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Army Air Forces had modified its most advanced bomber, the B-29, and had created a new, special military unit for delivering atomic bombs. The beginning of the Enola Gay's mission was the culmination of over a year's work. Soon, at 2:45 a.m., the aircraft takes off. Groves is determined that this moment in history will not go unrecorded.
#ENOLA GAY PILOT AND CREW MOVIE#
Movie cameramen and photographers surround the crew. Paul Tibbets, to expect "a little publicity," but Tibbets and his crew are surprised by the scene on the tarmac. Leslie Groves, the head of the Manhattan Project, had warned the Enola Gay's commander, Col. Bathed in floodlights, the B-29 Enola Gay awaits the start of its historic mission: to drop the first atomic bomb on Japan. Source: The Last Act: The Atomic Bomb and the End of World War II by the Curators of the National Air and Space MuseumĪugust 6, 1945, 2:00 a.m., Tinian Island, the Central Pacific. This unit's mission was so secret that, with few exceptions, the nature of its weapons was concealed even from its members. The beginning of the "Enola Gay's" mission was the culmination of over a year's work. Soon thereafter, at 2:45 a.m., the aircraft took off. Groves is determined that this is one moment in history that was not going to go unrecorded. Movie cameramen, photographers and reporters surround the crew.
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Paul Tibbets, to expect "a little publicity," but Tibbets and his crew are stunned by the scene on the tarmac.
![enola gay pilot and crew enola gay pilot and crew](https://www.hometownheroesradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/EnolaGay-1.jpg)
Leslie Groves, had warned the "Enola Gay's" commander, Col. Bathed in floodlights, the B-29 "Enola Gay" awaits take-off on an historic mission: dropping the first atomic bomb on Japan. Source: The entire first draft of the script can be found in Judgement at the Smithsonian (New York: Marlowe & Company, 1995)Īugust 6, 1945, 2:00 a.m., Tinian Island, the Central Pacific. UNIT 4: "ENOLA GAY": THE B-29 AND THE ATOMIC MISSIONS "Over the years, 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.Enola Gay Exhibit, First Draft-Final Draft The vast majority have expressed gratitude that the509th Composite group consisting of 1700 men, 15 B-29s and 6 C-54s were able to deliver the bombs that ended the war," comments Brigadier General Paul W. "In the past sixty years since Hiroshima I have received many letters from people all over the world. They have steadfastly taken that stance for the past six decades. The surviving members of the Enola Gay crew - Paul W Tibbets (pilot), Theodore J "Dutch" Van Kirk (navigator) and Morris R Jeppson (weapon test officer) - have repeatedly and humbly proclaimed that, "The use of the atomic weapon was a necessary moment in history. To spare the world a horrific invasion and to save American, allied, and Japanese lives was literally the only course of prudent action. The availability of those weapons in the American arsenal left President Truman no choice but to use them. The second atomic weapon was delivered over Nagasaki by the B-29 Superfortress Bocks Car three days later. Ignoring the obvious military situation, the Japanese Prime Minister Baron Kantaro Suzuki issued the Japanese refusal to surrender which included these words: "there is no other recourse but to ignore it entirely and resolutely fight for the successful conclusion of the war." The alternative," they said, "for Japan is prompt and utter destruction". Together with Great Britain's Churchill, and Russia's Stalin, the President of the United States urged the Japanese to "proclaim the unconditional surrender of all Japanese armed forces. President Truman made one last demand, one final appeal. The summer of 1945 was indeed an anxious one as allied and American forces gathered for the inevitable invasion of the Japanese homeland. This year, 2005, marks the sixtieth year since the end of World War II. On this occasion, the surviving members of the Enola Gay crew would like the opportunity to issue a joint statement. The surviving members of the Enola Gay crew say their mission was just