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This interview with Gary Thompson is a follow-up to his 1997 oral history (OH1514). Gary talks about his education and his work in the military industrial complex, which included arsenals of nerve gas, Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles, and nuclear warheads. Much of the interview explores the philosophical and ethical precedence for arms production and deterrence through military might. Gary describes his own feelings in opposition to those of environmentalists, protestors, and pacifists. He makes the case for a strong US defense{u2014}including nuclear weapons{u2014}and downplays fears about radiation exposure as a result of production activities.

This interview was recorded at the Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center during a weekend of activities commemorating the 1978 demonstrations at the Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant. Daniel Ellsberg is asked to explain his personal knowledge of U.S. military policy in general, and nuclear weapons in particular, which came to bear on his participation in the Rocky Flats sustained civil disobedience. Ellsberg describes his fears of nuclear proliferation, the neutron bomb, and the possibility of an accident that would have planet-threatening repercussions. He becomes emotional discussing the death of a close friend - attributed to radiation exposure - and correlates that loss with what transpired in 1978's year-long occupation of the train tracks leading into Rocky Flats. Much of the second half of this recording explores Ellsberg's recollection of how the blockade moved from a short symbolic action to one of extended protest.

Jan Pilcher got involved with activism and organizing around Rocky Flats in the early 1970s. She helped create the booklet "Local Hazard, Global Threat," which framed citizens{u2019} concerns about Flats{u2019} operation as well as concerns about disarmament and contamination. In this interview, Jan talks about how she learned about Rocky Flats, the formative experiences that led to her pacifist philosophy, her work on Rocky Flats issues{u2014}working with citizens, scientists, and the media{u2014}as well as lessons learned about engaging with public, private, and governmental entities.

Jack Weaver began his 35-year career at Rocky Flats in 1961, doing outdoor physical labor and then quickly moving into chemical operations, where he advanced to foreman, and then shift manager, and then operations manager for building 771. He also worked in the Health and Safety Department. In this interview, Jack gives a narrative of his career, including descriptions of chemical processes, building construction and maintenance (both 771 and 371), infinity rooms, site deconstruction, and prospects for Rocky Flats{u2019} ultimate cleanup. He also talks about the Cold War, the buildup of nuclear weapons as a military deterrent, and his feelings about opposition to Rocky Flats. At the time of this oral history, Jack was working as a fixed-price contractor for Los Alamos Technical Associates, lending historic knowledge to the cleanup efforts.