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The Passing of a Hero
Posted by: LC 0311 crunchie I.M.H. in American Heroes, Heroism, History, Our Military9:29 PM
As many of you are aware, Gen. Paul Tibbets, the pilot of the Enola Gay, passed away in Columbus Ohio Thursday. On August 6 1945, his crew dropped an atomic bomb named “Little Boy” on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, which combined with the dropping of “Fat Man” on Nagasaki three days later forced the Japanese to surrender. Every US soldier, sailor, and Marine waiting to invade Japan breathed a sigh of relief. Many of them were veterans of past amphibious assaults and held no illusions about what awaited them. One of them was my uncle Ed who remained convinced until the day he died that his number was up if they had to invade. Like he had told me, “A man has just so much luck, and I burned through what I had on Iwo.” Instead he passed a quiet tour of occupation duty in Nagasaki.
Later, the anti-nuke crowd and historical revisionists would try and cast aspersions on the “morality” of using nukes on an entrenched and fanatical enemy who preferred death over surrender. The Smithsonian even tried to change a display on the Enola Gay into an ant-war, anti-nuke propaganda hit piece. Protests from WWII vets ended that, even though the curators remained unapologetic over their slandering of a true hero.
The Japanese were determined to fight on. They had an untouched air force hidden in caves, still had millions of men under arms, and were even training school children to fight with bamboo spears. If we had been forced to invade, easily 1 million Americans would have been killed or wounded, and I believe the entire Japanese race would have been destroyed. By dropping that bomb, the war was ended and lives saved. Period.
In Col. Tibbets’ own words, “I didn’t bomb Pearl Harbor. I didn’t start the war, but I was going to finish it.”
Unfortunately, the Hate America Firsters have decided that we were a vengeful nation and that Japan was a victim. Tibbets has requested that there be no funeral or headstone, fearing it would give his detractors a place to protest.
My uncle would have a few choice “words” for anyone who dared desecrate the memory of this great man.
Sleep Well General Paul Tibbets, and know that many who would surely have died, American and Japanese alike, lived and loved because of you and your crew.
Requiescat in pacem .
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As I recall, his home life after his return was “less than satisfying” also. All around, I think he was pretty badly treated here at home a different points in his life. Pretty crummy for a man who did so much to save so many.
November 1st, 2007 at 9:34 PMUsing
G-d Speed Col. Tibbets. You did your job and did it well despite the difficulties. You’ve conducted your entire life with dignity knowing you simply did what you had to do to help end the war.
A true Hero for the generations.
November 1st, 2007 at 9:35 PMUsing
Fantastic Debut Post for the New Staff Appointee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously, lovely, eloquent, and includes REAL insight from Uncle Ed.
November 1st, 2007 at 9:38 PMUsing
He led the first B17 mission over Europe also, at a time when the bomber boys were the only Americans fighting on or over Europe, and suffering very heavy casualties…..General Tibbets was also considered the best flyer in the Army Air Corps, I believe it was General Hap Arnold who said that about him (could be wrong though).
If you want to know more about the man and the mission Go Here
November 1st, 2007 at 9:50 PMUsing
True jaybear. He was chosen to fly the mission, in fact put together the entire squadron, because he was the best heavy bomber pilot in the Army Air Corps. Was also one of the test pilots for the B29.
November 1st, 2007 at 9:58 PMUsing
And yes, It was Hap Arnold who said it about him.
November 1st, 2007 at 9:58 PMUsing
My grandfather…God rest his soul..fought in that war, received a purple heart( not a john kerry purple heart, I know his name sould be in caps. fuck that bastard) he told me long ago when I asked him about his wound to his arm, he did what he had to do, killed who needed to be killed and came back knowing the lives of Americans would be better off for what he and others did what needed to be done. Period ,point blank, some people needed to die to make this world a better place. Thank you Grandpa John, thank you Col. Tibbets, and thank all you other vets, who so proudly served when your country called.
Thanks for doing what needed to be done.
Hope you will save me a seat in Heaven Grandpa.
Great post CRUNCHIE
November 1st, 2007 at 10:08 PMUsing
Here’s a 2006 blog post from someone who got to meet Tibbets.
November 1st, 2007 at 10:36 PMUsing
My father was in the Navy as a doctor, in the South Pacific, right before the atom bomb (also after). He told me that doctors had been briefed that the invasion of Japan would lead to AT LEAST 1.5 million -well Americans, because I do believe we were the only the ones fighting them.
Do these America Haters know that Tokyo had been firebombed for 3 weeks to get them to surrender? Do they know that 3 times the American government offered them a peaceful surrender? Do they know that the Emperor was more than a figurehead, he was a godhead, and that as long as he refused to surrender, the Japanese would fight. To the last man.
Do they know that the Japanese had used biological weapons in China and were going to use them on Americans? Do they know that the Japanese were close to getting their own nuclear bomb?
Thank God Truman made the right decision. He saved my father - and more than a million other Americans.
November 1st, 2007 at 10:36 PMUsing
Here’s to General Tibbetts - a man with clarity of purpose and conscience. Here’s also to the hope that we see more like him.
November 1st, 2007 at 11:32 PMUsing
These two lines from your post said it all. I was in the military from Viet Nam through Desert Storm. I did learn the truth that the more brutal and feared you are, the faster the enemy gives up, and the less you have to kill in the end. Blessed Be, Colonel. Sleep well.
November 1st, 2007 at 11:37 PMUsing
Great post Crunchie. Just beautiful.
Want to read a good book on what the Japs were like during the war? One that gets into the type of training they went through and the mentality? FLYBOYS, baby.
November 1st, 2007 at 11:42 PMUsing
Historical revisionists are already giving the same treatment to 9/11. they started doing it even before the dust settled.
Why is this a valid comment?
To quote from LC Crunchie-
’nuff said.
November 1st, 2007 at 11:56 PMUsing
My Father was born and raised in Mocksville, North Carolina.
It was a town of little note save for one Son a boy that my father grew up with a guy called Tommy Ferebee.
Better known as Maj Thomas Ferebee the Bombadier on the Enola Gay who said, “Paul got us there, I had to pull the trigger and I would do it again! It was a job that had to be done!”
Where do we find these men?
November 2nd, 2007 at 12:00 AMUsing
The dilemma of the Atomic Bomb is one of those mental obstacles you have to clear on the road to intellectual adulthood.
It’s a shame that so many liberals and CNN-raised moderates don’t appreciate how those two horrible days prevented a million plus dead Americans, a total genocide against a warrior race that makes modern Arabia look like France, and a possible later nuclear apocalypse.
Meanwhile, here’s a fun game to play: when someone talks about how wrong Nagasaki was or the dehumanization of the Japanese or whatever, try to figure out if the speaker would have likely ever been born if Truman hadn’t approved the bombings.
November 2nd, 2007 at 12:13 AMUsing
Great post Crunchie! He was a man who should have been celebrated throughout the remainder of his life. It is amazing that so many can turn such men into villains so easily.
I, for one, am glad that he did his job when called to do so. It truly needed to be done.
November 2nd, 2007 at 12:59 AMUsing
I can get the mixed feelings about him. While he most likely did save lives by doing this, he inadvertenly opened the door to a new age where a weapon can now kill lots of people quickly, and that can make some people squeamish. While no should have treated him badly for doing his job, I can get why some people are uncomfortable with the idea. And as for the japanese in ww2, read flags of our fathers, they also give some graphic descriptions of what they would do. I had heard of the smithsonian thing-did they make a comprimise?
November 2nd, 2007 at 4:55 AMUsing
My folks met Col. Tibbets at a event. They were moved to tears. And now he rests in an unmarked grave ?! WTF! That’s just wrong.
November 2nd, 2007 at 4:56 AMUsing
Warlord-he had to do it, so the anti nuke crowd would not be able to bother him. He wanted to rest in peace. Kind of sad, but what he did was controversial to a fair number of people.
November 2nd, 2007 at 5:07 AMUsing
I wonder if another 2 months of firebombings and levelling would have pleased the bleedinghearts!?! These two bombs did exactly what the previous three weeks of constant attacks did, except faster. But reasoning and common sense does not seem to enter the equation in the “moderates” mind. There is nothing moderate about war. You’re attacked, you defend yourself, and beat the attacker, end of story. It IS dirty business, nobody likes it, but then again, nobody asked the Japanese to attack Peal Harbor and everything in their path in the Pacific either.
And I hope Gen. Tibbets will take the time to show me how to fly a ‘29 when I meet him next… (along with Bishop, Rickenbacker, Burling and all the other aces).
“Old soldiers never die, they just fade away…”
November 2nd, 2007 at 7:33 AMUsing
readerjp, you are right about the Japanese biowarfare project– I’m taking a course in biodefense and we covered that pretty much the first day of lecture. Scary stuff.
As far as the Smithsonian goes– I don’t remember them turning the Enola Gay into an anti-nuke statement (and I’m a DC-area native). But I DO know that there was a big controversy when they were going to install her at the new Dulles annex of the Air and Space Museum (the Udvar-Hazy Center). If you’ve never been there, the museum is basically one enormous hanger-type structure with a series of walkways that let you see the planes from all angles. When they installed the Enola Gay, they strung some sort of a net between the walkway and the plane to catch anything thrown off the walkway. I always thought that was a bit excessive (and possibly useless as well, as the net doesn’t protect from all angles)– but after some of the vandalism and disrespect I’ve seen over the last year, maybe those curators weren’t so overcautious after all.
Erin
November 2nd, 2007 at 7:35 AMUsing
Sad that he must lie in an umarked, unknown grave to have peace. But what about Arlington? Surely, we wouldn’t let the jackals disturb him there, would we?
November 2nd, 2007 at 7:39 AMUsing
A logical and humane person would think not, but nowadays we can’t rule out anything from those spiteful little bastards. If only we could trade the souls of the noble and dead from WWII who knew about sacrifice and true quality of life, and cash out and purge these sick death-loving, America hating, but kisses everyone else’s ass types.
I do like what one officer said in Crimson Tide.
‘If President Truman asked me about dropping the Atomic Bomb, if I knew about the years of history after it, I would have said, ‘By all means, sir. Drop that f-cker, twice!”
And as many pointed out, land invasion of Japan would have tapped out US soldiers and resources, but there would have also been dead Brits, Aussies, Indians, French, Dutch, Canadians, New Zealanders, Ruskies, Chinese, etc…..
Odd how Japan wants us to apologize for Hiroshima and Nagasaki and those swine will not apologize for
The Bataan Death March
Pearl Harbor
Terror Bombing of Singapore
Terror Bombing of Shanghai
Terror Bombing of Hong Kong, Chunking, Manila etc…
The Burma Railway of Death
Massacring Dutch women and kids in the East Indies
Starving thousands of military and civilian POWs
Slaughtering over 10 million Chinese
Unit 731 and the other Jap Medical Experiments that would have made Josef Mengele and Heinrich Himmler vomit.
Rape of Nanking
Bio warfare
white slavery
Chinese prostitution, forced abortitions, etc.
Slaughtering their own dissidents and intellectuals (see 1936 Coup)
Fuck Japan, they owe alot more alms and apologies than we do.
Had I been a crew member on the Enola Gay and some leftard Commie reporter asks, ‘SO, how did you feel helping kill thousands of Japanese civilians on August 6th 1945? Did you feel anything?’
“Yes I did feel something. It’s called a shockwave, bitch. Did they feel remorse for their genocide and the death marches? F-ck you then.”
November 2nd, 2007 at 7:56 AMUsing
Yes, dasbow, General Tibbets deserves to be buried in Arlington, and you can bet his site would be safe and peaceful. And yes, he more than qualifies for interment in that hallowed ground. But, those weren’t his wishes. You’re only placed to final rest in Arlington if you request it.
Mindy, I don’t understand your mixed feelings. The aircrew didn’t open that Pandora’s Box, the scientists that developed and tested the bomb did. It was well known about the potential destructive power of the “a-bomb” long before the USS Indianapolis delivered them to Tinian…
And for you military types like me, do you recall this? Paul Tibbets was a 29 year old Colonel! That’s right 29! His abilities and leadership were recognized by the War Department and he was promoted accordingly, and hand selected to lead the 509th Composite Group for this operation. And for a little trivia, the 509th eventually became a Bomb Wing, and is now the lone B-2 Wing in the USAF. Fitting, ain’t it?
November 2nd, 2007 at 8:18 AMUsing
Do they picket Truman’s grave? FDR’s? Those were the men who made the decision to use the bomb. Then there are the ones who actually developed and designed it. Then there are the ones who made sure it got paid for (through “Black Projects” that had cover names but were meant for secret war projects), and of course the Boeing Company who built a plane capable of delivering it. Col. Tibbets was a scapegoat to many people because he was “just a soldier”.
Who’s to say that if we had not used the bomb to help end the war that San Fran would now be the Poster City for Nuclear Disarmament? Do you think that Japan would have had the soul searching struggle against ones conscience in the decision to use such a weapon upon fellow humans as our side did? I think not. If you doubt that…read up on the Rape of Nanking, and the Bataan Death March. They’ll make Gitmo and Abu Ghraib look like afternoon tea parties. We used the bomb to save as many of their lives as our own. The nation of Japan would not exist today if the war had continued. We would have had to wipe them off the face of the earth.
Something that I have noticed about those that get their lead lined panties in a wad about this are the same people who worship at the alter of AlGoreical, go to Code Pink Rallies, hang out with Cindy Shitcan (anyone seen that skank around lately???) and in general just hate anything that can get their smelly hands on to use to make their worthless lives seem worthwhile. If they had been here 60 years ago they would have been rooting for Hitler and Tojo.
November 2nd, 2007 at 8:30 AMUsing
Also fitting is the fact that Gen.Tibbets grandson is now a B2 pilot in that wing.
November 2nd, 2007 at 8:46 AMUsing
I wonder if Tibbets grandson has flown any missions? It would be fitting for him to drop a big one on the rat bastards over there.
November 2nd, 2007 at 9:42 AMUsing
OK, now I’m pissed. I went to a few sites and saw the usual liberal fecal bombing of a man who did more for their useless than not…
‘Will God forgive that f-cking bastard for starting the Cold War? He slaughtered millions of peaceful Japanese.’
‘I hope he felt pain when he died, like the victims of Hiroshima did. The US should have lost WWII.’
‘No headstone? Where do I go urinate then….’
And not on Daily Kos for once. But I’m sure the Kos-suckers are loving it.
And most of the posters are probably a bunch of liberal indoctrinated teenagers who don’t give f-ckall about this country and what sacrifices were made to preserve it, so they can just sell it off.
I bet the Greatest Generation is having second thoughts on winning a war for these ingrates. They deserve better than these human shitstains.
November 2nd, 2007 at 9:58 AMUsing
Bauer
You have some links for those sites please? I would very much enjoy paying them a little “visit”.
November 2nd, 2007 at 10:05 AMUsing
Bauer Power
You Sir, have a WAY with words! And you find me in COMPLETE agreement with your post #28 about the country which saw so many sacrifices being sold off by the wussies, the bleedhearts and the traitors.
They never had to work or sacrifice anything for what they now enjoy since it was men like Gen. Tibbets, among so many, who made sure they would have a country in which to grow and prosper.
As far as Cindy I Believe My Own Bullshit Shitcan, she might be in jail somewhere, at least I hope so.
Code Pink, Stop the War, BooHoo groups and whatnots can ALL bow their heads in SHAME for what they are doing to your (and by extension, our) soldiers everywhere.
I hate them so!
November 2nd, 2007 at 10:11 AMUsing
crunchie,
Ya’ll need some back up on that “visit”. Shit I think the old man could stay up on his canes long enough for that one.
November 2nd, 2007 at 10:15 AMUsing
Call me in coach! Retired sniper.
November 2nd, 2007 at 10:32 AMUsing
cmblake6
I am beginning to really like you cmblake6!!! Need an airlift for that job..?
(Fixed the block quote for ya HC mgmt)
November 2nd, 2007 at 10:35 AMUsing
Here’s the link, have a ball. You may have to register, but it costs nil. Trolls galore.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0862544/
Then click on message board and have at em.
November 2nd, 2007 at 11:35 AMUsing
I found an old post by my blogfather and former roommate Jay Manifold:
Pretty much nobody was expected to survive the first wave of that would-have-been invasion.
Interestingly, the post is about the legacy of World War One, as defined by the outcome of the Battle of the Marne. A fascinating read.
November 2nd, 2007 at 12:00 PMUsing
Thomas Sowell wrote an excellent essay on this rite of passage entitled Revisionists Against America . It is one of several concise articles included in “Barbarians Inside the Gates”.
November 2nd, 2007 at 12:29 PMUsing
Do any of these idiots think what would have happened if Germany or Japan had gotten the bomb before us? They were very close. They wouldn’t have hesitated nuking US!
Bauer Power - add North Korea to your list.
My father was the first navy doctor in Nagasaki after the bomb was dropped. And though people were poor and there was a lot of devastation, they held no hard feelings. Once they lost, they lost - that’s their culture, read “The Chrystanthemum and the Sword” - and got on with their lives - and obviously succeeded.
The damage would have been much, much worse if America invaded. The key was the Emperor.
November 2nd, 2007 at 12:47 PMUsing
Fuckin’ Leftard Idiots better study their history, the REAL one for a change.
We didn’t start the Cold War. Soviet sympathizers within the Manhattan project gave Uncle Joe all he needed, combined with captured German physicists.
Yes, Hitler was working on a bomb of his own, but it was a non-starter. They were working on a device that would use low enrichment U-235, but in order for it to work they needed large quantities of heavy water (H-3-ohh)that would’ve required quite a few more years for them to produce it in sufficient quantities to make a device.
Damn Fine Debut Brother !!!!
November 2nd, 2007 at 2:54 PMUsing
Excellent post. Go with G-d, General.
Every time I see/hear someone criticizing the development or use of the the atomic bomb in WWII, I want to grind them to a fine powder. The presumption of moral superiority, coming from people whose sheltered lives might not even have been lived if the bombs were not used, is infuriating.
When my son and I visited the USAF museum at WPAFB, I made a specific point of showing him the Bockscar B-29, and telling him that this was the plane that won WWII.
November 2nd, 2007 at 3:19 PMUsing
Too often we forget the others. H/T to LC Old Dog
I haven’t seen a post yet at the standard “progessive” sites. No telling what the comments are however.
I dearly wish I could have said “thank you” to the Col.
Quick note to Mad Insomniac… I did the same damn thing. Took my son to W-Pat and pointed it out.
November 2nd, 2007 at 5:24 PMUsing
My Grandfather fought in Europe and was getting ready to ship out for the Japan invasion. General Tibbets may have saved his life. Thank you General.
November 2nd, 2007 at 6:37 PMUsing
And yet, there are some who would spit on this hero:
http://whitenoiseinsanity.com/2007/11/01/paul-tibbetts-died-a-coward-today-at-the-age-of-92/
Poor Kayinmaine is having quite a time in the comments!
Watch out though, she’s threatening to post e-mail addresses and IP’s! (oooooooh!)
November 2nd, 2007 at 7:27 PMUsing
A few years back I had a chance to meet and share a few words with Gen Tibbets at the air show at Oshkosh. A true gentleman, patriot, quiet hero.
November 2nd, 2007 at 8:31 PMRest easy General.
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Forgot where I read this, but Nagasaki was home to some level of antiwar sentiment during the war. Nagasaki also has one of the larger Christian populations in a country where Christianity is quite rare; according to Wikipedia, Christian influence was historically confined to southern regions.
This is the city’s official symbol:
Which should not be confused with the Eastern Star emblem:
Or this:
Or this:
November 2nd, 2007 at 11:01 PMUsing
We buried my father-in-law this week - he was 81 yrs old and served as a machine gunner/driver in the 714th Tank Battalion, 12th Armored Div. It’s amazing what so many young men were doing at an early age. He spent his 19th birthday killing Wehrmacht and SS troops in a tank battle in central Germany. His battalion didn’t stop fighting until they ran into a Russian armored unit somewhere in Czechoslovakia. And the war in Europe was over for three days by then. The first time he ever saw a jet plane it tried to kill him (ME 262).
At the wake I was speaking to my wife’s uncles and they were talking about the friends they lost in WWII. I found out about a childhood friend of my FIL who tried and tried to enlist in the Army but because of his bad eyesight they wouldn’t take him until the very end. He was stationed in the Philippines when a Jap sniper killed him. No reason at all for it. The war was over for several months by then. Some of those people wouldn’t give up.
November 3rd, 2007 at 8:58 AMUsing
The last two Japanese hold outs finally gave up in the ’70’s. A Sergeant was captured by two Chomorran boys hunting on Guam in 1973, and a Lieutenant in the Philippines surrendered in 1975. He still had a functioning rifle.
Anybody who thinks the Japanese nation would have surrendered without Hiroshima and Nagasaki, or completely destroying their nation, are deluding themselves.
November 3rd, 2007 at 10:28 AMUsing
My condolences Sig!
November 3rd, 2007 at 10:28 AMUsing
Jee-zus SotG, what a deranged, demented Kartoonish, Kliched Kunt that freak over at White Noise Insanity is. A high octane perpetual motion hate and vomit machine.
Here are some of her highlights from the Tibbets post alone:
November 3rd, 2007 at 11:45 AM
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Radical Redneck:
Is that shit for real? It looks like a parody of a leftist loon (of course, these people are often beyond parody!).
Rest in Peace, Gen. Tibbets, you and the rest of the crew of your aircraft saved many lives due to your actions.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ny_R8OVYfrw
November 3rd, 2007 at 9:46 PMUsing
General Tibbets grandson is a B-2 pilot and also a Bomb Squadron Commander at Whiteman AFB. Whiteman is home to the 509th Bomb Wing which is also the unit designation of General Tibbets squadron when they dropped the bomb.
November 3rd, 2007 at 10:01 PMUsing
RR, this is one nutcase, psychotic bitch! It was great, demonstrates beyond any doubt the sickness pervasive amongst these cretins. Yes, we should allow ourselves to be conquered, they seeking a moral comfort in nothing but sheer cowardice. The one great weakness they seem unaware of is they expect others to do their bidding, dirty work for them.
November 3rd, 2007 at 10:17 PMWe don’t……’nuff said.
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Caveman,
but 
November 4th, 2007 at 1:49 PMShe might be the most frothing moonbat I’ve seen yet. At least with a whole blogs worth (cb might outdo her in comments). Absolutely the entire package of moonbatiness cliches (reich wing, neocons, fascists, racists, brown people, chickenhawks, corporations secrectly running everything, etc, etc)
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