attributed to Groves by Vice Admiral William H.P. Blandy, in Blandy, "Operation Crossroads: The Story of the Air and Underwater Tests of the Atomic Bomb at Bikini," Army Ordnance 31, no. 160 (January-February 1947), 341-343, full quote as listed above is the pull-quote on page 341, with attribution on page 343 ("At present, the best defense is distance, or as General Groves put it, the best defense is to not be there when it goes off").
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At present the best defense against the atomic bomb is to not be there when it goes off.
— Leslie Groves
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "At present the best defense against the atomic bomb is to not be there when it goes off." in the context of "attributed to Groves by Vice Admiral William H.P. Blandy, in Blandy, "Operation Crossroads: The Story of the Air and Underwater Tests of the Atomic Bomb at Bikini," Army Ordnance 31, no. 160 (January-February 1947), 341-343, full quote as listed above is the pull-quote on page 341, with attribution on page 343 ("At present, the best defense is distance, or as General Groves put it, the best defense is to not be there when it goes off")." to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Leslie Groves" (Quotes)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
About Leslie Groves
Lieutenant General Leslie Richard Groves Jr. (August 17, 1896 – July 13, 1970) was a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officer, famous as the director of the Manhattan Project.
About Leslie Groves
Lieutenant General Leslie Richard Groves Jr. (August 17, 1896 – July 13, 1970) was a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officer, famous as the director of the Manhattan Project.
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