Paul Tibbets

[8CW]

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedi...ack=crosspromo

[Geico266]

"Hero" is a word that is thrown around alot lately, but the term "America's Greatest Generation" is not used enough.

Rest in piece General Tibbits, you have earned it.

[videobobk]

I heard this wonderful man speak at Oshkosh a few years ago. That is a highlight beyond compare. Rest in peace, General. And thanks.

Bob Kelly

[Tonard Bales]

Enola Gay Pilot Paul Tibbets passed away yesterday at the age of 92. Take a few minutes to read this informative 2002 interview with Studs Terkel. His words about a third bomb, simultaneous bombing of Japan and Europe and his thoughts about nukeing terrorists are rivetting. Here is the link I borrowed from AVWEB.COM ( a GREAT Aviation site). Enjoy..
http://www.avweb.com/news/profiles/P..._196499-1.html

[Bob Axsom]

When I was a young boy in 1945 the war had been going on for half of my life. When the news was spread around the playground that the war was over I created one of those moments in life that you never forget where you were and what you were doing.

Long since then I have visited Los Alamos and Trinity Site in New Mexico. Three books on my bookshelf make it clear that Paul W. Tibbets was a very special man:

Enola Gay by Gordon Thomas and Max Morgan Witts
Flight of the Enola Gay by Paul W. Tibbets
The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes

Bob Axsom

[rv7boy]

I was on a business trip near Salt Lake City a few years ago and had a few extra hours so I drove west on I-80 to Wendover. Most folks think of it as a casino town (barely in Nevada...actually Wendover is in Utah and West Wendover is in Nevada). Besides being near the Bonneville Salt Flats, Wendover is home to what remains of Wendover Air Base. When I was there, two runways served as a general aviation airport ( http://www.airnav.com/airport/KENV ) , but the old buildings were still there and you could take a self-guided tour.

There is a historical group trying to raise donations to restore the old buildings. I made a small donation, but they need a lot more than what I could give. It's definitely worth a visit if you like to visit military history sites, and I believe it may be the last WWII air base with buildings still standing.

Don

[L.Adamson]

Originally Posted by rv7boy

I was on a business trip near Salt Lake City a few years ago and had a few extra hours so I drove west on I-80 to Wendover. Most folks think of it as a casino town (barely in Nevada...actually Wendover is in Utah and West Wendover is in Nevada). Besides being near the Bonneville Salt Flats, Wendover is home to what remains of Wendover Air Base. When I was there, two runways served as a general aviation airport ( http://www.airnav.com/airport/KENV ) , but the old buildings were still there and you could take a self-guided tour.

Back in 1990, we had a summer time airshow at Wendover, in which surviving crew members from both the Enola Gay & Bockscar were present.

I was able to talk a bit with Paul Tibbet's, Charles Sweeny & several others, as well as some pic signing.

I also lucked out a few years later when I decided to head to the Hill Air Force Base, Utah museum & happened on the Doolittle Raiders annual reunion. Picked up a lot of their sigs too.

IMO, a good war movie depicting the Wendover Air Base during the year leading up to the end of the war is "Above and Beyond" with Robert Taylor as Col. Paul Tibbets, and Eleanor Parker. It's not actually filmed at Wendover, but looks just as desolate.

L.Adamson

[kevinh]

Originally Posted by Tonard Bales

... and his thoughts about nukeing terrorists are rivetting.

Yep

Studs Terkel: One last thing, when you hear people say, "Let's nuke 'em," "Let's nuke these people," what do you think?

Paul Tibbets: Oh, I wouldn't hesitate if I had the choice. I'd wipe 'em out. You're gonna kill innocent people at the same time, but we've never fought a **** war anywhere in the world where they didn't kill innocent people. If the newspapers would just cut out the ****: "You've killed so many civilians." That's their tough luck for being there.

ahem...

[CFI1513840]

Originally Posted by kevinh

Yep



ahem...

Although not politically correct (I doubt that General Tibbets was concerned about political correctness), this statement has to be taken in the context of a man fighting for the survival of his country in a global conflict, and applied to a situation that he saw as much of a threat as he faced in WW-2. Every rational person decries the loss of innocent life in times of conflict, whether it happens at the World Trade center, or on the battlefield. Winston Churchill had to make such a decision when he allowed the German bombing of Coventry during WW-2, rather then tip his hand on possession of Enigma. In that case, the innocent victims were his own people. General Tibbets was simply asserting a reality that modern day, politically correct apologists are loathe to admit, war does sometimes take innocent lives, but that in itself is not a good enough reason to concede defeat.

[kevinh]

Originally Posted by CFI1513840

Although not politically correct (I doubt that General Tibbets was concerned about political correctness), this statement has to be taken in the context of a man fighting for the survival of his country in a global conflict, and applied to a situation that he saw as much of a threat as he faced in WW-2. Every rational person decries the loss of innocent life in times of conflict, whether it happens at the World Trade center, or on the battlefield. Winston Churchill had to make such a decision when he allowed the German bombing of Coventry during WW-2, rather then tip his hand on possession of Enigma. In that case, the innocent victims were his own people. General Tibbets was simply asserting a reality that modern day, politically correct apologists are loathe to admit, war does sometimes take innocent lives, but that in itself is not a good enough reason to concede defeat.

Actually - in this case (see article for context) he is referring to the present day - he is encouraging the idea of nuking the middle east in order to kill terrorists. It didn't sound like Churchill having to make a horrible choice, it sounded like blithe conclusions based on limited information.

A supremely short sighted view at best, and a war crime at worst.

Thus the 'alas' - I don't want to speak ill of the dead, but I felt I had to address the praise of these views.