Dr John C. Clark, a scientist who disarmed atomic bombs twice

A high-speed photo of Operation Tumbler-Snapper’s tower shot. Photo via Wikimedia by STEVE WEINTZ In the spring of 1952, the U.S. government tested tactical nuclear weapons at the Nevada Proving Ground as part of Operation Tumbler-Snapper. It was the third nuke test series in 18 months at the Nevada site in an era of breakneck atomic development. At 4:00 in the morning on May 13, one of the Tumbler-Snapper bombs—code name “Fox”—was scheduled to go off. But the moment passed … and no atomic fireball curled into the sky. Shot Fox had misfired. Locked in its cab atop a 300-foot tower rising over the Yucca Flat, the malfunctioning 15-kiloton device posed a serious danger to living things for many miles in all directions. Someone had to disarm the thing. What followed was one of the riskiest and most delicate jobs—well, ever. Shot Fox began well enough. The night before H-hour at Yucca Flat’s Site Four, Dr. John C. Clark of the Atomic Energy Commission wired shut the shot cab’s door a ... Read full article.