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I was 12 yrs old when The Bomb Ended the War - I was 21yrs old , in Korea, when as a Radio Operator I Directed them to North Korea Targets - The pilots were excellent because they Hit the target like Drones do today with No Computers - ! Our Accuracy was so good that "In A Sense" - We Helped to Shorten The Korean War - B29 -A great Bomber With Great Pilots. That Fantastic B29 had a Fantastic Retirement in The War After The War - God Bless America - - -
My Uncle was hand picked to mill the crankshafts for the Enola Gay. I knew he worked on B-29's, but he never spoke of it. Learned about this at his funeral where he was honored by the Commemorative Air Force. A wonderful guy.
How coiuld he possibly know what aircraft the engine he was building ended up on? The engines on the 15 B-29's assigned to the 509 composite group were no different than the other B-29's.
@@Jake-cz1kb Because he was taken to a special section of the plant where FBI agents stood guard. He and another gent were the best craftsmen for the job. He may or may not have known where these cranks were going, but he knew where they went at the end of the war, and they had to be without defect. Regardless, someone milled them, and I believe what I had been told after his passing by a member of the Commemorative Air Force, and my cousin.
General Paul Tibbets was a family friend. My mom was a dental hygienist at Wright-Pat where the general had his dental work done. Over the years they struck up quite a friendship. Even in his later years he was quite the celebrity, especially on base. I’ve still got my copy of his biography with a beautiful inscription.
I always felt that Tibbets got a raw deal, that he was sort of isolated and viewed with puzzling thoughts after the war. Here he was, a Colonel so good that of all the aviators and all the Colonels in the Army Air Corps, he was the one selected to command the atomic bomb drop effort. Yet, after a multi-year post war career he only got one promotion, to Brigadier General. He demonstrated his ability to command by the way he ran the 509th. He should have ended up as a 4-Star full General, but he was put in charge of an air base in Florida, which at the time was a backwater assignment. Then he was persuaded to retire.
Thankyou for sharing this outstanding documentary film. Much appreciated. Most of the guys that flew on these atomic missions were only in their 20's. Kids in their 20's today are way too busy playing on their cell phones, doing something on social media or playing video games. When my father was in his 20's, he was too busy teaching these young kids how to fly bombers including; B-17's, B-24s and Martin B-26 Marauders. Dad said being an instructor pilot was by far more dangerous than flying combat missions because teaching these young kids how to fly these bombers and not kill him in the process was hard work. By July 1945, my father became a B-29 Superfortress pilot in command. He had his own B-29 along with his own assigned B-29 crew with orders to report for combat duty at Northwest Field in Guam. Thanks to what these brave men achieved on both atomic missions, my father and his B-29 crew missed the war in the Pacific Theater of Operations by only two weeks. The war against Japan had ended just two weeks to the day before my father and his B-29 crew were to report for combat duty at Northwest Field at Guam. His orders for combat duty were cancalled. He transferred to the US Army Air Force Reserves shortly afterwards. In the Reserves, he flew over the pond to England several times and flew B-17's, B-24s and Martin B-26 Marauders back to the United States where they were placed in storage awaiting their fate. He continued in the Reserves as a B-29 pilot until 1956, where he transitioned to flying the Boeing B-52B Stratofortress as a co-pilot. He retired from the service in 1957. If my father had been in combat against Japan, and given all the problems the Superfortresses were dealing with in combat, theres a good chance my two sisters, older brother and I would have never been born. Those two atomic bombs no doubt saved far many more lives than they took. I can't thank the crews that flew these atomic missions and the B-29 crews who continued flying bombing missions against Japan after Hiroshima and Nagasaki were destroyed enough for helping bring the war to an end.
I can say without a doubt, that if the Emperor Of Japan had never started WW 2, with us, they could have saved themselves the Colossal Embarrassment of having to Admit Defeat And Surrender !!
Well said. It's just ashame that so many people committed suicide instead of just being captured and staying alive. But that was Japan's attitude back then. Just my opinion. Have a great day everyone.
@@chirelle.alanalooney8609 Seriously, you actually claim your original post as a revelation..... It's like saying :"If you sit and watch a clock for 24 hours, you can see a day-go" Or :"Fish are thin at one end, thick in the middle and thin at the other end"........ Or :"wet water in a river"....... Gar'n, please, don't hold back, you must be trembling with anticipation at the opportunity to share more of your absurdly uncanny and obvious observations with YT comments forum, that "insight" about the Japanese was absolute Gold, reeeaaaallyyy !
These Americans HEROS are from an era , from an America that is gone forever ; all you have now is a great majority of Americans and residents that feel the country owns them everything and they dont own none to the country, no effort, no sacrifice , no civic duty !!! all we see now is the implosion of this country from within !!! you have a population of lazy, freeloaders, anarquists, non beleivers in the minimun that only care in ridiculous material life !!!! my stepfather fought in the USAAF during WWII and im so proud of him for what he did for our country !!! I did my best to emulate him and served 6 years in the Army , my best years of my life !!!!!!!!!!!!!
I agree with you. America is not what it used to be and it's sad that I'm one of the very few who are proud to be an American and I thank you and your father for fighting for this country! Thank you so much!! ❤️🇺🇲
The America that we knew, the America that our fathers, brothers & uncles fought to preserve essentially died with President John F. Kennedy on Nov. 22, 1963. The man who replaced him was the first known criminal who made it into the White House, he refused re-election because he was warned that if he tried to go for another term, all of the dirt on him & the crimes that he'd committed & managed to hide, would all be brought into the open. America has never been the same since John f. Kennedy was murdered, and now we have another criminal, one who intends to destroy EVERYTHING that our fathers, brothers & uncles fought & died for, for his own greed.
My Dad at age 18 was in the British Army in 1945 being prepared for the land invasion of Japan. When the two bombs were detonated he no longer had to go and instead repatriated PoWs in Singapore. If he had been part of the invasion there’s a good chance he wouldn’t have got out alive and me and my two sisters wouldn’t have been born. What he saw in the PoW camps put him off Japanese for life. Excellent documentary of the B29, one of the best I’ve seen.
My great uncle Cecil hicks was a pow on Hiroshima as a coal miner .he saw the Enola gay on the bombing run being only 23 miles away from the bomb drop zone .he said to my gran ,she was his sister and my mums uncle.we thought something big was coming .and it did come ..as the ships were off the coast to invade japan.the order was given to execute every pow .his journey started at evacuation of Dunkirk .he got split up from his unit .the HAA battalion ,sadly the ship his mates and other lads were on was sunk in the channel and most were lost ,that was the first Missing presumed dead letter off the MOD my great aunt got.luckily he made it back to Blighty and was in hospital for a while ,he was then sent to North Africa ,then after that sent to Singapore where he was captured by the japs.there was a lot of losses of British lives there .that is where my great aunt got his second missing presumed dead letter from the MOD .he was put on the death ship the Singapore Maru ,where a few of the mates he was captured with got Sick and passed away,he was sick with malaria and dysentery his mate looked after him and saved his life after the japs were using them for bayonet practice and then throwing them over the side .he luckily made it to Hiroshima ,and he was getting better with the help of his mate .so he was put on mining duties for an extra bowl of rice a day .after the war ended and they were liberated he was taken to an army hospital where he was for a while for the starving problems he endured ..at this point his wife ,my great aunt still didn’t know he was still alive..his mate got back to Blighty before him and went to his house to tell my great aunt he was still alive .she didn’t believe him as she had not heard anything for two years .he told her .he will be on stoke station at a certain time on a certain day ..she went anyway with their young daughter who was born just before he was captured .well the train came in and there he was ..he worked as a manager at Blythe colour works in Stafford England till he retired .he had to go for radiation tests yearly after being so close to the blast site and fallout area .he was the quietest man I’d ever seen .as a nipper in the Early 70’s .at the time I had no idea what this man had been through..he loved his gardening and his British motorcycles.him and my great aunt went everywhere on his motorbike and sidecar .he passed away at a good age .and the mate who helped to keep him alive helped top lay him to rest ..he and my other great uncle ,my dads uncle .James “Jimmy” Higgins who was on the Bridge at Arnhem with 2 Para under the great leader of men Lt.Col Johnny Frost .sadly he never made it home and is on the memorial wall at the Canadian cemetery at OOsterbeek.these men are my heroes.they saw and endured what nobody should ever see .but they did it with bravery and honour to their country .Rip both ,and to all those who never came home ,and those who have since passed ..we thank you ❤❤❤❤
Thanks for uploading this. Back in 1991 I did a research paper on the plane and crew. I spent many hours doing research in the library as looking for information was much was more difficult back then compared to nowadays. A year later I opened the paper to see that Jacob Beser had died. I was shocked to learn that he lived within walking distance to me and that he would welcome anyone to his house to discuss the mission. Fast forward 30+ years. I’m driving with my son and we pass a street named Enola Rd. My son asks me what kind of name Enola is and I said that it’s probably just a coincidence but the plane that dropped the first Atom Bomb on Japan was named Enola Gay, named after the pilots mother. I told him that one of the crew members lived just half a mile from where we are now. We drove to the house and parked while I told my son the story. I was wondering if the kids playing on the block knew about the person who used to live there.
I am pretty sure I have seen that plane as a kid (like 11 to 13?) Somewhere in Ohio or Indiana??? Do you know where this plane is now? I haven't watched this documentary going. Im about to watch it though.
It’s in the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. I don’t know if it’s ever been on display in Ohio or Indiana. Boch’s Car, if I remember correctly, has been on display in Ohio for some time.
It's also a little sad about her name, because, ENOLA IS ALONE spelled backwards, and I was just wondering if that was how his mother's mother felt, when she had her, was feeling Alone, and is that why she was named ENOLA?! Just Curious.
Exactly 5:30 a.m. on July 16, 1945. Dawn came earlier than usual in Alamogordo, New Mexico, USA. Humankind's first nuclear weapon test was carried out, and the explosion size was 21 kilotons (21,000 tons in terms of TNT (explosion energy converted to the mass of trinitrotoluene gunpowder, which has the same amount of energy)). The force was far greater than most physicists had predicted, and was four times more powerful than expected. People watching from more than five miles away said they were "surrounded by a bright, warm, bright yellow light." Also, after the initial flash, an orange fireball expanded... The shock wave, which traveled at the speed of sound, was so loud it could have shattered windows 125 miles (about 200 kilometers) away. ``Once the fireball is out of sight, a column of radioactive fission products, bomb residue, water droplets, and larger sand and debris particles rises and expands as it moves higher into the atmosphere, the world's first nuclear phenomenon.'' A mushroom cloud was created due to the explosion.'' The power of this nuclear test was so great that no one living nearby was unaware of the explosion. The federal government's coherent explanation was, ``It was an accidental explosion of a powder magazine involving ammunition and fireworks, and no one was injured.'' This intentional dissemination of false information by the government was a new event for the United States, which until then had virtually no secrets that it needed to lie to the public. Nearly 80 years later, it is safe to say that secret systems like the Manhattan Project have become an integral part of American society. In addition to nuclear weapons, advanced versions of conventional weapons such as attack submarines, stealth fighters, stealth bombers, and hypersonic missiles, as well as nuclear weapons delivery systems are being developed every day under strict secrecy. These efforts involve billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of people. As of 2022, 2.8 million people will have some kind of security clearance (an aptitude assessment that allows them to handle classified information), and 1.2 million people will have a top secret clearance. Looking around the world, the United States currently has rival countries such as China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran, and the nature of each country requires secrecy. However, it is surprising how many sensitive matters are handled on a daily basis in the United States, which is theoretically a peaceful country. The origin of this situation was the ``Manhattan Project'' to develop the atomic bomb. The Japanese will never forget the dropping of two nuclear bombs that were never used.
@ 42:48 It breaks my heart to know that he knows what’s being taught in our schools after all he and his generation went through. How most of the younger generation are not only ungrateful, but actually are taught that the U.S. is an evil empire and all white men are pieces of shit. To have these guys still alive to witness our downfall has to be the biggest slap in the face. Thank you to all of our veterans who ensured the freedoms that we enjoyed! God bless.
If one is responsible for thousands of deaths of human beings all over the world for the sake to control the natural resources of smaller countries and murder the leaders of countries that don't bend to your will lie and create propaganda such as weapons of mass destruction to justify the invasion of another country to take control of its wealth there are going to be consequences for these atrocities sooner are later you are going to pay you zre responsible for your own downfall you have had a long run but there is a reckoning coming if you destabilize the home of others you set the stage for your own destabilization it is nature when you are responsible for death and destruction all over the planet like a virus you will never have TRUE ( FREE DOME) no peace because of your transgressions you have to always be watching and spying can't sleep you have transgressed every indigenous people on this planet in the name of MANIFEST DESTINY there is no peace for you
I am so grateful for gentlemen like these heros. If they had not done this mission to stop the war, my grandfather might not have lived. Therefore, I would not have been born. Believe me, I taught my children about WW11. My daughter joined the army at 18! 🇺🇸❤ never forget
I got to tour the inside of a B-29 thanks to an unlikely set of circumstances. I even got to crawl through the tunnel. I was stationed at Loring AFB in northern Maine from 1976 through 1980. As a Staff Sergeant, I was assigned to a KC-135 flight simulator as a maintenance tech. Around 1979 a gentleman walked into the office and introduced himself. He said he was flying a B-29 to England to be restored and put in a museum. Departing from Arizona, he landed at Loring to refuel and get more oil for the leaky engines. He was forced to stay longer than he planned due to a hydraulic leak in the landing gear. He was stuck waiting for parts. As a pilot, he was itching to get some flying time in even if it was a simulator. His B-29 was parked inside a secure hanger. He made me an offer I couldn't refuse. He said if I let him fly the simulator, he would get me past security and let me crawl around inside the B-29. That offer was a no-brainer. What a thrill. Although it was not the Enola Gay B-29, it was an amazing piece of American history nonetheless.
Greg Sullivan I did get to do one better. My father, M David Bellmore, was a senior docent and guide at the Paul Garber restoration facility of the Smithsonian. Many years ago I was visiting him and got to see the very disassembled Enola Gay and look into the cockpit via it's transfer tube forward of the front fuselage joint. At the time she was still very much under restoration and not on public display. The controversy about displaying her was still in the future. I wish he had lived long enough to see her restored and fully assembled at Dulles airport. His favorite plane was the B-17. He was a navigation and flight trainer with the Army Air Corp during WW2.
I am hoping to go to New Orleans soon. Really looking forward to visiting the Military Museum there. Gary Senise can be thanked for THAT. So very many things were saved there - that might have been gone forever. I retired from the Military and loved every minute of it.
After building the B2 structures and countless commercial jets for 15 years, I was tapped to assist with the restoration of a pair of these fantastic airplanes. My grandmother was one of the original assemblers so it was a pleasure to even be part of it. It was like being on a structures team only the B29 didn't move on to the interiors or galleys, it was like an unfinished commercial plane. I can only imagine how loud it must have been inside!
Thank you RUclips for making this Historic Ddocumentary available to all of us, and Thank you Gary Sinise for your Excellent Narration of this fabulous and Historically Accurate depection of everything, it was fantastic!!!
Once again I wrote DEPICTION , AND NOT DEPECTION. BUT THE SPACEBAR CHANGED MY ( I ) TO AN (E) IN DEPICTION !! WHEN IT ISN'T CHANGING THE LETTERS, IT CHANGES THE ENTIRE FRIGGIN' WORD, WHICH IS A TOTAL PISSER !!!!
Once again I wrote DEPICTION , AND NOT DEPECTION. BUT THE SPACEBAR CHANGED MY ( I ) TO AN (E) IN DEPICTION !! WHEN IT ISN'T CHANGING THE LETTERS, IT CHANGES THE ENTIRE FRIGGIN' WORD, WHICH IS A TOTAL PISSER !!!!
Flawed Documentary - that it keeps on saying that only Americans played a part in liberating the pacific - also depicts that the scientists in the Mantatten project were all Americans (Atomic Bombs)
I met both Paul Tibbets and Dutch Van Kirk at an aviation trade show way back in the early 2000’s. Tibbets was difficult to converse with due to his hearing but Van Kirk would talk your leg off and I enjoyed standing there listening to his stories. Nothing like history from the men who wrote it. Brokaw was right, this was the greatest generation. These men had gigantic balls of steel…. Today’s men don’t know which bathroom to use!!
It was so sad and and at the same time so eye opening when he said that he was described as a veteran of World War "ELEVEN". An amazing documentary and I am so glad that I watched it. Let us never forget.
Never forget that tens of thousands of Japanese civilians were needlessly murdered to send "a message" to the Soviet Union. The nuclear attacks were inarguably war crimes on a massive scale,but the the US has a long and sordid history of war crimes.
@@antipropo461 There are many theories to why the bombs were dropped. Your is just one of the few, but it is certainly not the definitive reason. It's an endless debate
Had 1 conversation with my uncle, after my dad's funeral. My uncle was a marine in the south pacific theatre throughout the second world war. Fought at Guadalcanal. Iwo jima. All of it. He told me my father was a genuine hero of ww2. He said he was sitting on a ship. Awaiting to attack the Japanese home islands. He said he knew he wasnt going to survive. Then the bombs were dropped, and he was soon back in new yawk city. God bless us everyone.
🇺🇲 Thank you to all of the brave men and women who made this amazing aircraft, the incredibly powerful atomic bombs, and the intestinal fortitude of our Country's leadership, willing to do what it took in order to put that bloody war to it's ultimate conclusion ! And thank you to all of the fine folks who put this documentary together ! And finally, I want to say a heartfelt thank you to Gary Sanise for the voice narration, and ALL of your tireless work you have done, and continue to do for the thousands of folks that you have entertained over the years sir ! You are a true patriot, and a quiet hero sir ! 🇺🇲
Wow, I guess American still think this was justified. Most of the U,S, generals at the time were against its use which tells you something. Gee, maybe Russia is justified then murdering a few million Ukrainian civilians with nukes to prevent the loss of more of their soldiers.
This topic has been a prime interest of mine for close to 50 years. I wrote a college paper on the development of the atomic bomb and it's use. Doing the research for the paper I read nearly every available source of information out at the time. This documentary captures much of that. I hadn't seen this treatise before now but must say it was excellently done. Hey, it had "Lieutenant Dan" (Gary Sinise) as narrator. Love that guy. Two thumbs up in every respect. 👍👍
Hey Ken, how are you sir? I heard new info. in this vid. that I never knew so far. I knew the Pacific campaign was brutal as any up until the time of so called modern warfare. Japanese code of warfare is bushido, and they would never stop until the last man. We Americans will never fully understand that mindset. I had no idea that we lost 50,000 men on Okinawa alone. I know Iwo and Guadalcanal were vicious as hell. My grandfather was a Marine at those two battles, and he actually spoke to me about combat. Four uncles in Vietnam, and not one word will they speak about it. I always felt that we needed to do this horrific bombing, and save many,many G.I.`s lives. But I never knew how much we truly would lose until seeing this. And Gary Sinese is indeed cool. I think he is underrated as an actor. Cheers !
My dad was in the European Theatre during the war. He said "I'm not sure how everyone felt about Pres Truman...but that act was like taking a noose off my neck"..because he now could go home after 3 1/2 years..met my mom...became a firefighter/cabinet maker....had 7 kids...and loved his country.
I wish they always used you to Narrate Documentaries, because you have the most perfect and pleasing voice to listen to for them !!!!!! Thank you Gary !! It was a real pleasure listening to you !!!
This documentary was put together like non other that I have watched before. Fantastic job! To any people making negative comments about what happened that day let's not forget that the US made attempt after attempt to warn everyone over there that they would not survive in the coming days and if you were a civilian to leave the area right away. I believe they made radio broadcasts and flew over the targets and dropped papers saying more or less to evacuate the city but they didn't think that the US could do anything to them at the time so everyone stayed. We didnt just sneak in there and drop a bomb they were warned but didn't take much of any action to heed the warnings.
God bless Boeing and God bless Perry who works for boring he’s been there for like 36 years he is my brother-in-law I love you. Thank you for your service
amazing documentary I lived in both Japan and USA and gotta say after all that has happened our two countries are real good buddies now and that gives me a very good feeling....if you live in USA and want a great vacation visit Japan someday you will be treated so well if you have never been there you are missing out... I lived there for 5 years and will never forget any of it so pretty and kind and interesting
I met Paul Tibbets at the Dayton Air force base in 1997. he was 87 at the time. He gave a speech lasting about an hour. He later did a book signing and I got mine. I was lucky, I was one of the first people there so talked to him a few minutes. we shook hands and he said my name. You had to write your name on a card for him . I got a picture with me and him together. It was a great experience to meet him and hear what he sad to say.
Yes, those moments are very special my friend. You are very fortunate to have met him I have had those type of encounters too over the years. I went to visit the Enola Gay a few years back now on display at the Smithsonian facility at Dulles Airport. Back in the early 1980's my dad took me to a very special place in Silver Hill, Md. Called the Paul E. Garber facility. After going through the restored aircraft displays the guide took us outside and walked to very large hanger in the back of the facility. He slide open the door to a very dimly lit area. As my eyes adjusted I noticed the fuselage of a FW-190 on my right. As we started to make our way through I noticed a very large silver cylindrical object. I remember stepping back a few feet and turning my head to the left and look down and the words "Enola Gay" are staring straight at me. I'm am now totally blown away and in total awe. I can't believe what I'm seeing. I reach out and put my hand on it. That is a moment I will never forget. So when I visited her the second time it is now out of reach. That was a very special moment I will never forget.
@@chirelle.alanalooney8609 Yes I think so too. I always was into history , and I always seem to meet people from historic times. I am still friends with a German woman , living in Canada for many years. Her and her husband drove down to Kentucky to meet me. I also took them up to the air force museum. I know all aircraft from all wars, especially world war 2. I had been teaching Gudrun about the war because she wanted to know. She was 7 years old and was bombed by the British at night and the Americans by day. She said the American bombings were worse. She had some interesting stories. I showed her pictures of the B17 Flying Fortress. When we got to the museum, we cam to the B17G Shoo Shoo baby. a real B17 That actually had bombed Germany in world war 2. I said here it is. She stood there looking at it, and cried a little. Thinking back .. because when I first showed her a picture of a B17 dropping bombs, she got scared. Even in her 70s at the time. I said come up here and touch it. we had enough room to reach over and she touched the chin turret. I said see, it cant hurt you anymore. We had a great time while there. Then I drove her and Hans all through Kentucky. They enjoyed it and Hans made a comment about how he noticed so many American flags on many homes. He said you do not see that in Germany. I also worked with a former German soldier from world war 2. His wife was from Belgium. He was in the battle of the Bulge. but I never asked any questions about it. It was interesting hearing his stories as well. he told me several. like when he came to the USA, as a legal immigrant and it was 1949. The Korean war started, and they take them first is what he told me. The draft started and away he went. He got into tanks. He said he did not want to be in infantry again. So there he was at one time fighting against the American army.. and later fighting with the American army. I met many others too but I am writing a book. I hope you did not fall asleep :)
In the early 60`s, we made a family trip to east coast. I was in middle years of high school. One stop was an avation museum. The forward fuselage /cockpit of Enola Gay was displayed and I could walk through. It was an experience I will never forget. Now it has been restored completely wings and all and hangs in the museum with plexiglass protecting it from the balcony visitors. Nobody will ever get my view again.
Back in the early nineties me and my fiance lived in an apt above the vet clinic that she worked at while we both going to college Rosehill vet in reynoldsburg Ohio .and while living there Dr mark place me to col. Tibbets as he was a client at the clinic he used to board his dog there quite often some of the stories he told me about the mission and other stories about his time in serving in ww 2 we're amazing s real down to earth guy he even let me make a birthday greeting for my grand father for his birthday video I sent him before he passed away he also served in WW2 at pearl harbor he was a airplane mechanic my aunt said that he was so honored to get that video bday greeting from col tibbets she said it made him so happy . Col tibbets was such a great guy . Such great memory to have met him
My father was ground crew and loaded ordnance for circle R on Tininen island. Didn't talk about the war much, but was very proud of being part of that air group.
By far the most detailed docco on this subject that I have ever seen. I wonder how much of that is because certain details were classified until recently.
6:00 to 7:10 when GARY SINISE said in detail of how they dropped the atomic bomb 💣 it sent CHILLS through my entire body, WOW 😳 what a catastrophic weapon.
There was also a video here in RUclips made by Prof. Mark Felton. He said it’s the Avron Lancaster who dropped the both bomb and not an American airplane
I grew up most of my live in Las Vegas, Nevada. My father was in the USAF for 23 years 1950-1973. Our family was stationed at Nellis Air Force Base 1967-1971. We moved to McConnell Air Force Base Wichita, Kansas 1971-1973, and then George Air Force Base, Victorville California. After my Dad retired in October 1973 we came back to Las Vegas and I have lived here since then. Every year, Nellis has OPEN HOUSE, which allows people to come on base. You get to see all the jets and watch the USAF Thunderbirds doing airshows. Sometimes you got a 2 for 1 deal as the Navy would have the Blue Angels perform same day there. We went in 1994 my Dad, myself, and my friend Patrick. Patrick's mom is from Japan and grew up there during World War 2. So we walk toward one of the hangars and its crammed with people. One end is especially packed and this old guy wearing glasses is signing autographs on books. We get closer, and it's Paul Tibbets, the freaking pilot of the Enola Gay. I am like holy shit this guy is still alive, unbelievable. So we get closer and Patrick asks Tibbets does he have trouble sleeping at night after dropping the bomb on Hiroshima. Tibbets replies "no I was given an order, and I carried it out". "If I had not done my duty hundreds of thousands of US soldiers would have died in an invasion." Patrick didn't say a word after that question. I rank this as better than seeing President Reagan get in his limo in London in June of 1984.
I really liked seeing Theodor "Dutch" van Kirk being Interviewed! He is so sharp and spry, and I am so glad that he was the Navigator, for and with, Paul Tibbets crew men on the Enola Gay !!!
In 1959 my dad was stationed at Andrews AFB. Our boy scout cabin was on the south end of the base. We rode our bikes to scout meetings and always passed a fenced corner of the base in the southwest corner of the base. Behind the fence was an old WW II bomber, the "Enola Gay". At that time we did not know the of the plane. I never saw it again until I visited the the National Air and Space Museum.
The Enola Gay was stored at Andrews AFB in the early 60"s. We rode past it all the time on the southwest corner of the base on our way to Boy Scout meetings. At that time we did not know the significance of the plane. It had a barbed wire fence around it. Wish we had know, could have gotten pictures of it.
This man and.all.the others are truthfull in their beliefs..they did what was necessary,,who today has their courage....Hero's all of these men who defender their Country and ours....Thank you.
Pilot/Linemen a KCAE when a B-29 spent the day raising money. I assisted in any way possible and was allowed to spend time in the plane and crawl all over it. IIRC it was heading to Charleston SC and they had a seat. But... Some "newsperson" was supposed to go but she was nervous. If she didn't show, I could go. 5 minutes before clearing the ramp and preflight, she showed up. No clue what it was, how it worked, the history, just another 30 second forgettable news story. Hated the press before, hated them more after.
My father who is 98 going on 99, was a navigator/ APQ7 NEW RADAR TECHNOLOGY. He was on the Last Mission over Japan bombing oil wells in North Japan it ended the war- he flew after HIROSHIMA & NAGASAKI. My dad was a speaker- I was so glad to see the new interest in the Bomb with the new movie OPPENHEIMER IN 2023 THE GUYS ARE TRUE HEROES!
The 2007 book “The Last Mission” by Jim Smith who was a radio operator on some of those missions is an interesting read. Smith mentions that raid, and others. It also goes in to some detail how Japan was preparing to counter an Allied land invasion had the bombs not been dropped.
I met Paul Tibbets here in Columbus, Ohio. He started Executive Jet Aviation, and I was doing a lot of service work with them. His hearing was very bad, and he nearly shouted because he couldn't hear his own voice. One day I asked him, "General Tibbets, how did you lose your hearing?" His shouted reply: "Flying B-25's!" He lived here in Columbus, and got death threats constantly until his death in 2007. It was an honor to meet this history making man.
I do not understand why the dropping of the Atomic bomb is so horrid to many of you commentators, it was just a very efficient way to destroy a city or military complex, they killed more people in one fire bomb raid on Tokyo than the atomic bomb raids. Eifficency in War is how to win, the only reason fire bomb raids were stopped, was because they ran out of fire bombs, there were raids after both Atomic Bomb drops.....no one hears much about them though
@@davidbrowne2454 you are correct, there was a lot of things going on that are not told to the American or even other countries public. The history is very interesting to go back to the 1930's and see the back room deals and plans for all countries involved in WWII.....it will shock you to read.......
With history, life is knowledge, as well as wisdom! As "human beings", we tend to repeat our mistakes... Sadly, I "subscribed" to this Channel too late to obtain the knowledge/history from these "individual battles". -THANK YOU so much for sharing these "blind-sighted/forgotten" videos!
@@gregdales4701 To put it exactly it was a real aircraft and the movie was based on it. For example for me Memphis Belle and it's history makes it more iconic aircraft than Enola Gay and basically B-17 is more iconic type generally :) But speaking about iconic aircraft there are Wright Flyer, Spirit of st. Luis and many more standing in the queue
I had the honor of meeting Mr. Tibbets at his home in Gahanna, Ohio shortly before his death when I did some repair work for him. Quite a friendly man and he held nothing back when we talked about that fateful mission. Although I never asked, he put to rest any thoughts on whether he regretted leading that mission by telling me: "Son, if I had had two of those bombs on board I'd have dropped both of them that day, and still would". As I packed up my work truck to leave he came out of his house and got into a car which had pulled into his driveway. The car was driven by an elderly Asian man and they left together. I'm happy I had the chance to meet Mr. Tibbets.
My grandfather was fighting the Japanese in China under Chiang Kai-Shek, pretty sure I would not have been born had the war dragged on. General Tibbets is a hero to me, as he should be to all Americans.
@@jackludvigsson6347 that persons grandfather fought for China...if it wasn't for those bombs the war would have dragged on and who knows how many more lives on both sides would have been lost. it's part of history. you want control and power as japan did then that's the consequences at the time. get over it
The man was a total psychopath, but it's logical the military would have selected a one for this mission. His failure long after the war to express any remorse for the dead means he deserves to be in hell.
To the family of the people who dropped the A Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki,never be ashamed for what these officers did. They only performed a duty called upon by their job. Having done that, millions of Allied Lives,Millions of Japanese Civilians and Militaries have been saved,bec the fanatical military of Japan and it's civilian Govt were forced to end a useless War thus saving lives by the millions. To those people who criticized the USA for dropping those bombs,you do not know history or refuse to accept the facts about the evils of Militarist Japan during the 1940's and Back.
Both my Grandfather's were in WW2 and I love the airplanes that were used to help win the war. Had we not dropped the bomb, then there is no telling how much longer the war would have rage on and how many more lives would have been lost.
Japan did not fear for long that the USSR would enter the war by agreement with the allies, which happened on August 9; the million-strong Japanese army was defeated in a few weeks and only after that the emperor admitted defeat
My dad fought the Nazis in WW2 and after they surrendered they told my dad to prepare for the invasion of Japan. Thank God for those brave men and women. Truman did the right thing and ended WW2. My dad was able to go home and live the American dream.
I think it would be the right thing for Putin to launch all 'intercontinental missiles' against America .... so that we can find out what this new kind of war will be like ( just like we found out what happened in Japan ). Universal destruction will show us the way to end all wars. Then we all can go home and be at peace with our makers.
God has nothing to do with War. There is nothing brave to be found in wars. Truman did the right thing is a fallacy. He did nothing but order the Atomic bombing of those two cities, from thousands of miles away. There is nothing to be proud of a psychopathic ruler, who remotely ordered the atomic bombing of two residence cities in Japan. “Our boys were sent off to die with beautiful ideals painted in front of them. No one told them that dollars and cents were the real reason they were marching off to kill and die”. General Smedley Buttler, 1881-1940
Same here; my dad was poised to invade the Japanese mainland and THANKFULLY the bomb(s) ended what was to become the worlds worst bloodbath on the shores of Japan. There is no question in dropping them and ending the war that Japan started with the USA.
World War 11 huh? That's so disrespectful in my eyes. Will should still be thanking these men all these years later. I hope that we never see anything like that engulf the world ever again.
As a youngster all my friends dads and my dad were vets of WW2 or Korea I believed for a while that using a nuclear weapon was unnecessary and brutal. Until one of my best friend's mom took me aside and said that she understood my viewpoint but the invasion of Japan would have been more costly in terms of human life. For anyone who gives it any thought, dropping a nuclear weapon on a city is appalling, but it's necessary to examine the entire scenario. The talk that my friend's mom gave me changed my perspective.
Well in that perspective bombing theaters, hospitals and so on in Ukraine must be a good thing. Dropping a nuclear bomb over a city full of civilians is a war crime. End of story. If it is not a war crime, nothing is a war crime. War is war, but it should be fought by soldiers. A soldier who kills civilians is a criminal.
The speed of the B-29 allowed it to evade fighter planes and its maneuverability allowed it to evade antiaircraft fire. A truly remarkable piece of military might. Great documentary.
This generation had to overcome so much. Diseases, Great Depression, the Crime Wave, and much more. By the time WW2 began they had already been through so much. These are our grandparents.
I got the pleasure of meeting "Dutch" during a Selman Field reunion in April of 1995. Selman field is where the navigators were trained. I got an autographed poster by him written out to my brother and I. I also met Colonel Egan and several others. It was great hearing stories all inside a hangar that was original to their time.
Thanks for all the videos. I love all the old timer aircraft and the great stories those brave and heroic fighter pilots had to tell - these should be forever preserved for all future generations of soon to be aviators and those like me who love aircraft and flight - and war stories of valor.
I have to say, that I would feel the same way that Brig. Gen. Paul Tibbets felt about dropping that bomb, because they Started it, and by God We Would Damn Well Finish It, along with them! And I would feel that same way about anyone, who wants to start an unprovoked attack on us, I don't care who the hell it is! I see it, as turn about is fair play, cuz if you are going to start something unpleasant, you are going to get it right back, ten fold from me! My dad said, never back down from a fight, or be cowardly, and stand your ground!
So sad Japan people had leaders who waged war on the world. America and Japan could have been great allies and friends in the 40's if things had been different.
Outstanding ! A very frank, honest & accurate accounting of a monumental moment in the history of our country & indeed the world. I wish I could have met these men, saluted them & shook their hands. God bless them all !
If dropping an atomic bomb on a business/residential district of a city and obliterating every man woman and child in the blast is something worth saluting, I question your ethics. There is no God in the wars of men.
I just found out , The Japanese military/leadership was estimating losing 20,000,000 people in the Allied invasion of the japan mainland. The US was planning on losing 1,000,000. The Atomic attack killed around 900,000 . So the Atomic attack SAVED approx. 20 MILLION lives
No. The maximum death toll at Hiroshima was estimated after the war as 140,000. The maximum death toll at Nagasaki was estimated at 80,000. That's a total of 220,000.
What i didn't get a chance to study in school now am getting it right here. Thanks to the moderator, he's so accurate and don't rush his explanations. Pilot Tibbet seems to be one of the best pilots in history plus much respect to the entire crew and the military
I remember my wife's grandmother would talk about her relative that flew the Enola Gay. I believe they were cousins. I remember her talking about the history of the Tibbets family. She would show us pictures of different members but she had a picture of Paul in her China cabinet. I can't remember all the stories she would tell, but she didn't know all the specific details of his air corps experience. The Tibbets family has a vast history around the country.
My father was stationed on Tinian when the Enola Gay and the Indianapolis came to the island. I have pictures he took at the time of the Enola Gay and the building where they assembled the bomb.
To reidweaver: Did you ever have a chance to read "No Share of Glory" about what happened to the USS INDIANAPOLIS after they were returning from Tinian after dropping off the bomb? Just horrific what happened on their return trip to Manilla.
Though, the atomic bomb played a huge roll in ending WWII. It was the Soviets entering the war against Japan at the same time as the bomb, which was also the deciding factor for Japan to surrender.
The man is speaking to high school students about the 2nd World War And is Introduced as a Veteran Of World War 11. What a Disgrace to all these Brave Men.
Even more of a disgrace for the person who introduced him and has no idea there never has been a World War Eleven...certainly doesn't say much for their education does it?
This is what this new generation now a days needs to watch and see is world history instead kids r playing with make-up on tik tok... thanks for documentary..anyone agrees..
It's called history class. Everyone learns it. Not sure what this has to do with tik tok. The fact they are on tik tok is great. Means we are living in peaceful times.
By far this is the best video I've ever seen about this! Really. It was excellent. As an aside Tibbets daughter, Alexis, was our school superintendent here in NW Florida for many years.
You all are heroes in my book !! You brought the war to a end , saving countless lives on both sides! You flew the mission with out knowing if you even get back! That takes a lot of courage!!!! God bless all of you
My dad, a USAAF command pilot, arrived at Okinawa with his bomb group literally the same day as the official surrender. He did fly a few missions to Japan, mainly transporting our POW's to US bases. In 1946, working directly under Gen. LeMay, he was an observer at the Operation Crossroads atomic tests at Bikini Atoll.
Cool, I had no idea that Britain was going to join in on a mainland Japan invasion if it came to that point. The only thing I know of the proposed mainland invasion would have been called Operations Coronet and Olympia. Glad it didn't resort to those operations.
And "BOEING" had saved our Nation, though many were weary of the Nuclear strikes upon Japan... What a "dastardly ominous/scary" aircraft that we built/used. I completely understand why the flight crew of these two Bombers are "short of discussions" of three "details of what happened"!
they produced so many purple hearts in anticipation of casualties during the invasion of japan they were still being awarded 70 years later during the global war on terror. when the whole revisionist controversy was being fabricated in the early 1980s i asked a good friend and mentor how he felt about the dropping of the atomic bombs because i thought he had a particularly relevant opinion on the matter. he was an AA gunner on an LST (landing ship, tank. a particularly juicy target during an invasion) on okinawa making preparations for the invasion of japan. i asked him how he felt when hed learned of the dropping of the bombs, he said; "i wept like a baby because now i knew i would live and get to go home and make love to me beautiful wife again!"
I was part of the original security team at the Udvar Hazy Center National Air and Space museum where the B29/ENOLA Gay now is on display. I was there from January 2002 to September 2009. Being around the ENOLA Gay was an EXTREME honor and privilege. The Udvar Hazy Center would have between 3,000 and 10,000 people a day. Most people would ask me if the REAL Enola Gay was here but couldn't believe it when they saw it. Some people came there Only to see the plane that ended WWII Quote. People would say to me.
I very much want to go there just to see the plane. I've got a personal connection to the plane and saw it when it was in Smithsonian Museum in 1997. I was able to lean over the rope and touch the fuselage of the plane.
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When I was 6th grade of middle school. I t was happened and WW 2 was over.
Subscribed
1¹1¹¹1²ok kid r
I was 12 yrs old when The Bomb Ended the War - I was 21yrs old , in Korea, when as a Radio Operator I Directed them to North Korea Targets - The pilots were excellent because they Hit the target like Drones do today with No Computers - ! Our Accuracy was so good that "In A Sense" - We Helped to Shorten The Korean War - B29 -A great Bomber With Great Pilots. That Fantastic B29 had a Fantastic Retirement in The War After The War - God Bless America - - -
My Uncle was hand picked to mill the crankshafts for the Enola Gay. I knew he worked on B-29's, but he never spoke of it. Learned about this at his funeral where he was honored by the Commemorative Air Force. A wonderful guy.
Hi my Dad was on P-19 F/O Bombarder Guam.
Did he do all the cranks for Silverplate 29s?
suuurre
How coiuld he possibly know what aircraft the engine he was building ended up on? The engines on the 15 B-29's assigned to the 509 composite group were no different than the other B-29's.
@@Jake-cz1kb Because he was taken to a special section of the plant where FBI agents stood guard. He and another gent were the best craftsmen for the job. He may or may not have known where these cranks were going, but he knew where they went at the end of the war, and they had to be without defect. Regardless, someone milled them, and I believe what I had been told after his passing by a member of the Commemorative Air Force, and my cousin.
General Paul Tibbets was a family friend. My mom was a dental hygienist at Wright-Pat where the general had his dental work done. Over the years they struck up quite a friendship. Even in his later years he was quite the celebrity, especially on base. I’ve still got my copy of his biography with a beautiful inscription.
You sir, are a lucky man. Incredible, to have known a man like that. And the same for your mom. ❤️ 🫡 🇺🇸
🫶🏽🇺🇸🫡
I always felt that Tibbets got a raw deal, that he was sort of isolated and viewed with puzzling thoughts after the war. Here he was, a Colonel so good that of all the aviators and all the Colonels in the Army Air Corps, he was the one selected to command the atomic bomb drop effort. Yet, after a multi-year post war career he only got one promotion, to Brigadier General. He demonstrated his ability to command by the way he ran the 509th. He should have ended up as a 4-Star full General, but he was put in charge of an air base in Florida, which at the time was a backwater assignment. Then he was persuaded to retire.
My friend Ralph's father met him and the crew of Enola Gay on Tinian, His job was to fuel the B-29s heading towards Japan and chance had it they met
Thankyou for sharing this outstanding documentary film. Much appreciated. Most of the guys that flew on these atomic missions were only in their 20's. Kids in their 20's today are way too busy playing on their cell phones, doing something on social media or playing video games. When my father was in his 20's, he was too busy teaching these young kids how to fly bombers including; B-17's, B-24s and Martin B-26 Marauders. Dad said being an instructor pilot was by far more dangerous than flying combat missions because teaching these young kids how to fly these bombers and not kill him in the process was hard work. By July 1945, my father became a B-29 Superfortress pilot in command. He had his own B-29 along with his own assigned B-29 crew with orders to report for combat duty at Northwest Field in Guam. Thanks to what these brave men achieved on both atomic missions, my father and his B-29 crew missed the war in the Pacific Theater of Operations by only two weeks. The war against Japan had ended just two weeks to the day before my father and his B-29 crew were to report for combat duty at Northwest Field at Guam. His orders for combat duty were cancalled. He transferred to the US Army Air Force Reserves shortly afterwards. In the Reserves, he flew over the pond to England several times and flew B-17's, B-24s and Martin B-26 Marauders back to the United States where they were placed in storage awaiting their fate. He continued in the Reserves as a B-29 pilot until 1956, where he transitioned to flying the Boeing B-52B Stratofortress as a co-pilot. He retired from the service in 1957. If my father had been in combat against Japan, and given all the problems the Superfortresses were dealing with in combat, theres a good chance my two sisters, older brother and I would have never been born. Those two atomic bombs no doubt saved far many more lives than they took. I can't thank the crews that flew these atomic missions and the B-29 crews who continued flying bombing missions against Japan after Hiroshima and Nagasaki were destroyed enough for helping bring the war to an end.
man oh man I want a time machine to go back in time and fly that Enola gay to nuke Japan
Your dad still an instructor pilot?
@@andrewcharles7873No. My father passed away in 1987. If he were alive today, he would be 101 years old.
I can say without a doubt, that if the Emperor Of Japan had never started WW 2, with us, they could have saved themselves the Colossal Embarrassment of having to Admit Defeat And Surrender !!
Well said. It's just ashame that so many people committed suicide instead of just being captured and staying alive. But that was Japan's attitude back then. Just my opinion. Have a great day everyone.
Then we wouldn't have anime.
Noooo, really......
@@nicolasrose3064
Yessssssssss really!
@@chirelle.alanalooney8609
Seriously, you actually claim your original post as a revelation.....
It's like saying :"If you sit and watch a clock for 24 hours, you can see a day-go"
Or :"Fish are thin at one end, thick in the middle and thin at the other end"........
Or :"wet water in a river".......
Gar'n, please, don't hold back, you must be trembling with anticipation at the opportunity to share more of your absurdly uncanny and obvious observations with YT comments forum, that "insight" about the Japanese was absolute Gold, reeeaaaallyyy !
These Americans HEROS are from an era , from an America that is gone forever ; all you have now is a great majority of Americans and residents that feel the country owns them everything and they dont own none to the country, no effort, no sacrifice , no civic duty !!! all we see now is the implosion of this country from within !!! you have a population of lazy, freeloaders, anarquists, non beleivers in the minimun that only care in ridiculous material life !!!! my stepfather fought in the USAAF during WWII and im so proud of him for what he did for our country !!! I did my best to emulate him and served 6 years in the Army , my best years of my life !!!!!!!!!!!!!
I agree with you. America is not what it used to be and it's sad that I'm one of the very few who are proud to be an American and I thank you and your father for fighting for this country! Thank you so much!! ❤️🇺🇲
The America that we knew, the America that our fathers, brothers & uncles fought to preserve essentially died with President John F. Kennedy on Nov. 22, 1963. The man who replaced him was the first known criminal who made it into the White House, he refused re-election because he was warned that if he tried to go for another term, all of the dirt on him & the crimes that he'd committed & managed to hide, would all be brought into the open.
America has never been the same since John f. Kennedy was murdered, and now we have another criminal, one who intends to destroy EVERYTHING that our fathers, brothers & uncles fought & died for, for his own greed.
My Dad at age 18 was in the British Army in 1945 being prepared for the land invasion of Japan. When the two bombs were detonated he no longer had to go and instead repatriated PoWs in Singapore. If he had been part of the invasion there’s a good chance he wouldn’t have got out alive and me and my two sisters wouldn’t have been born. What he saw in the PoW camps put him off Japanese for life. Excellent documentary of the B29, one of the best I’ve seen.
Thank you and thanks for sharing your story! ❤
SALUTE TO YOUR FATHER.
My great grandad was a British PoW in Singapore, baybe they met.
Unfortunately this Documentary and many like it - only think that the Pacific side of the war was won by Americans.
My great uncle Cecil hicks was a pow on Hiroshima as a coal miner .he saw the Enola gay on the bombing run being only 23 miles away from the bomb drop zone .he said to my gran ,she was his sister and my mums uncle.we thought something big was coming .and it did come ..as the ships were off the coast to invade japan.the order was given to execute every pow .his journey started at evacuation of Dunkirk .he got split up from his unit .the HAA battalion ,sadly the ship his mates and other lads were on was sunk in the channel and most were lost ,that was the first Missing presumed dead letter off the MOD my great aunt got.luckily he made it back to Blighty and was in hospital for a while ,he was then sent to North Africa ,then after that sent to Singapore where he was captured by the japs.there was a lot of losses of British lives there .that is where my great aunt got his second missing presumed dead letter from the MOD .he was put on the death ship the Singapore Maru ,where a few of the mates he was captured with got Sick and passed away,he was sick with malaria and dysentery his mate looked after him and saved his life after the japs were using them for bayonet practice and then throwing them over the side .he luckily made it to Hiroshima ,and he was getting better with the help of his mate .so he was put on mining duties for an extra bowl of rice a day .after the war ended and they were liberated he was taken to an army hospital where he was for a while for the starving problems he endured ..at this point his wife ,my great aunt still didn’t know he was still alive..his mate got back to Blighty before him and went to his house to tell my great aunt he was still alive .she didn’t believe him as she had not heard anything for two years .he told her .he will be on stoke station at a certain time on a certain day ..she went anyway with their young daughter who was born just before he was captured .well the train came in and there he was ..he worked as a manager at Blythe colour works in Stafford England till he retired .he had to go for radiation tests yearly after being so close to the blast site and fallout area .he was the quietest man I’d ever seen .as a nipper in the Early 70’s .at the time I had no idea what this man had been through..he loved his gardening and his British motorcycles.him and my great aunt went everywhere on his motorbike and sidecar .he passed away at a good age .and the mate who helped to keep him alive helped top lay him to rest ..he and my other great uncle ,my dads uncle .James “Jimmy” Higgins who was on the Bridge at Arnhem with 2 Para under the great leader of men Lt.Col Johnny Frost .sadly he never made it home and is on the memorial wall at the Canadian cemetery at OOsterbeek.these men are my heroes.they saw and endured what nobody should ever see .but they did it with bravery and honour to their country .Rip both ,and to all those who never came home ,and those who have since passed ..we thank you ❤❤❤❤
The way Gary Sinice explains and describes everything, is absolutely keeping me spellbound listening to him, and I Love every minute of it.
👍♥️
Watch his video about flying in the U 2 .( personaly) .. fascinating doc.
Could they have picked a better narrator? I say no!
@@zerofox1551
Could they have picked a quieter soundtrack? I say yes!
@@mikekincaid7412that’s a good one
Thanks for uploading this. Back in 1991 I did a research paper on the plane and crew. I spent many hours doing research in the library as looking for information was much was more difficult back then compared to nowadays. A year later I opened the paper to see that Jacob Beser had died. I was shocked to learn that he lived within walking distance to me and that he would welcome anyone to his house to discuss the mission.
Fast forward 30+ years. I’m driving with my son and we pass a street named Enola Rd. My son asks me what kind of name Enola is and I said that it’s probably just a coincidence but the plane that dropped the first Atom Bomb on Japan was named Enola Gay, named after the pilots mother. I told him that one of the crew members lived just half a mile from where we are now.
We drove to the house and parked while I told my son the story. I was wondering if the kids playing on the block knew about the person who used to live there.
A book "Ruin From The Air" covers the whole story, almost. Thomas/Morgan-Witts 1977
I am pretty sure I have seen that plane as a kid (like 11 to 13?) Somewhere in Ohio or Indiana??? Do you know where this plane is now? I haven't watched this documentary going. Im about to watch it though.
It’s in the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. I don’t know if it’s ever been on display in Ohio or Indiana.
Boch’s Car, if I remember correctly, has been on display in Ohio for some time.
It's also a little sad about her name, because, ENOLA IS ALONE spelled backwards, and I was just wondering if that was how his mother's mother felt, when she had
her, was feeling Alone, and is that why she was named ENOLA?! Just Curious.
@@chirelle.alanalooney8609 David Blaine
Exactly 5:30 a.m. on July 16, 1945. Dawn came earlier than usual in Alamogordo, New Mexico, USA. Humankind's first nuclear weapon test was carried out, and the explosion size was 21 kilotons (21,000 tons in terms of TNT (explosion energy converted to the mass of trinitrotoluene gunpowder, which has the same amount of energy)). The force was far greater than most physicists had predicted, and was four times more powerful than expected.
People watching from more than five miles away said they were "surrounded by a bright, warm, bright yellow light." Also, after the initial flash, an orange fireball expanded... The shock wave, which traveled at the speed of sound, was so loud it could have shattered windows 125 miles (about 200 kilometers) away. ``Once the fireball is out of sight, a column of radioactive fission products, bomb residue, water droplets, and larger sand and debris particles rises and expands as it moves higher into the atmosphere, the world's first nuclear phenomenon.'' A mushroom cloud was created due to the explosion.'' The power of this nuclear test was so great that no one living nearby was unaware of the explosion. The federal government's coherent explanation was, ``It was an accidental explosion of a powder magazine involving ammunition and fireworks, and no one was injured.'' This intentional dissemination of false information by the government was a new event for the United States, which until then had virtually no secrets that it needed to lie to the public. Nearly 80 years later, it is safe to say that secret systems like the Manhattan Project have become an integral part of American society. In addition to nuclear weapons, advanced versions of conventional weapons such as attack submarines, stealth fighters, stealth bombers, and hypersonic missiles, as well as nuclear weapons delivery systems are being developed every day under strict secrecy. These efforts involve billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of people. As of 2022, 2.8 million people will have some kind of security clearance (an aptitude assessment that allows them to handle classified information), and 1.2 million people will have a top secret clearance. Looking around the world, the United States currently has rival countries such as China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran, and the nature of each country requires secrecy. However, it is surprising how many sensitive matters are handled on a daily basis in the United States, which is theoretically a peaceful country. The origin of this situation was the ``Manhattan Project'' to develop the atomic bomb. The Japanese will never forget the dropping of two nuclear bombs that were never used.
@ 42:48 It breaks my heart to know that he knows what’s being taught in our schools after all he and his generation went through. How most of the younger generation are not only ungrateful, but actually are taught that the U.S. is an evil empire and all white men are pieces of shit. To have these guys still alive to witness our downfall has to be the biggest slap in the face. Thank you to all of our veterans who ensured the freedoms that we enjoyed! God bless.
@8866 Panda That’s because Japan is too smart to go woke.
Today's generation of kids are stupid and are going to get us all killed if nothing is done about it.
If one is responsible for thousands of deaths of human beings all over the world for the sake to control the natural resources of smaller countries and murder the leaders of countries that don't bend to your will lie and create propaganda such as weapons of mass destruction to justify the invasion of another country to take control of its wealth there are going to be consequences for these atrocities sooner are later you are going to pay you zre responsible for your own downfall you have had a long run but there is a reckoning coming if you destabilize the home of others you set the stage for your own destabilization it is nature when you are responsible for death and destruction all over the planet like a virus you will never have TRUE ( FREE DOME) no peace because of your transgressions you have to always be watching and spying can't sleep you have transgressed every indigenous people on this planet in the name of MANIFEST DESTINY there is no peace for you
I am so grateful for gentlemen like these heros. If they had not done this mission to stop the war, my grandfather might not have lived. Therefore, I would not have been born. Believe me, I taught my children about WW11. My daughter joined the army at 18! 🇺🇸❤ never forget
@@VelvetChexalena😂
I got to tour the inside of a B-29 thanks to an unlikely set of circumstances. I even got to crawl through the tunnel. I was stationed at Loring AFB in northern Maine from 1976 through 1980. As a Staff Sergeant, I was assigned to a KC-135 flight simulator as a maintenance tech. Around 1979 a gentleman walked into the office and introduced himself. He said he was flying a B-29 to England to be restored and put in a museum. Departing from Arizona, he landed at Loring to refuel and get more oil for the leaky engines. He was forced to stay longer than he planned due to a hydraulic leak in the landing gear. He was stuck waiting for parts. As a pilot, he was itching to get some flying time in even if it was a simulator. His B-29 was parked inside a secure hanger. He made me an offer I couldn't refuse. He said if I let him fly the simulator, he would get me past security and let me crawl around inside the B-29. That offer was a no-brainer. What a thrill. Although it was not the Enola Gay B-29, it was an amazing piece of American history nonetheless.
Greg Sullivan I did get to do one better. My father, M David Bellmore, was a senior docent and guide at the Paul Garber restoration facility of the Smithsonian. Many years ago I was visiting him and got to see the very disassembled Enola Gay and look into the cockpit via it's transfer tube forward of the front fuselage joint. At the time she was still very much under restoration and not on public display. The controversy about displaying her was still in the future. I wish he had lived long enough to see her restored and fully assembled at Dulles airport. His favorite plane was the B-17. He was a navigation and flight trainer with the Army Air Corp during WW2.
@@mikecamrcplus3057 That is great information! Thank-you.
Sounds to me like, going by your narritave, you blew a load in the tunnel.
That's a real awesome treat! I saw the Enola at the Smithsonian.
@@wizzardofpaws2420 I bet they dont let you (EG) inside that one right ?
Gary Sinise is a true Patriot, and is well deserved to be a narrator for this video. We love you Gary!
👍♥️
I am hoping to go to New Orleans soon. Really looking forward to visiting the Military Museum there. Gary Senise can be thanked for THAT. So very many things were saved there - that might have been gone forever. I retired from the Military and loved every minute of it.
After building the B2 structures and countless commercial jets for 15 years, I was tapped to assist with the restoration of a pair of these fantastic airplanes. My grandmother was one of the original assemblers so it was a pleasure to even be part of it. It was like being on a structures team only the B29 didn't move on to the interiors or galleys, it was like an unfinished commercial plane. I can only imagine how loud it must have been inside!
Thank you RUclips for making this Historic Ddocumentary available to all of us, and Thank you Gary Sinise for your Excellent Narration of this fabulous and Historically Accurate depection of everything, it was fantastic!!!
Once again I wrote DEPICTION , AND NOT DEPECTION. BUT THE SPACEBAR CHANGED MY ( I ) TO AN (E) IN DEPICTION !!
WHEN IT ISN'T CHANGING THE LETTERS, IT CHANGES THE ENTIRE FRIGGIN' WORD, WHICH IS A TOTAL PISSER !!!!
Once again I wrote DEPICTION , AND NOT DEPECTION. BUT THE SPACEBAR CHANGED MY ( I ) TO AN (E) IN DEPICTION !!
WHEN IT ISN'T CHANGING THE LETTERS, IT CHANGES THE ENTIRE FRIGGIN' WORD, WHICH IS A TOTAL PISSER !!!!
Gary Sinise is most excellent narrator & 1 of my favorite actors!
Flawed Documentary - that it keeps on saying that only Americans played a part in liberating the pacific - also depicts that the scientists in the Mantatten project were all Americans (Atomic Bombs)
@@dafyddthomas7299 they played the largest part...but by no means the only part....
I met both Paul Tibbets and Dutch Van Kirk at an aviation trade show way back in the early 2000’s.
Tibbets was difficult to converse with due to his hearing but Van Kirk would talk your leg off and I enjoyed standing there listening to his stories.
Nothing like history from the men who wrote it.
Brokaw was right, this was the greatest generation.
These men had gigantic balls of steel….
Today’s men don’t know which bathroom to use!!
It was so sad and and at the same time so eye opening when he said that he was described as a veteran of World War "ELEVEN". An amazing documentary and I am so glad that I watched it. Let us never forget.
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Never forget that tens of thousands of Japanese civilians were needlessly murdered to send "a message" to the Soviet Union. The nuclear attacks were inarguably war crimes on a massive scale,but the the US has a long and sordid history of war crimes.
@@antipropo461 There are many theories to why the bombs were dropped. Your is just one of the few, but it is certainly not the definitive reason. It's an endless debate
@@Dronescapes neither bomb ended the war...a common misconception...it took something else to shock them into surrender...
@@Dronescapes there is only one reason the bombs were dropped, to force Japan to surrender and end the war
Had 1 conversation with my uncle, after my dad's funeral. My uncle was a marine in the south pacific theatre throughout the second world war. Fought at Guadalcanal. Iwo jima. All of it. He told me my father was a genuine hero of ww2. He said he was sitting on a ship. Awaiting to attack the Japanese home islands. He said he knew he wasnt going to survive. Then the bombs were dropped, and he was soon back in new yawk city. God bless us everyone.
🇺🇲 Thank you to all of the brave men and women who made this amazing aircraft, the incredibly powerful atomic bombs, and the intestinal fortitude of our Country's leadership, willing to do what it took in order to put that bloody war to it's ultimate conclusion !
And thank you to all of the fine folks who put this documentary together !
And finally, I want to say a heartfelt thank you to
Gary Sanise for the voice narration, and ALL of your tireless work you have done, and continue to do for the thousands of folks that you have entertained over the years sir !
You are a true patriot, and a quiet hero sir ! 🇺🇲
🇺🇲 My apologies for misspelling
Gary Sinise's name ! 🇺🇲
Wow, I guess American still think this was justified. Most of the U,S, generals at the time were against its use which tells you something. Gee, maybe Russia is justified then murdering a few million Ukrainian civilians with nukes to prevent the loss of more of their soldiers.
Yes me also....😁
How do you think about around 250,000 people, children, ladies, old men and women, who were brutally murdered by these atomic bombs?
This topic has been a prime interest of mine for close to 50 years. I wrote a college paper on the development of the atomic bomb and it's use. Doing the research for the paper I read nearly every available source of information out at the time. This documentary captures much of that. I hadn't seen this treatise before now but must say it was excellently done. Hey, it had "Lieutenant Dan" (Gary Sinise) as narrator. Love that guy. Two thumbs up in every respect. 👍👍
Hey Ken, how are you sir? I heard new info. in this vid. that I never knew so far. I knew the Pacific campaign was brutal as any up until the time of so called modern warfare. Japanese code of warfare is bushido, and they would never stop until the last man. We Americans will never fully understand that mindset. I had no idea that we lost 50,000 men on Okinawa alone. I know Iwo and Guadalcanal were vicious as hell. My grandfather was a Marine at those two battles, and he actually spoke to me about combat. Four uncles in Vietnam, and not one word will they speak about it. I always felt that we needed to do this horrific bombing, and save many,many G.I.`s lives. But I never knew how much we truly would lose until seeing this. And Gary Sinese is indeed cool. I think he is underrated as an actor. Cheers !
2:54 what causes the vertical parallell streamers on the left
Have u seen oppenheimer?
I thought that was him but wasn’t sure
My dad was in the European Theatre during the war. He said "I'm not sure how everyone felt about Pres Truman...but that act was like taking a noose off my neck"..because he now could go home after 3 1/2 years..met my mom...became a firefighter/cabinet maker....had 7 kids...and loved his country.
Bless him
I wish they always used you to Narrate Documentaries, because you have the most perfect and pleasing voice to listen to for them !!!!!! Thank you Gary !! It was a real pleasure listening to you !!!
Glad you like them!
This documentary was put together like non other that I have watched before. Fantastic job! To any people making negative comments about what happened that day let's not forget that the US made attempt after attempt to warn everyone over there that they would not survive in the coming days and if you were a civilian to leave the area right away. I believe they made radio broadcasts and flew over the targets and dropped papers saying more or less to evacuate the city but they didn't think that the US could do anything to them at the time so everyone stayed. We didnt just sneak in there and drop a bomb they were warned but didn't take much of any action to heed the warnings.
God bless Boeing and God bless Perry who works for boring he’s been there for like 36 years he is my brother-in-law I love you. Thank you for your service
Heroes!!! They are called The Greatest Generation for a reason!! God Bless each and everyone one of them.
Thank goodness for these brave people, they gave us freedom. Thank you!
amazing documentary I lived in both Japan and USA and gotta say after all that has happened our two countries are real good buddies now and that gives me a very good feeling....if you live in USA and want a great vacation visit Japan someday you will be treated so well if you have never been there you are missing out... I lived there for 5 years and will never forget any of it so pretty and kind and interesting
I met Paul Tibbets at the Dayton Air force base in 1997. he was 87 at the time. He gave a speech lasting about an hour. He later did a book signing and I got mine. I was lucky, I was one of the first people there so talked to him a few minutes. we shook hands and he said my name. You had to write your name on a card for him . I got a picture with me and him together. It was a great experience to meet him and hear what he sad to say.
Yes, those moments are very special my friend. You are very fortunate to have met him I have had those type of encounters too over the years. I went to visit the Enola Gay a few years back now on display at the Smithsonian facility at Dulles Airport. Back in the early 1980's my dad took me to a very special place in Silver Hill, Md. Called the Paul E. Garber facility. After going through the restored aircraft displays the guide took us outside and walked to very large hanger in the back of the facility. He slide open the door to a very dimly lit area. As my eyes adjusted I noticed the fuselage of a FW-190 on my right. As we started to make our way through I noticed a very large silver cylindrical object. I remember stepping back a few feet and turning my head to the left and look down and the words "Enola Gay" are staring straight at me. I'm am now totally blown away and in total awe. I can't believe what I'm seeing. I reach out and put my hand on it. That is a moment I will never forget. So when I visited her the second time it is now out of reach. That was a very special moment I will never forget.
WOW YOU ARE ONE LUCKY GUY TO HAVE BEEN SO FORTUNATE AND HAVE HAD THAT EXPERIENCE WITH HIM !!!
@@chirelle.alanalooney8609 Yes I think so too. I always was into history , and I always seem to meet people from historic times. I am still friends with a German woman , living in Canada for many years. Her and her husband drove down to Kentucky to meet me. I also took them up to the air force museum. I know all aircraft from all wars, especially world war 2. I had been teaching Gudrun about the war because she wanted to know. She was 7 years old and was bombed by the British at night and the Americans by day. She said the American bombings were worse. She had some interesting stories. I showed her pictures of the B17 Flying Fortress. When we got to the museum, we cam to the B17G Shoo Shoo baby. a real B17 That actually had bombed Germany in world war 2. I said here it is. She stood there looking at it, and cried a little. Thinking back .. because when I first showed her a picture of a B17 dropping bombs, she got scared. Even in her 70s at the time. I said come up here and touch it. we had enough room to reach over and she touched the chin turret. I said see, it cant hurt you anymore. We had a great time while there. Then I drove her and Hans all through Kentucky. They enjoyed it and Hans made a comment about how he noticed so many American flags on many homes. He said you do not see that in Germany. I also worked with a former German soldier from world war 2. His wife was from Belgium. He was in the battle of the Bulge. but I never asked any questions about it. It was interesting hearing his stories as well. he told me several. like when he came to the USA, as a legal immigrant and it was 1949. The Korean war started, and they take them first is what he told me. The draft started and away he went. He got into tanks. He said he did not want to be in infantry again. So there he was at one time fighting against the American army.. and later fighting with the American army. I met many others too but I am writing a book. I hope you did not fall asleep :)
@@georgeh.7238 My father M David Bellmore was one of the docents giving those tours.
In the early 60`s, we made a family trip to east coast. I was in middle years of high school. One stop was an avation museum. The forward fuselage /cockpit of Enola Gay was displayed and I could walk through. It was an experience I will never forget.
Now it has been restored completely wings and all and hangs in the museum with plexiglass protecting it from the balcony visitors. Nobody will ever get my view again.
Back in the early nineties me and my fiance lived in an apt above the vet clinic that she worked at while we both going to college Rosehill vet in reynoldsburg Ohio .and while living there Dr mark place me to col. Tibbets as he was a client at the clinic he used to board his dog there quite often some of the stories he told me about the mission and other stories about his time in serving in ww 2 we're amazing s real down to earth guy he even let me make a birthday greeting for my grand father for his birthday video I sent him before he passed away he also served in WW2 at pearl harbor he was a airplane mechanic my aunt said that he was so honored to get that video bday greeting from col tibbets she said it made him so happy . Col tibbets was such a great guy . Such great memory to have met him
To Kevin: Thank You for sharing that.
"My family and I..."
thank you for your service gentlemen
My father was ground crew and loaded ordnance for circle R on Tininen island. Didn't talk about the war much, but was very proud of being part of that air group.
By far the most detailed docco on this subject that I have ever seen.
I wonder how much of that is because certain details were classified until recently.
Dutch is more coherent than most adults today, impressive for his age.
6:00 to 7:10 when GARY SINISE said in detail of how they dropped the atomic bomb 💣 it sent CHILLS through my entire body, WOW 😳 what a catastrophic weapon.
Gary. I almost forgot about you. Good to see you are active. Thanks for the narration.
They don't make documentaries like this anymore with just the facts
Apparently they do or you couldn't have watched this..
@@wyatberp3611 Uranium wasn't the only substance in the Hiroshima bomb, now was it?
There was also a video here in RUclips made by Prof. Mark Felton. He said it’s the Avron Lancaster who dropped the both bomb and not an American airplane
And fake sound effects
If you like this, watch any "Victory at Sea" episodes you happen to find. I bought the whole series on 5 CDs. Many of the same clips appear there.
I grew up most of my live in Las Vegas, Nevada. My father was in the USAF for 23 years 1950-1973. Our family was stationed at Nellis Air Force Base 1967-1971. We moved to McConnell Air Force Base Wichita, Kansas 1971-1973, and then George Air Force Base, Victorville California. After my Dad retired in October 1973 we came back to Las Vegas and I have lived here since then. Every year, Nellis has OPEN HOUSE, which allows people to come on base. You get to see all the jets and watch the USAF Thunderbirds doing airshows. Sometimes you got a 2 for 1 deal as the Navy would have the Blue Angels perform same day there. We went in 1994 my Dad, myself, and my friend Patrick. Patrick's mom is from Japan and grew up there during World War 2. So we walk toward one of the hangars and its crammed with people. One end is especially packed and this old guy wearing glasses is signing autographs on books. We get closer, and it's Paul Tibbets, the freaking pilot of the Enola Gay. I am like holy shit this guy is still alive, unbelievable. So we get closer and Patrick asks Tibbets does he have trouble sleeping at night after dropping the bomb on Hiroshima. Tibbets replies "no I was given an order, and I carried it out". "If I had not done my duty hundreds of thousands of US soldiers would have died in an invasion." Patrick didn't say a word after that question. I rank this as better than seeing President Reagan get in his limo in London in June of 1984.
I really liked seeing Theodor "Dutch" van Kirk being Interviewed! He is so sharp and spry, and I am so glad that he was the Navigator, for and with, Paul Tibbets crew men on the Enola Gay !!!
In 1959 my dad was stationed at Andrews AFB. Our boy scout cabin was on the south end of the base. We rode our bikes to scout meetings and always passed a fenced corner of the base in the southwest corner of the base. Behind the fence was an old WW II bomber, the "Enola Gay". At that time we did not know the of the plane. I never saw it again until I visited the the National Air and Space Museum.
That would have been such a thrill to see the Enola Gay up close
The Enola Gay was stored at Andrews AFB in the early 60"s. We rode past it all the time on the southwest corner of the base on our way to Boy Scout meetings. At that time we did not know the significance of the plane. It had a barbed wire fence around it. Wish we had know, could have gotten pictures of it.
🙂
It's at a museum near Washington now if you want to see it
I thought it was in Southern California?
This man and.all.the others are truthfull in their beliefs..they did what was necessary,,who today has their courage....Hero's all of these men who defender their Country and ours....Thank you.
Gary has always been a familiar friendly face to military troops everywhere Thank You Lt. Dan!
teachers pet
Incredible Documentary. The footage, the feeling, and ofc the narrator (TY Gary). If you zest for anything WW2 this right here, is just for you.
Pilot/Linemen a KCAE when a B-29 spent the day raising money. I assisted in any way possible and was allowed to spend time in the plane and crawl all over it. IIRC it was heading to Charleston SC and they had a seat. But... Some "newsperson" was supposed to go but she was nervous. If she didn't show, I could go. 5 minutes before clearing the ramp and preflight, she showed up. No clue what it was, how it worked, the history, just another 30 second forgettable news story. Hated the press before, hated them more after.
Absolutely the best documentary on this I've ever watched!!! Thank you
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So grateful to the Enola Gay & her crew.. Thankyou for your service
A lot of information in this amazing documentary. Thank you for posting. Richard in Dallas
My father who is 98 going on 99, was a navigator/ APQ7 NEW RADAR TECHNOLOGY.
He was on the Last Mission over Japan bombing oil wells in North Japan it ended the war- he flew after HIROSHIMA & NAGASAKI.
My dad was a speaker- I was so glad to see the new interest in the Bomb with the new movie OPPENHEIMER IN 2023
THE GUYS ARE TRUE HEROES!
God bless him
The 2007 book “The Last Mission” by Jim Smith who was a radio operator on some of those missions is an interesting read.
Smith mentions that raid, and others. It also goes in to some detail how Japan was preparing to counter an Allied land invasion had the bombs not been dropped.
Paul Tibbets named the plane "Enola Gay" because that was his mother's name.
I met Paul Tibbets here in Columbus, Ohio. He started Executive Jet Aviation, and I was doing a lot of service work with them. His hearing was very bad, and he nearly shouted because he couldn't hear his own voice. One day I asked him, "General Tibbets, how did you lose your hearing?" His shouted reply: "Flying B-25's!" He lived here in Columbus, and got death threats constantly until his death in 2007. It was an honor to meet this history making man.
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My friend Ralph's father did on Tinian Island when the Enola Gay stopped in for refueling
I do not understand why the dropping of the Atomic bomb is so horrid to many of you commentators, it was just a very efficient way to destroy a city or military complex, they killed more people in one fire bomb raid on Tokyo than the atomic bomb raids. Eifficency in War is how to win, the only reason fire bomb raids were stopped, was because they ran out of fire bombs, there were raids after both Atomic Bomb drops.....no one hears much about them though
The japanese began the war by attacking
@@davidbrowne2454 you are correct, there was a lot of things going on that are not told to the American or even other countries public. The history is very interesting to go back to the 1930's and see the back room deals and plans for all countries involved in WWII.....it will shock you to read.......
Hey, JAPAN WAS THE ONE THAT STARTED AN UNPROVOKED WAR WITH US!
WE JUST FINISHED IT WITH THEM, THE ONES THAT STARTED IT! THEY GOT THEIR KARMA!
“The atomic bomb” ? There were two of them if I remember well. Was this necessary?
@@TheEvivzorglub was the war needed?
With history, life is knowledge, as well as wisdom!
As "human beings", we tend to repeat our mistakes...
Sadly, I "subscribed" to this Channel too late to obtain the knowledge/history from these "individual battles".
-THANK YOU so much for sharing these "blind-sighted/forgotten" videos!
Thank you! probably the most iconic airplane in the history of aviation. Named after his mom. :)
We saw it in the Smithsonian Air and space annex, at Dulles airport some years ago.
The Memphis belle
@@nathanschiffbauer2154 Memphis Belle was a B17 in a movie
@@gregdales4701 To put it exactly it was a real aircraft and the movie was based on it. For example for me Memphis Belle and it's history makes it more iconic aircraft than Enola Gay and basically B-17 is more iconic type generally :) But speaking about iconic aircraft there are Wright Flyer, Spirit of st. Luis and many more standing in the queue
Saw it! And Bockscar in Utah! :))
I had the honor of meeting Mr. Tibbets at his home in Gahanna, Ohio shortly before his death when I did some repair work for him. Quite a friendly man and he held nothing back when we talked about that fateful mission. Although I never asked, he put to rest any thoughts on whether he regretted leading that mission by telling me: "Son, if I had had two of those bombs on board I'd have dropped both of them that day, and still would". As I packed up my work truck to leave he came out of his house and got into a car which had pulled into his driveway. The car was driven by an elderly Asian man and they left together. I'm happy I had the chance to meet Mr. Tibbets.
My grandfather was fighting the Japanese in China under Chiang Kai-Shek, pretty sure I would not have been born had the war dragged on. General Tibbets is a hero to me, as he should be to all Americans.
Shit. I'd have dropped it. And more. Whatever it takes.
@@jackludvigsson6347 that persons grandfather fought for China...if it wasn't for those bombs the war would have dragged on and who knows how many more lives on both sides would have been lost. it's part of history. you want control and power as japan did then that's the consequences at the time. get over it
The man was a total psychopath, but it's logical the military would have selected a one for this mission. His failure long after the war to express any remorse for the dead means he deserves to be in hell.
@@robinsattahip2376 what is your evidence for the psychopath accusation?
Best documentary ever! Learned more watching this video than all my years in school.
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Love these documentaries...so glad I came across them...as usual Gary Sinise hits it out of the park
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What a great day when Japan surrended!!
I just LOVE Gary Sinice as a Narrator !! He is the best, and so is his voice !!❤️❤️❤️❤️😊
Semper Fi to the Marines and Sailors who gave their lives to get the Enola Gay close enough to Japan to help end the war.
I find myself compelled to say that "The Greatest Generation," had an amazing bunch of good looking and smart men!
That was a generation the likes of which this country will never see again.
Exactly!! The men of today are spineless and pathetic losers who are afraid of everything around them including their own shadow.
To the family of the people who dropped the A Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki,never be ashamed for what these officers did.
They only performed a duty called upon by their job.
Having done that, millions of Allied Lives,Millions of Japanese Civilians and Militaries have been saved,bec the fanatical military of Japan and it's civilian Govt were forced to end a useless War thus saving lives by the millions.
To those people who criticized the USA for dropping those bombs,you do not know history or refuse to accept the facts about the evils of Militarist Japan during the 1940's and Back.
Both my Grandfather's were in WW2 and I love the airplanes that were used to help win the war. Had we not dropped the bomb, then there is no telling how much longer the war would have rage on and how many more lives would have been lost.
Japan did not fear for long that the USSR would enter the war by agreement with the allies, which happened on August 9; the million-strong Japanese army was defeated in a few weeks and only after that the emperor admitted defeat
My dad fought the Nazis in WW2 and after they surrendered they told my dad to prepare for the invasion of Japan.
Thank God for those brave men and women. Truman did the right thing and ended WW2. My dad was able to go home and live the American dream.
I think it would be the right thing for Putin to launch all 'intercontinental missiles' against America .... so that we can find out what this new kind of war will be like ( just like we found out what happened in Japan ). Universal destruction will show us the way to end all wars. Then we all can go home and be at peace with our makers.
God has nothing to do with War. There is nothing brave to be found in wars. Truman did the right thing is a fallacy. He did nothing but order the Atomic bombing of those two cities, from thousands of miles away. There is nothing to be proud of a psychopathic ruler, who remotely ordered the atomic bombing of two residence cities in Japan.
“Our boys were sent off to die with beautiful ideals painted in front of them. No one told them that dollars and cents were the real reason they were marching off to kill and die”. General Smedley Buttler, 1881-1940
Same here; my dad was poised to invade the Japanese mainland and THANKFULLY the bomb(s) ended what was to become the worlds worst bloodbath on the shores of Japan. There is no question in dropping them and ending the war that Japan started with the USA.
World War 11 huh? That's so disrespectful in my eyes. Will should still be thanking these men all these years later. I hope that we never see anything like that engulf the world ever again.
As a youngster all my friends dads and my dad were vets of WW2 or Korea
I believed for a while that using a nuclear weapon was unnecessary and brutal. Until one of my best friend's mom took me aside and said that she understood my viewpoint but the invasion of Japan would have been more costly in terms of human life.
For anyone who gives it any thought, dropping a nuclear weapon on a city is appalling, but it's necessary to examine the entire scenario.
The talk that my friend's mom gave me changed my perspective.
Well in that perspective bombing theaters, hospitals and so on in Ukraine must be a good thing.
Dropping a nuclear bomb over a city full of civilians is a war crime. End of story.
If it is not a war crime, nothing is a war crime.
War is war, but it should be fought by soldiers. A soldier who kills civilians is a criminal.
The speed of the B-29 allowed it to evade fighter planes and its maneuverability allowed it to evade antiaircraft fire. A truly remarkable piece of military might. Great documentary.
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So it was really was the B47 or even the B58?
This generation had to overcome so much. Diseases, Great Depression, the Crime Wave, and much more. By the time WW2 began they had already been through so much. These are our grandparents.
They're tough as nails.
I got the pleasure of meeting "Dutch" during a Selman Field reunion in April of 1995. Selman field is where the navigators were trained. I got an autographed poster by him written out to my brother and I. I also met Colonel Egan and several others. It was great hearing stories all inside a hangar that was original to their time.
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Thanks for all the videos. I love all the old timer aircraft and the great stories those brave and heroic fighter pilots had to tell - these should be forever preserved for all future generations of soon to be aviators and those like me who love aircraft and flight - and war stories of valor.
I have to say, that I would feel the same way that Brig. Gen. Paul Tibbets felt about dropping that bomb, because they Started it, and by God We Would Damn Well Finish It, along with them! And I would feel that same way about anyone, who wants to start an unprovoked attack on us, I don't care who the hell it is!
I see it, as turn about is fair play, cuz if you are going to start something unpleasant, you are going to get it right back, ten fold from me! My dad said, never back down from a fight, or be cowardly, and stand your ground!
Exactly. I hope we are keeping an eye on the fat dude in N. Korea!
So sad Japan people had leaders who waged war on the world.
America and Japan could have been great allies and friends in the 40's if things had been different.
Have to tie Italy and Germany to this argument as well.
Outstanding ! A very frank, honest & accurate accounting of a monumental moment in the history of our country & indeed the world. I wish I could have met these men, saluted them & shook their hands. God bless them all !
O n no okpk opp Bbm knl
As a Brit I salute you guys.
If dropping an atomic bomb on a business/residential district of a city and obliterating every man woman and child in the blast is something worth saluting, I question your ethics.
There is no God in the wars of men.
@@gregdales4701 Think you find that many non Americans were part of the Manhatten project including many clever British Scientists.
This seems to be a very interesting piece of history. Thanks for the video 👌👍
I just found out , The Japanese military/leadership was estimating losing 20,000,000 people in the Allied invasion of the japan mainland. The US was planning on losing 1,000,000. The Atomic attack killed around 900,000 . So the Atomic attack SAVED approx. 20 MILLION lives
Lol...
Lol I don't think they even had that many people then lol
@MirroredVoid facts dont care about your feelings
No. The maximum death toll at Hiroshima was estimated after the war as 140,000. The maximum death toll at Nagasaki was estimated at 80,000. That's a total of 220,000.
@@buckhorncortez So , the atomic attack on Japan saved 680,000 more lives than I thought
What i didn't get a chance to study in school now am getting it right here.
Thanks to the moderator, he's so accurate and don't rush his explanations.
Pilot Tibbet seems to be one of the best pilots in history plus much respect to the entire crew and the military
I always enjoy Gary's narration! Awesome job! 🇺🇸
Glad you enjoy it!
Wow, World War Eleven. I can't even begin to talk about how SAD that statement is. I can't even text anymore.
I remember my wife's grandmother would talk about her relative that flew the Enola Gay. I believe they were cousins. I remember her talking about the history of the Tibbets family. She would show us pictures of different members but she had a picture of Paul in her China cabinet. I can't remember all the stories she would tell, but she didn't know all the specific details of his air corps experience. The Tibbets family has a vast history around the country.
This was so terrific to watch...
Outstanding documentary...Very informative. Thanks for posting this.
Father of a guy in my speech class was on the Enola Gay. Gave a very interesting speech about the drop and some after thought of the result.
My father was stationed on Tinian when the Enola Gay and the Indianapolis came to the island. I have pictures he took at the time of the Enola Gay and the building where they assembled the bomb.
To reidweaver: Did you ever have a chance to read "No Share of Glory" about what happened to the USS INDIANAPOLIS after they were returning from Tinian after dropping off the bomb? Just horrific what happened on their return trip to Manilla.
Brilliant video. Thank you for sharing . Keep up the good work 👏
Thank you Hunter
Though, the atomic bomb played a huge roll in ending WWII. It was the Soviets entering the war against Japan at the same time as the bomb, which was also the deciding factor for Japan to surrender.
This video should be required viewing of every high school student in the US.
Not only the us
Excellent story and narration. Keep up the great work.
Thank you! ❤
The man is speaking to high school students about the 2nd World War And is Introduced as a Veteran Of World War 11. What a Disgrace to all these Brave Men.
Even more of a disgrace for the person who introduced him and has no idea there never has been a World War Eleven...certainly doesn't say much for their education does it?
This is what this new generation now a days needs to watch and see is world history instead kids r playing with make-up on tik tok... thanks for documentary..anyone agrees..
It's called history class. Everyone learns it. Not sure what this has to do with tik tok. The fact they are on tik tok is great. Means we are living in peaceful times.
By far this is the best video I've ever seen about this! Really. It was excellent.
As an aside Tibbets daughter, Alexis, was our school superintendent here in NW Florida for many years.
Wow, thank you!
@@Dronescapes Subbed!!
@@kolasom Thank you!
You all are heroes in my book !! You brought the war to a end , saving countless lives on both sides! You flew the mission with out knowing if you even get back! That takes a lot of courage!!!! God bless all of you
My dad, a USAAF command pilot, arrived at Okinawa with his bomb group literally the same day as the official surrender. He did fly a few missions to Japan, mainly transporting our POW's to US bases. In 1946, working directly under Gen. LeMay, he was an observer at the Operation Crossroads atomic tests at Bikini Atoll.
My father was one of the thousands of Sailors, Soldiers and Marines and Japanese who would have died if not for these two missions.
Yea, my father might have also been one of the casualties if it wasn't for the bomb😮
Mine also!!
Cool, I had no idea that Britain was going to join in on a mainland Japan invasion if it came to that point. The only thing I know of the proposed mainland invasion would have been called Operations Coronet and Olympia. Glad it didn't resort to those operations.
my dad had fought in Europe for 3 years and he was being prepared for duty in the south pacific when the war ended
Great documentary, worth a watch!
🙏🙏
Great documentary Gary did a great job. FIRE THE MUSIC DIRECTOR!!!
❤❤WELL DOCUMENTED, LEARNED A LOT FROM THIS DOCUMENTARY
wow! fabtastic info. I wish more post-ers were like you! Thanx
And "BOEING" had saved our Nation, though many were weary of the Nuclear strikes upon Japan...
What a "dastardly ominous/scary" aircraft that we built/used.
I completely understand why the flight crew of these two Bombers are "short of discussions" of three "details of what happened"!
they produced so many purple hearts in anticipation of casualties during the invasion of japan they were still being awarded 70 years later during the global war on terror.
when the whole revisionist controversy was being fabricated in the early 1980s i asked a good friend and mentor how he felt about the dropping of the atomic bombs because i thought he had a particularly relevant opinion on the matter. he was an AA gunner on an LST (landing ship, tank. a particularly juicy target during an invasion) on okinawa making preparations for the invasion of japan. i asked him how he felt when hed learned of the dropping of the bombs, he said; "i wept like a baby because now i knew i would live and get to go home and make love to me beautiful wife again!"
I was part of the original security team at the Udvar Hazy Center National Air and Space museum where the B29/ENOLA Gay now is on display. I was there from January 2002 to September 2009. Being around the ENOLA Gay was an EXTREME honor and privilege. The Udvar Hazy Center would have between 3,000 and 10,000 people a day. Most people would ask me if the REAL Enola Gay was here but couldn't believe it when they saw it. Some people came there Only to see the plane that ended WWII Quote. People would say to me.
I very much want to go there just to see the plane. I've got a personal connection to the plane and saw it when it was in Smithsonian Museum in 1997. I was able to lean over the rope and touch the fuselage of the plane.
I'm always down for a history documentary narrated by Lt. Dan!