They claimed that if we went into Japan, we would have lost millions. I’m sure we would have lost an awful lot of men. "I think we all agreed with him that he made the right decision of bombing Hiroshima. It took two bombs to make the Japanese realize what was going to happen to them." - Mildred Pogue Gardner, Lincoln University of Nebraska student. "We knew that the cost of lives was going to be just unreal, that was the justification for it and that was the justification that we had to take too. You’d think it would cure everybody of ever starting a war again, but it hasn’t." - Rose Marie Murphy Christensen, Columbus Grade school student. It was a terrible, terrible thing, and it’s too bad, but there were a lot of people who got killed in that war. They started it and they had their chance, and even after we dropped the first one, they didn’t give up, so we had todrop the second one. Visit the Smithsonian website on the Enola Gay. The debate over how the war was won has continued. Udvar-Hazy Center outside Dulles Airport in northern Virginia. Now, the entire restored plane is displayed at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. But there was so much disagreement over the plane’s mission that the exhibit was closed. The Enola Gay was restored and parts of the plane were put on exhibit at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum between 19. It made its final flight on December 2, 1953, when it was flown to Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. flew the plane to Park Ridge, Illinois, a storage site for the Smithsonian Institution. The flight took Doc to Whiteman AFB, Missouri to be part of the Wings Over Whiteman Airshow and open house June 10th and 11th, to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the Air Force.After her mission, the Enola Gay was returned to the United States in 1946 and stored in Arizona for several years. This helps us connect those that are here today to those that have come before us, and how important it is to understand what they did for us.
They’re going to get to educate tens of thousands of people about the B-29 because they poured their heart and souls into this airplane. “We’re excited for (the volunteers), and their continued work.
“When you think about Doc and you think about Fifi and all these warbirds that we have, they’re labors of love,” he said. Tibbets IV emphasized his appreciation for the time and effort the volunteers put into restoring Doc and bringing this piece of history back to life. It’ll be a great time to chat and catch up over our hour-long flight.”
“I’ve known (Tibbets IV) for years and we’ll each get a turn to fly. “Doc is a piece of history, and the Tibbets name is historic because anyone who knows WWII knows about the general’s grandfather, Paul Tibbets Jr.,” said Novak. “When we have the opportunity to embrace that kind of heritage and that kind of history, it’s a real privilege and an honor.”īefore the flight, Doc’s pilot, Mark Novak, described the significance of having Tibbets IV on board. “It’s really about upholding the legacy of those who have come before,” he said. Now, 72 years after the historic WWII mission and nearly 10 years after the passing of his grandfather, Tibbets IV, who is traditionally a B-1 Lancer pilot and currently a B-2 Spirit pilot, once again boarded a B-29 to honor his grandfather. It was a great opportunity for me to be with him.” He and I got to fly Fifi together, which was awesome. “He had given up aviation and had not flown in any aircraft in a very long time. “The only time I ever flew with my grandfather was with Fifi,” said Tibbets IV. Paul Tibbets Jr., who piloted the B-29 Enola Gay when the aircraft and its crew dropped an atomic bomb on Japan, helping end World War II. In 1998, Tibbets IV, flew Fifi with his grandfather, retired Brig. Taking control of the aircraft means he has now flown the only two currently operational B-29s, Doc and Fifi. Paul Tibbets IV, the 509th Bomb Wing commander. (AFNS) - Wichita’s beloved B-29 Superfortress, Doc, took to the skies yet again June 9, 2017, from McConnell Air Force Base, this time with an added aspect of historical significance and Air Force heritage.