World War II Honoree
Civilian on the Home Front
Edward Leon Yarbrough
Hometown
Cleveland, Tennessee
Honored By
Ronald Edward Yarbrough
Relationship
Son
SERVED IN THE U.S. WAR DEPARTMENT, ARMY SERVICES FORCES, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, MANHATTAN DISTRICT, TENNESSEE EASTMAN CORPORATION. HE WAS AWARDED A CERTIFICATE DATED AUGUST 6, 1945, SIGNED BY H. L. STIMSON, SECRETARY OF WAR. THE CERTIFICATE STATES: PARTICIPATED IN WORK ESSENTIAL TO THE PRODUCTION OF THE ATOMIC BOMB, THEREBY CONTRIBUTING TO THE SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION OF WWII. THIS CERTIFICATE IS AWARDED IN APPRECIATION OF EFFECTIVE SERVICE.' IN 1940 HE WAS INJURED IN A HUNTING ACCIDENT. HE WAS REJECTED FROM JOINING THE ARMY. HOWEVER, IN 1942, HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER ORDNANCE WORKS, LOCATED AT CHICAGO ILLINOIS FOR TRAINING. HE RECEIVED HIS TRAINING AT CHICAGO UNIVERSITY. WHILE IN ILLINOIS, HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS. FOLLOWING HIS TRAINING, WAS ASSIGNED TO OAK RIDGE, TENNESSEE. THE ORDERS WERE TOP SECURITY. AT OAK RIDGE HE WAS ASSIGNED TO A DORMITORY FOR SEVERAL MONTHS BEFORE HOUSING BECAME AVAILABLE FOR HIS FAMILY WAS ALLOWED TO JOIN HIM.