Coach Karamatic speaks with (l-r) Myers, Wong, Webb, Cassidy in 1951

In the 1940's Camp Hanford was established as a secret base of operations for the United States' atomic energy experimentation and continued as a Cold War nuclear power base.  Somewhat isolated, the DOE sponsored a football team to keep morale high in the lead up to the Korean War and the "Atomeers" took on other military rivals as well as area collegiate teams and even the Washington State Corrections team from Walla Walla somewhat comedically named the "Stealers".

The 1951 team would be led by the legendary George "Automatic" Karamatic, 1944 star of the Seattle Bombers, Gonzaga Athletic Hall of Famer, and member of the 1938 Washington Redskins of the National Football League, the 8th pick of round one.

The 1955 season was built aggressively with teams from California slated, but most of the season had to be canceled over security concerns and the escalation of tensions over the Korean and Cold War with the USSR.

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