6 countries were racing to see who could apply the technology to their best advantage. A degree in physics combined with service in the U. S. Air Force placed Paul Luette in the perfect position to impact the advancing technology. Paul enlisted in the Air Force right aſter graduating from high school in Dumas, Texas. He used his G.I. bill to obtain his degree from the University of Texas and soon joined Sandia National Labs working in nuclear physics research and development. His team was responsible for designing, developing and testing high altitude nuclear weapons for the Federal Government. “I had a chance to become involved in the significant development of the hardware,” he said. e group tested their nuclear missiles, rockets and defense systems in the South Pacific, launching from tiny Johnson Island. His primary mission was testing nuclear bomb detonation at different altitudes and developing new weapons from start to finish. “We conducted quite a number of tests and evaluated the results,” he said. “We were always happy when we had a nice mushroom cloud, because that meant we were successful. Nobody knew what to expect” Paul’s group also helped create the Minuteman Missile. “e program itself started from nothing,” he continued. “We had a lot of high class people working with us, and it became a very successful program.” Johnson Island was extremely remote, at least a 24-hour flight from Hawaii. e civilian scientists would remain there for weeks at a time, so the military took them to Guam for R&R. Paul remembers swimming in the ocean, knowing it was full of sharks. When not conducting tests, he was in Los Alamos, New Mexico, working and living at the Sandia company compound there, which had everything residents needed – from hospitals to hairdressers. “We were doing a lot of interesting things,” he said. “Companies would come in and say, ‘we want you to think of doing this….’ It was fun to create something out of nothing.” It was at Sandia where he met his wife, Sandy, who was working there as a secretary. ey were married for 37 years until her death in 2013. eir son, Kurt, lives in San Antonio with his family, which prompted Paul to move to his home in Independence Hill Retirement Community in 2017. He is a social butterfly – participating in exercise classes and excursions. He’s also an avid reader who enjoys Independence Hill’s extensive library and an enthusiastic member of the wine tasting club. “I enjoy the social opportunities, you bet! Especially when they’ve got my favorite wine,” he said, which for the record, is Merlot. SENIOR MOMENT Neighborhood of Homes, Full Service Apartments and Assisted Living Join us for champagne brunch and tour of our neighborhood of homes. Thursday, January 31st, 2019 9:30am - 11:30am RSVP by January 28, 2019 20550 Huebner Road, San Antonio, Texas 78258 (210) 764-5260 www.independencevillage.com Lic #100102 Tour o f Homes Lic #100102 By Amy Morgan Nuclear Physicist Designed and Tested Rockets He Made Minuteman Missiles he years following World War II ushered in the nuclear age. e U.S. government had detonated two bombs, and T Paul Luette is an avid reader and spends a lot of time in the library at Independence Hill.
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countries were racing to see who could apply the technology to their best advantage. A degree in physics combined with service in the U. S. Air Force placed Paul Luette in the perfect position to impact the advancing technology.
Paul enlisted in the Air Force right after graduating from high school in Dumas, Texas. He used his G.I. bill to obtain his degree from the University of Texas and soon joined Sandia National Labs working in nuclear physics research and development. His team was responsible for designing, developing and testing high altitude nuclear weapons for the Federal Government.
“I had a chance to become involved in the significant development of the hardware,” he said. The group tested their nuclear missiles, rockets and defense systems in the South Pacific, launching from tiny Johnson Island. His primary mission was testing nuclear bomb detonation at different altitudes and developing new weapons from start to finish.
“We conducted quite a number of tests and evaluated the results,” he said. “We were always happy when we had a nice mushroom cloud, because that meant we were successful. Nobody knew what to expect” Paul’s group also helped create the Minuteman Missile.
“The program itself started from nothing,” he continued. “We had a lot of high class people working with us, and it became a very successful program.”
Johnson Island was extremely remote, at least a 24-hour flight from Hawaii. The civilian scientists would remain there for weeks at a time, so the military took them to Guam for R&R. Paul remembers swimming in the ocean, knowing it was full of sharks. When not conducting tests, he was in Los Alamos, New Mexico, working and living at the Sandia company compound there, which had everything residents needed – from hospitals to hairdressers.
“We were doing a lot of interesting things,” he said. “Companies would come in and say, ‘we want you to think of doing this….’ It was fun to create something out of nothing.” It was at Sandia where he met his wife, Sandy, who was working there as a secretary. They were married for 37 years until her death in 2013. Their son, Kurt, lives in San Antonio with his family, which prompted Paul to move to his home in Independence Hill Retirement Community in 2017. He is a social butterfly – participating in exercise classes and excursions. He’s also an avid reader who enjoys Independence Hill’s extensive library and an enthusiastic member of the wine tasting club.
“I enjoy the social opportunities, you bet! Especially when they’ve got my favorite wine,” he said, which for the record, is Merlot.
SENIOR MOMENT
Neighborhood of Homes, Full Service Apartments and Assisted Living
Join us for champagne brunch and tour of our
neighborhood of homes.
Thursday, January 31st, 20199:30am - 11:30am
RSVP by January 28, 2019
20550 Huebner Road, San Antonio, Texas 78258
(210) 764-5260www.independencevillage.com
Lic #100102
Tour of Homes
Lic #100102
By Amy Morgan
Nuclear Physicist Designed and Tested Rockets
He Made Minuteman Missiles
he years following World War II ushered in the nuclear age. The U.S. government had detonated two bombs, andT
Paul Luette is an avid reader and spends a lot of time in the library at Independence Hill.
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