cloud. They're leaving and you're the last one of the group left at school. Plastering paintings the size of a gym wall and selling onesies designed for newborns with a bomb on it is a disgrace to those who lost their lives to the very plutonium we built. The Space Needle and Pacific Science Center attest to the future-minded, high-tech, aerospace-oriented thinking around Puget Sound. It is time to change the bomber mascot to one that doesn't glorify violence and hatred. Lovecrafts mad, blind, idiot god Azathoth. [The Japanese government was] ready to sacrifice every man woman and child in the invasion.. That was history. Your brain hurts. She confesses her profuse love for this song, but she doesnt even understand it. Clinton, Sanders spar over specifics in Iowa, Yoga used to help kids cope with violence in Chicago, Seeking charges against a Chicago officer, Filipina comfort women seek official apology from Japan. Photo by Robley L. And the federal government retained the predominant voice in the site's future through the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Think about how many times you scoffed at a decision a president made. The shift in topic was near-automatic, like a switch shunting a train onto a different track. ), Ice Harbor Dam (right). I will treat the situation with respect and dignity and look at the consequences of the atomic bomb. Worried that technological obsolescence or improved international relations could destroy their one-dimensional economy, residents of the Tri-Cities began pressing the AEC and Congress to diversify Hanford. When I hear this song, I forget where I am. But he wont wear the R-Cloud mascot, and hes removed it from uniforms for the students he coaches. Richland High School's baseball team has been highly successful, winning four state titles in eleven years (1999, 2005, 2007, 2009), and another in 2018. He always had a good taste in music and its no wonder this song was his favorite. She sees the Nagasaki bomb as simply a part of Richlands history. Most departed by August of 1945, yet the population in the vicinity was substantially higher than it had been before the war. "The West is the last economic frontier. Hanfords toxic reach didnt stop at the sites barbed-wire fences: radioactive emissions released into the air fell on fields where livestock grazed. Coordinators (base scheme): Offense - Josh Jelinek (spread). People who supported the war effort and people who despised it. 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 Bombers won back to back state golf titles in 1968 and 1969. The reason for the change in The Richland Villager article of September 13, 1945 was not the bomber, but the national publicity associated with Richland and the atomic bomb. All along at Hanford, they had been contributing to the war effort,producing plutonium that would make up the core of Fat Man. Pacific Northwest Quarterly 86:4 [Fall 1995], p.178. It has known security flaws and a limited feature set. The music takes control of my vacant body and for a solid three minutes I am nowhere to be found. A World. (Logo courtesy Richland High School). But in Richland, there is an interesting story about the high school's nickname and how people's opinions about it have changed over the years. Hanford and the Bomb: An Oral History of World War II, Legend and Legacy: Fifty Years of Defense Production at the Hanford Site, n the Home Front: The Cold War Legacy of the Hanford Nuclear Site, River of Life, Channel of Death: Fish and Dams on the Lower Snake, Center for the Study of the Pacific Northwest, University of Washington. 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. As a symbol of life, not death? 64 were here. At first, I felt pressured to wear the same, their matching sets, bike shorts, crop tops, and more. Most residents of the region (and maybe even of the Tri-Cities) likely supported the 1992 recommendations of the National Park Service that the Hanford Reach be designated a "federal wild-and-scenic river," to be managed by the U.S. Head Coach: earl streufert. You may even be procrastinating right now while you read this article! 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. Residents of the Tri-Cities were not really certain that they could depend upon Hanford until 1947, when the federal government (now working through the newly created, civilian Atomic Energy Commission, or AEC) announced plans to expand Hanford by building more reactors there and accelerating the pace of production. I understand that. Tell us about your travels! ), The creation of a plutonium factory left an enormous footprint on south-central Washington. This became particularly important between 1964 and 1971, when the AEC shut down the first eight reactors built and operated at Hanford. The bombs the mascot are referring to are Fat Boy and Little Man, which were dropped on Japan in the beginning of. Americans turned against nuclear power during the later 1970s and early 1980s. Former coach Ben Jacobs is the winningest coach in school history with over 400 wins. Need some creative inspiration? Your favorite summer hobby and how you got into it. Shop Richland High School Bombers apparel, clothing, spirit wear, gear, and merchandise at the Richland High School Spirit Shop on prepsportswear.com. COACH'S RESUM Mike Neidhold, 15th season. Late in 1942 the Army selected the area to become part of the Manhattan Project, the crash campaign to build atomic bombs. Johnson. The Manhattan Project-Richland's Alphabet Houses Were currently seeking writers to join our summer writing program. (Seals courtesy City of Richland). Lets stop the thing about where the name Bombers came from be proud whether it was Days Pay or the A-bomb, I am proud of either and/or both Bud Row (47), (33). The residents of Pasco, Kennewick, and Richland generally supported construction of dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers. The Corps had trouble "selling that dam" because by the later 1980s and the 1990s American civilization, including most people in the Pacific Northwest, no longer had the same attitudes toward technology and the environment that they had held during World War Two and the height of the Cold War. 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.. If we truly wanted to celebrate our contributions, we would focus on celebrating scientific and engineering accomplishments that have occurred at Handford that didn't directly cost thousands of people their lives. I also understand that the United States only had limited options when it came to ending WWII: Invade or use the atomic bomb. Wayback Mchine: Two-Sport Ace Gene Conley, SportsIllustrated.cnn.com Baseball Stats Website, Tri City Herald's #2 Sports Story of the Century. The Richland Bombers were in agreement that the logo is awesome. They blanketed the community and beyond with radiation, and they didnt tell us. Richland High School is located in Richland, Washington, where the Handford site is located. In 2019, "Archie" a B-17 Ball Turret Gunner was named the first-ever character mascot at Richland High School. But even the most ardent supporters have started to bend. Throughout my time in college, especially studying abroad, I found that I loved jeans, baggy sweaters, my Air Force 1s that I have worn down to the point its crazy, small rings, and dresses. One participant exclaimed, Lets not talk about the bad things, then changed the subject to presidents who had visited the site and a local graduate who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Nuclear weapons had helped the U.S. bring an end to World War Two and stand firm against the Soviet Union during the Cold War, but they had also exacted a very high environmental cost with which Americans became more preoccupied. 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. With many college semesters coming to a close, students find themselves procrastinating. Look no further! I wonder how strong a feeling can actually get before it is too much to bear. In high school, I worked in a casual restaurant that served soup so I wasnt dressing to impress there either. 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. UW Site Map Center for the Study of the Pacific Northwest, University of Washington. We need to remember it for what it is: A time filled with fear, bloodshed, sorrow and hatred. I finally understand that heartbreak has a sound. Not the United States government, not the president, us: The people. We are taking pride in the death of the newly weds who dreamt of starting a family together. Other nearby towns, including Pasco and Kennewick, had also expanded considerably beyond their 1940 size. 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. RHS has a very strong girls and boys soccer program. This was especially impressive considering the football team had won state earlier in that same school year. Richland High School has all of those qualities and maybe even has some better qualities that make it stand out from the crowd. I am proud of Richland High School and I am proud that the allies were able to win WWII. 2016 Al Jazeera America, LLC. Especially now that the George W. Bush administration has decided to create kinder, gentler nukes, that the squeamish public presumably wont object to being used against non-nuclear armed foes like Iraq. In the photo, he stares into the camera with a look that dares someone to challenge him. The facilities of were extensively renovated in 1964, and remodeled again in stages between 1995 and 2006. They called the donated aircraft Days Pay., In the 1990s, local newspapers reported that the Days Pay bomber, not the bomb itself, was the schools namesake. Indeed, Tri-City optimists glowingly envisioned the building of a "nuclear industrial park" with up to fifty different reactors producing plutonium and kilowatts as well as serving the cause of scientific research. Richland, WA, and the Bomb - LewRockwell LewRockwell.com 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. She finally spoke up", "Another hoop crown for Richland quintet", "Richland tips Lewis & Clark to take Washington AA title", "Boys basketball: Richland High squad brings back memories of fabled '79 team", "Bombers claim third in state cage tourney", Richland School District honors and awards, "Trump picks retired Marine Gen. James Mattis for secretary of defense", "Ranking 2022 NCAA tournament men's basketball coaches as players, 1-68", "Ruemmler Started Out as Enron Prosecutor", dated 1 January 2011, "White House Counsel", dated 10 October 2014, "Richland grad called-up to the big leagues", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Richland_High_School_(Washington)&oldid=1151385024, Mike Edwards (2022-23, Interim), Washington's Top 50 high school football teams in 2022: Is this No. 18 Its splashed across the center of the shiny gym floor and printed on T-shirts and infant onesies. In light of the harm done by dams to fisheries along the Columbia, or by radioactive releases from Hanford to nearby ecosystems, there emerged among people in the Pacific Northwest a sense that efforts to industrialize and militarize the Columbia had been somewhat shortsighted, even a little arrogant, in their confidence in the blessings that science and industry could wring from nature. Octavio DoValle Sr. has been the Richland High School boys soccer coach since 1987. Both the boys' and girls' team were state champions in 2003. Looking for a way to spend your summer doing something creative and fulfilling? During the late 1950s and early 1960s, Seattle learned to call itself "jet city," among other "aerospacey" things, as Boeing's increasing production defined the local economy. Swinging back and forth to the strums of the guitar gently echoing, she smiles. Richland High School Bombers Custom Apparel and Merchandise 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. 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. Residents could live on Proton Lane, bowl at the Atomic Lanes, and dine at Fission Chips. The Manhattan Project brought scientists, engineers and those to support them to the Tri-Cities. I don't want to focus on whether the US government made the right call. The Bombers were state champions in 1981, 1999, and 2017, and played in the title game in 1975, 1996, and 2016. [One study of Hanford's environmental impact is Michele Stenehjem Gerber, On the Home Front: The Cold War Legacy of the Hanford Nuclear Site (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1992).]. In 1988 a handful of teachers and students tried again to change the logo. [12] In the 1960s, they won the third place game four times in five years. The title of an article previously cited here refers to the following quote: When workers did have qualms, they deferred to those they called The Men Who Know Best, the people in Congress and the Pentagon who gave the directives to make the weapons they fueled. Photo credited to Burns & Roe). In April 1963, R. W. Beck and Asc. (See Fallout from Bushs Tactical Nukes on the American West.). I conclude with a quote from a bomber grad who also expresses my feelings. But in Richland, there is an interesting story about the high schools nickname and how peoples opinions about it have changed over the years. This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator. After the bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, the people of Richland decided to show their pride in what they had helped to create. Windshield stickers on cars in the area boast theres a Bomber inside. Richland Bombers Competitor Backpack $77.00. In 1989, according to one journalist, "as many as 90 percent of the approximately 530,000 fall chinook salmon harvested from the Columbia had been spawned in the Hanford Reach. Previous Seasons All-Time Roster. The town of Richland has stubbornly stuck to their pride in this symbol.