6, 1945, a city died, and 70,000 of its inhabitants. He relayed the news of the atomic bomb to his superiors in code, who forwarded it to President Truman. In order to carry the enormous weapon, the plane had been stripped of anything non-essential. Richard Nelson was the youngest of the Enola Gay crew. The plane is a B-29 Superfortress which had been named after pilot Paul Tibbets’ mother.
War is hell indeed, and the pain inflicted on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was no greater than that suffered by countless millions during the six years from 1939 to 1945. A fter the Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, on Aug. Ian Harvey, Guest Author Getty Images On August 6, 1945, the Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima, Japan. However, these persons would do well to remember Sherman’s words. To this day, some critics condemn President Truman’s decision to use nuclear weapons. Today the Enola Gay is on display in a hangar at Washington Dulles international Airport. Officials did put the aircraft’s fuselage on display in 1995 several protesters were later arrested for throwing red paint, ash, and blood on the display.ĭespite the controversy, the planes restoration continued.
Controversy led to the event’s cancellation. However, both the American Legion and the Air Force Association objected to elements of the planned exhibit, saying that they focused too much attention on the death and damage caused by the bombing. Tens of thousands of people died instantly and more died from the radioactive effects. The only member of the crew in the know was the Enola Gays pilot, Colonel Paul Tibbets Jr. The crew were trained to operate the planes, but they were not told just what bomb they were carrying until take-off on August 6. In 1995, the Smithsonian planned to display the aircraft in observance of the 50th anniversary of World War II’s end. Theodore Dutch Van Kirk was the last surviving crew member of the Enola Gay, the plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and introduced the world to nuclear weapons. The B-29 Superfortress bomber named Enola Gay had been (with 14 others) specially modified to carry the weight of an atomic bomb yet still fly high and fast. Restoration of the Enola Gay began on December 5, 1984. His aircraft was transferred to an airbase in Roswell, New Mexico.Īfter the war, it was sent to Davis-Moncton Air Force Base in Arizona, and from there to various locations until 1961, when the Smithsonian took possession of its dismantled components. Theodore 'Dutch' Van Kirk was the navigator on that plane. B-29 Superfortress that dropped the first atomic bomb in World War II over Hiroshima, Japan. Colonel Tibbets landed his plane on a base at Tinian after a total of 12 hours and 13 minutes in flight, receiving the Distinguished Service Cross soon thereafter. JLast Enola Gay Crewman Dies At 93 Melissa Stusinski The final Enola Gay crewman died on Monday of natural causes at the age of 93. The Enola Gay and its two companion aircraft returned safely from their mission.