New Mexico Role in WW II (1941-1945)

The following are source documents which cover the New Mexico Role in WW II (1941-45). They are intended to be used for teaching New Mexico history.

Navajo Code Talkers

  • Navajo Code Talker Honored
    Newspaper Article - Santa Fe New Mexican
    Most of the code talker articles have been restricted in the Access Newspaper Archive database. This article was after the restriction and is somewhat later than the original articles. The article does define Code Talker

Internment of Japan Descendants

  • Executive Order 9066 - Japanese Internment
    Primary Document - National Archives
    Executive Order 9066 was a United States presidential executive order signed and issued during World War II by the United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 19, 1942, authorizing the Secretary of War to prescribe certain areas as

Manhattan Project

  • Albert Einstein Letter to FDR
    Primary Document - FDR Library
    This is a letter from Albert Einstein to President Roosevelt in 1939. This letter helped to start the Manhattan
  • Deadliest Weapons in World's History, Made In Santa Fe Vicinity
    Newspaper Article - Santa Fe New Mexican
    In this article published on August 6, 1945, the same day the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Santa Fe first learns of a secret town of 6,000 residents located at the site of the Los Alamos Ranch School on the Pajarito Plateau. The new town of
  • FDR's Response to Einstein Letter
    Primary Document - FDR Library
    This is President Roosevelt's response to Albert Einstein's letter about atomic testing. This letter was done in 1939 by Edwin Watson, secretary to the
  • Fuller Lodge - Los Alamos, NM
    Photograph - Historic American Building Collections, Library of Congress
    This is a photograph of the Fuller Lodge in Los Alamos, NM. The Fuller Lodge was used by the military staff and J. Oppenheimer during the Manhattan Project. This photo was complied by the Historic American Buildings Survey after 1933.  Part of the
  • July 16, 1945 - First Atomic Bomb Detonation
    Drawing - Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress
    This 1968 document is the explanation of the first atomic detonation at the Trinity Site, White Sands, NM. It gives details of the detonation. LOC: HAER NM,27-ALMOG.V,1A- (sheet 4 of
  • Letter, FDR to Oppenheimer
    Primary Document - Library of Congress
    In the midst of World War II, while engaged abroad in a major conflict with Germany and Japan, the United States was also working furiously at home toward the completion of the Manhattan Project. This huge research and development project was begun
  • Notebook of Manhattan Project Testing
    Primary Document - National Archives
    Eight months after the United States entered World War II, the Federal Government launched the Manhattan Project, an all-out, but highly secret, effort to build an atomic bomb—and to build one before the Germans did. The task was to translate the
  • Now They Can Be Told Aloud, Those Stoories of 'The Hill'
    Newspaper Article - Santa Fe New Mexican
    This article describes the secrecy and censorship that affected New Mexico during the original development of the Atomic Bomb. It was published the same day (August 6, 1945) that President Truman revealed the Atomic bomb had been dropped on
  • Trinity Site - Camera Bunker
    Photograph - Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress
    Photograph of the interior of one of the camera bunkers at the Trinity Site, White Sands Missile Range. Photo was taken in April of 1984, years after
  • Trinity Site - Explosion
    Photograph - LANL PA-98-0520
    Photograph of Trinity Site atomic bomb explosion, 0.016 second after explosion on July 16, 1945. The viewed hemisphere's highest point in this image is about 200 meters
  • Trinity Site - Map
    Map - Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress
    This is a map of the Manhattan Project sites. The document highlights the detonation site at White Sands, NM and the atomic testing.  HAER (Historic American Engineering Record) complied this information after 1968. LOC: HAER NM,27-ALMOG.V,1A-
  • Trinity Site - Survey Photo
    Photograph - Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress
    Photo of Trinity Site, location of the first atomic detonation. This photo was taken by a survey team years later. One can see the ranch house and barn.  HAER (Historic American Engineering Record) photographers took this photo in April,

Bataan Death March

  • 200th Prepares to Depart for West Coast
    Newspaper Article - Clovis News Journal
    This article establishes the time frame for the movement of the 200th Coast Artillery to the West Coast and eventual transport to the
  • Death March Victim Safe
    Newspaper Article - Santa Fe New Mexican
    This is an article provided by a survivor of the Bataan Death March, who escaped and hid for nearly three years before rejoining U. S.
  • National Guard Gets Its Order to Mobilize
    Newspaper Article - Clovis News Journal
    Five New Mexico National Guard units in the 200th Coast Artillery received orders on January 3, 1941 to mobilize for a year's service. The 200th units were from Gallup, Santa Fe, Taos. Deming, and Clovis. The newly-formed 104th Anti-tank battalion,
  • Sgt. Kiesov, Once Reported Dead, Captive
    Newspaper Article - Santa Fe New Mexican
    This article written in December of 1942 tells of the status of the 200th Coast Artillery. The Death March occurred prior to this and Sgt. Kiesov survived

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