Harold Agnew Signed Index Card (PSA) WWII Manhatten Project Physicist Project Alberta

"**Hand-Signed Index Card by WWII 509th Composite Group Scientist Harold Agnew — Encapsulated by PSA/DNA Authentication Services**

Offered for auction is an exceptionally rare **hand-signed index card by Harold Agnew**, a key scientific figure in the development and deployment of the atomic bomb during World War II. This original signature has been **professionally encapsulated by PSA/DNA Authentication Services**, ensuring its authenticity and long-term preservation.

---

### **About Harold Agnew**

**Harold Melvin Agnew (1921–2013)** was a prominent American physicist and a vital member of the **Manhattan Project** and **509th Composite Group**, the U.S. Army Air Forces unit charged with delivering atomic weapons during World War II. As part of **Project Alberta**, Agnew was instrumental in designing instrumentation and monitoring the effects of the atomic bomb detonated over **Hiroshima** on **August 6, 1945**.

Agnew flew aboard the B-29 **“The Great Artiste”**, the instrumentation aircraft that accompanied **Enola Gay** during the Hiroshima mission. He carried monitoring equipment to collect critical data on the bomb's detonation. Agnew’s contributions to nuclear physics extended well beyond the war—he later became Director of the **Los Alamos National Laboratory** and served as an influential scientific adviser to the U.S. government during the Cold War era.

---

### **About the 509th Composite Group**

The **509th Composite Group** was a specially formed unit of the United States Army Air Forces established in 1944 to execute the mission of delivering atomic weapons. Trained in utmost secrecy and based on **Tinian Island**, the 509th was comprised of elite airmen, scientists, and support personnel—including members of the Manhattan Project.

Under the command of **Colonel Paul Tibbets**, the 509th carried out the **only two wartime atomic bombings** in history: **Hiroshima** on August 6, 1945, and **Nagasaki** on August 9, 1945. Aircraft like the **Enola Gay**, **Bockscar**, and **The Great Artiste** played pivotal roles in these missions, supported by scientific experts such as Harold Agnew.

The success of these missions contributed directly to the Japanese surrender and the conclusion of World War II, solidifying the 509th Composite Group’s place in world history.

---

### **Item Details**

- **Signer**: Harold Agnew

- **Role**: Project Alberta / Scientific Staff – Hiroshima Mission

- **Affiliation**: Manhattan Project / 509th Composite Group

- **Format**: Hand-signed index card

- **Authentication**: **Encapsulated by PSA/DNA Authentication Services**

- **Condition**: Signature is clean, bold, and well-preserved

---

This signed and encapsulated index card offers a rare opportunity to own an authentic piece of atomic history. Harold Agnew’s role in the Hiroshima mission and the broader context of the Manhattan Project makes this item a highly desirable addition to collections of **WWII memorabilia**, **nuclear history**, or **military aviation artifacts**."

A portion of the sale of this auction will be donated to the General James. H Doolittle Scholarship Fund. The General James H. Doolittle Scholarship Fund was founded to assist college students by awarding one scholarship annually in the maximum amount of $5,000 to a deserving student who is pursuing a baccalaureate or advanced degree in aeronautical engineering or an aerospace science. Students are selected based on their scholastic achievement, school and community participation, demonstrated leadership potential and financial need. More information can be found at the Doolittle Scholarship Funds’ website.

The autograph(s) has been authenticated and encapsulated by PSA/DNA for authenticity purposes.

Authentication: PSA Encapsulated

Due to the uniqueness of each item, please refer to the photos provided in this auction. We offer high resolution images of each item rather than a written description of condition.

This item is being shipped from the Pristine Auction warehouse.