"the making of the atomic bomb."
Curiously, it produced a sense of pride in the engineering of the "gadget." It solved the problem of how to bring the war to a quick conclusion.
I lost an uncle in Okinawa, and I am chagrined about the popularity of Japanese cars. I wouldn't accept one as a gift. One associate was brainwashed about his new Honda, and I asked him to truthfully report on any problems in this "problem-free" car. Sure enough, he had a breakdown on the highway, and they came to tow it away. "They didn't charge for towing, and they provided a loaner during the repair." Very consoling!
Incidentally, during a tour of Oak Ridge, TN, I talked to a local at a shopping center, and he gave some insights about living and working there during the war. He said that when certain individuals learned what they were really working on, they ran for the hills. They really got spooked. I had a later job offer to work down there, and somehow I couldn't get too excited about it.