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Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 877
| Subject: NSR - Paul Tibbetts, pilot of B-29 ENOLA GAY, dies
From the BBC this morning -
The commander of the B-29 plane that dropped the first atomic bomb, on Hiroshima in Japan in World War II, has died at the age of 92.
Paul Warfield Tibbets Jr died at his home in Columbus, Ohio.
The five-ton "Little Boy" bomb was dropped on the morning of 6 August 1945, killing about 140,000 Japanese. Many others died later.
On the 60th anniversary of the bombing, the three surviving crew members of the Enola Gay said they had "no regrets".
'No headstone'
A friend of the retired brigadier-general told AP news agency Paul Tibbets had died after a two-month decline in health.
The bomb killed 140,000 Japanese and many more died later
Gen Tibbets had asked for no funeral nor headstone as he feared opponents of the bombing may use it as a place of protest, the friend, Gerry Newhouse, said.
The bombing of Hiroshima marked the beginning of the end of the war in the Pacific.
Japan surrendered shortly after a second bomb was dropped, on Nagasaki, three days later.
On the 60th anniversary of Hiroshima, the surviving members of the Enola Gay crew - Gen Tibbets, Theodore J "Dutch" Van Kirk (the navigator) and Morris R Jeppson (weapon test officer) said: "The use of the atomic weapon was a necessary moment in history. We have no regrets".
Gen Tibbets said then: "Thousands of former soldiers and military family members have expressed a particularly touching and personal gratitude suggesting that they might not be alive today had it been necessary to resort to an invasion of the Japanese home islands to end the fighting."
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Master and Commander
Posts: 1431
| Subject: RE: NSR - Paul Tibbetts, pilot of B-29 ENOLA GAY, dies
The man did his job and I believe he actually saved lives of both the Americans and Japanese by bring the war to an end without invading the Japanese homeland. |
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Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 561
| Subject: RE: NSR - Paul Tibbetts, pilot of B-29 ENOLA GAY, dies
HAND SALUTE, General Tibbetts, job well done.
You will live in history and those of us who know and understand THANK YOU.
T.Spoon, DBF |
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Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 877
| Subject: RE: NSR - Paul Tibbetts, pilot of B-29 ENOLA GAY, dies
I often think that if the war had gone on... my father would have been drafted then possibly killed. I wouldn't be here, nor my brothers, if my father had been killed.
Thank you, General Tibbetts. |
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COMSUBBBS
Posts: 3202
Location: Alexandria, Virginia | Subject: RE: NSR - Paul Tibbetts, pilot of B-29 ENOLA GAY, dies
I wasn't yet old enough to understand and appreciate the meaning of what the dropping of those two bombs meant to the liberty loving people of the world, when they were dropped. I was barely out of three-cornered pants. As I grew to maturity and came to appreciate what those brave men did, I have felt nothing but admiration for the courageous crews who flew those two missions. Nobody really knew if the delayed detonations would be enough to provide the aircraft time and distance to clear the drop site or the effects of the radiation and concussion cycle on the aircraft. Admiral Arliegh Burke said it best..."I hope the souls entombed in the Arizona and other vessels at Pearl heard both explosions, wherever thier hammocks are hung this night." Go with God, Gen. Tibbetts, you served this nation with honor and distinction. |
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Old Salt
Posts: 431
| Subject: RE: NSR - Paul Tibbetts, pilot of B-29 ENOLA GAY, dies
Col Tibbetts
Thank you for saving many lives my future father in law also.
you did your duty and did it well, we can ask no more
As an ex military I give you the highest honor I personally can.
RIP
Hand salute,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,2 |
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Master and Commander
Posts: 1893
Location: Patterson, New York | Subject: RE: NSR - Paul Tibbetts, pilot of B-29 ENOLA GAY, dies
Long ago I read a book about this whole project. It was very interesting. Loads of detail.
When the game Trivial Pursuit came out, one of the questions was "name the plane that dropped the first atomic bomb". The answer seemed so obscure to everyone else, they accused me of peeking at the answers. |
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COMSUBBBS
Posts: 3673
Location: Kansas City Missouri | Subject: RE: NSR - Paul Tibbetts, pilot of B-29 ENOLA GAY, dies
While watching the NBC evening news it was reported, as Jim M. posted earlier, that Gen. Tibbets had asked for no funeral nor headstone.
I must be getting older, faster than I thought I would. I am saddened by the fact that this man would rather be interred anonymously than allow others the ability to protest near his final resting place. That, makes him a true hero, at least to me. |
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Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 877
| Subject: RE: NSR - Paul Tibbetts, pilot of B-29 ENOLA GAY, dies
General Tibbetts' memorial is on display.. the ENOLA GAY is finally assembled in one piece and proudly displayed at the Air and Space Museum extension at Dulles International Airport.
 (enola_gay.jpg)
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 enola_gay.jpg (73KB - 941 downloads)
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Old Salt
Posts: 256
| Subject: RE: NSR - Paul Tibbetts, pilot of B-29 ENOLA GAY, dies
I believe he wanted his ashes to be sown over the English Channel, he'd flown mission there
in B-17 before joining the special B-29 Bomb Group...The aircraft itself is a very fitting memorial.
Yes, his act saved hundreds of thousands of lives, American and Japanese. The almost mindless
savagery of the Kamikaze attacks at Okinawa probably helped the US decide to use the A-bomb.
I was seven years old at WW II's end, years later at Johnson Island I saw first hand what a small
exo-atmospheric A-bomb explosion looked like. It is something I'll never forget......Four people on
open bridge of the old USS John S. MCain DL-3, the CO, NASA photographer, QMC and the OOD (me).
Tincanman
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Old Salt
Posts: 256
| Subject: RE: NSR - Paul Tibbetts, pilot of B-29 ENOLA GAY, dies
I believe he wanted his ashes to be sown over the English Channel, he'd flown mission there
in B-17 before joining the special B-29 Bomb Group...The aircraft itself is a very fitting memorial.
Yes, his act saved hundreds of thousands of lives, American and Japanese. The almost mindless
savagery of the Kamikaze attacks at Okinawa probably helped the US decide to use the A-bomb.
I was seven years old at WW II's end, years later at Johnson Island I saw first hand what a small
exo-atmospheric A-bomb explosion looked like. It is something I'll never forget......
Tincanman
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Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 877
| Subject: RE: NSR - Paul Tibbetts, pilot of B-29 ENOLA GAY, dies
General Tibbets flew a complete tour of missions over the Channel in the Eighth Air Force. He was one of the first B-17 commanders to fly missions over occupied Europe. If I recall correctly, Tibbets brought or helped to bring the first B-17 bomb groups to England.
Bob Morgan, who was pilot of MEMPHIS BELLE, wrote in his autobiography that Tibbets jokingly complained that Morgan flew the most famous B-17 when he (Tibbets) was the first to fly them over Europe. Morgan countered that Tibbets did the same thing.. Morgan became a colonel and led the first B-29 raids in the Pacific..and yet Tibbets flew the most famous B-29... |
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COMSUBBBS
Posts: 3202
Location: Alexandria, Virginia | Subject: RE: NSR - Paul Tibbetts, pilot of B-29 ENOLA GAY, dies
Jim, For years the aircraft was stored out at the Silver Hill Restoration Center for the Air and Space Museum. When I was the West District Manager, the British Government gave the last surviving COMET trans oceanic passenger plane to the United States for inclusion in the then yet to be built Dulles facility. We initially stored the disassembled fusalage in the Franconia Supply Depot grounds. The mothballed aircraft sections arrived via the RF&P (Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac) Railroad, the Franconia Depot having a spur off the main Alexandria to Richmond railbed. When the Air and Space Museum folks picked the sections up for relocation to the Silver Hill Restoration Center, it required four monster flatbed trucks. We followed the procession behind several Virginia State Trooper cars. When we got to Silver Hill, we found that the sections were located next to the stored sectionsof the ENOLA GAY that were being worked on for display...At the time they were fabricating 50 ammo feeding trays for the gun mounts. The restoration superintendant said that the Smithsonian was very worried about the sensitive people (remind you of anyone) who hyad never come to terms with the devistation wrought by the decision to drop both loads. He smiled..."But if you talk to any guy who was staging for the home island landings, you can bet cher butt, he would have only one complaint...What took you guys so long to invent those wonderful devices??" and they often say,"God Bless Harry Truman." DEX |
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NSR - Paul Tibbetts, pilot of B-29 ENOLA GAY, dies
