Enola Gay Pilot passes away
 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21578185/

With the war being more than 60 years ago, the guys who fought it are getting scarce. It's sad that living history is dissappearing.

another thread was started but closed to the 4 letter word

so lets all say the word JAPANESE together


RIP

If you had just posted that the pilot of the Enola Gay had passed away without the link...I wonder what percentage of FTE folks would know what event was invloved?

My guess is that the percentage would be rather low...taken as a whole...much higher amongst say 50+...much lower amongst the younger generations.

Godspeed, Colonel Tibbets

:-partybud

RIP....

About 500,000 to 1-millions soldiers/sailors/marines/airmen who actually lived through the war have you and a few others to thank for not dying during the invasion of the Japanese mainland.......

(and God only knows how many Japanese)

Hey now, we aren't that bad. I recognized the name Enola Gay and knew what it was about before I opened the thread. The B-52 bomber that dropped the first atomic bomb on Japan, they didn't surrender and we dropped another one. But also, I can agree cause to some extend what you said is true.

Can any of us begin to imagine what was in this mans mind for 62+ years? He did his job - and, as cmpd stated, saved countless lives by doing it. He will have no headstone or funeral for fear of desecration or giving protesters a stage. Do you suppose a detail could be mustered for his services to ensure order?
As far as I personally am concerned, Col. 'Birdie' Tibbets legacy does not require a headstone. His legacy lives in those who wear the uniform and do their duty.

B-52 was't made yet. It was a B-29.
Big Ken, I guess you were half right anyway :)

B-52????? :-missingt
I don't think so,,,, It was not around yet.

OOOPPPS!
Is there an echo here?

Son of WWII Vet.
My Dad,
Army Air Corps.
European Operations

He did know the event, that's true. Im not raggin' you, BB, but I can't help my nature of jumpin on that sort of thing.

"Can any of us begin to imagine what was in this mans mind for 62+ years? "

His great legacy was that he spoke his mind so we don't have to wonder!

Back in WWII there was zero reason to think twice about turning an enemy city into an ashtray, which they did (not just with nukes, but passing the "firebreak distinction" with conventional incendiaries) with courage and style.

I admire those tough people and their outlook on destroying not just military forces but the responsible enemy nation itself. Our side won because they didn't play around, and instead of later generations childish beliefs these men had real experience with the enemy.

His website:
http://www.theenolagay.com/

Some un-PC Tibbets quotes from elsewhere with the expletives deleted:

"We’ve never fought a ---- war anywhere in the world where they didn’t kill innocent people. If the newspapers would just cut out the ----: 'You’ve killed so many civilians.' That’s their tough luck for being there."

""You can take a fly swatter and kill a bunch of flies, but what the ----, you don't need to count them."

""If you give me the same circumstances, ---- yeah, I'd do it again."

I salute BG Tibbets (he stayed in to help develop the B-47 and build the Cold War USAF) and everyone like him who helped build US airpower.

Watch the movie "Strategic Air Command" for some very good footage of the post-WWII forces they built. Actor Jimmy Stewart was also a WWII combat pilot who made Colonel in WWII and BG afterwards!

How's this for a legacy?

"His grandson Lt. Col. Paul Tibbets, IV, as of 2005 is a pilot in the U.S. Air Force, flying a B-2 Spirit for the 509th Bomb Wing, the same unit that his grandfather commanded."

Really?

Did you sleep through history class?

i can't beleive i was just stereotyped!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

anyway, God bless and i am glad he could live a long life and share his experience with others. a true part of history.

Thanks for the link. Didn't know the site existed.
:-X22