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American History
Related: About this forumA nuclear reactor was melting down. Jimmy Carter came to the rescue.
As a 28-year-old Navy lieutenant, Carter was one of the few people on the planet authorized to go inside a damaged nuclear reactor
![](https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/RQ5WWJALWBDDTE7S7BRTDMOEMQ.jpg)
The world was in the grip of the Cold War in 1952 when a nuclear reactor began melting down.
That reactor, located at Chalk River Laboratories in Ontario, had suffered an explosion on Dec. 12. Radioactive material had escaped into the atmosphere, and millions of gallons of radioactive water flooded into the reactors basement. Thankfully, no one was injured, but the Canadians needed help to disassemble the reactors damaged core.
The United States sent 28-year-old Jimmy Carter.
(snip)
![](https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/RQH6XPQTBBAABNJ36NLK6F4GXE.png)
In one minute and 29 seconds, Carter had absorbed the maximum amount of radiation a human can withstand in a year.
(snip)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2023/02/20/jimmy-carter-nuclear-reactor-navy/
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A nuclear reactor was melting down. Jimmy Carter came to the rescue. (Original Post)
Uncle Joe
May 2024
OP
bucolic_frolic
(48,574 posts)1. What a wedding photo!
And what a Fairy Tale life! As patriotic as Eisenhower, truly traditional values, always doing his best for America.
Rhiannon12866
(227,930 posts)2. I highly recommend his autobiography "A Full Life: Reflections at 90"
He really has led a fascinating life, early life in rural Georgia, graduated from Annapolis, his brilliant career in the Navy which he gave up when his father died to run the family farm, his time on the school board when he attempted to get better conditions and books for segregated schools, his first run for public office when he uncovered cheating - I have it on disc, read by the author, and I don't think he even got to his run for president until disc #5.