Captain and crew of the enola gay
Tibbets, Jr., commander of the 509th Composite Group, on while still on the assembly line as the B-29 he would use to fly the atomic bomb mission. Martin Company at its Omaha, Nebraska, plant and personally selected by Colonel Paul W. The plane was one of 15 B-29s with the final "Silverplate" modifications necessary to deliver nuclear bombs.
#Captain and crew of the enola gay serial number#
Udvar-Hazy Center annex near Dulles International Airport in Virginia.Ĭolonel Paul Tibbets waving from Enola Gay's cockpit before the bombing of HiroshimaĮnola Gay (B-29-45-MO, serial number 44-86292, victor number 82) was assigned to the USAAF's 393rd Bomb Squadron, 509th Composite Group and flew the August 6 mission out of Tinian, a large island with several USAAF bases in the Mariana Islands chain. In 2003, Enola Gay went on display at NASM's new Steven F. The plane gained additional national attention in 1994 when an exhibit at the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution was changed due to a controversy over its historical script. Because of its role in the atomic bombings of Japan, its name has been synonymous with the controversy over the bombings themselves. But I am totally convinced, having studied the issue, that as horribly destructive as it was, it did shorten the war and saved far more American and allied (and even Japanese) lives than if the war continued.Enola Gay is the B-29 Superfortress bomber that dropped "Little Boy", the first atomic bomb ever used in warfare, when the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) attacked Hiroshima, Japan on August 6, 1945, just before the end of World War II. One could argue, and many still do, the strategic and moral significance of this one act. He was unapologetic of his role in dropping the atomic bomb and harbored no guilt. But he was not afraid to speak his mind, and the troops loved him for this. Sadly, these views spoken openly today would certainly be cause for immediate lynching. He had strong feelings about aspects of our then current military and society, which also delighted us all. His talk was inspirational, captivating and completely not politically correct, to the extreme delight of my troops and myself. My immediate impression was a decisive, fearless man of unwavering aplomb, not given to small talk, fools or humor. Not many general officers, even those retired and with no historic weight to their name, would allow such lack of formality. But he insisted on it. He drove up, parked, got out and shook hands. The general’s arrival was inauspicious and informal. He insisted the audience be our team only. He declined press coverage and all offers to expand the audience to the many SEAL teams and larger Navy presence in the San Diego area. Tibbets did visit my command and addressed our troops. The young sailor thanked me and we parted with me still a little skeptical but sincerely hoping this was sincere. I outwardly embraced the idea and told him to bring his uncle in at his earliest convenience. “Yes sir, that’s him,” responded the young sailor rather casually.
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Paul Tibbets, the pilot of the B-29 Enola Gay who dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima?” The name seemed somewhat familiar, and with a half-hearted attempt at humor I asked, “You mean Gen. Not eager to allow just any "uncle" to occupy our troops’ valuable time, I politely asked his uncle’s name. A decade later, as the commanding officer of a special team in Coronado, California, a young sailor asked me if his uncle could visit and talk to our troops.