Still no regrets for frail Enola Gay pilot (Col. Paul Tibbets)

Columbus Dispatch ^ | August 6, 2005 | Mike Harden

[Columbus Dawg]

From this morning's Columbus Dispatch about Columbus native Paul Tibbets.

[NavVet]

Just by chance, I got to have lunch with Col. Tibbets and his wife in Portugal a few years back. One of the most fascinating hours of my life.

[andyandval]

Great read. Thanks for posting.

[G.Mason]

A great article!

A "tip-o-the hat" to Mike Harden for writing it and you, CD, for posting it.

[MEG33]

I was a child when this happened and consider him a great hero.

[BunnySlippers]

He should be commended for his service to this country. I know he is here on
FR.

[JRios1968]

Brigadier General Paul Tibbets is a true American Hero. Reading the title of the post, it seems to me like the Columbus Dispatch hack is disappointed to see General Tibbets without a regret for doing his job.

[marktwain]

Tibbets is an inspiration to us all. What a story of dedication, intelligence, and competence.

[ncountylee]

God Bless and Happy H-Day!

[TheBattman]

I believe the pilot should still be held in high regard - he did a job that had to be done - and the "new history" revisionists would like to make him out to be a mass murderer.

It was still a dangerous job - and it saved more lives than it took by accellerating the end of the war.

I would like to shake his hand and thank him for his service to our country.

[csvset]

Great article. Well done sir. His actions saved thousands of lives and and shortened the war.

To show the younger fliers that their fears were unfounded, Tibbets recruited two Women’s Air Service Pilots to train on the B-29. To the embarrassment of the male pilots, they maneuvered the B-29 superbly, even with two of the four engines shut off.

What are you guys, men or mice?

He convalesces in a home guarded by a yammering chihuahua named Lolita and looks out on a front yard whose chief adornment is a weeping Japanese cherry.

Hah, as a owner of chihuahuas, I can attest to their yammering.

[quantim]

There was a great show on the history channel last night on this topic. Looks for reruns this week. Great stuff.

[gdc61]

good story. but this bugged me...
"By late 1941, Tibbets had earned his commission and wings and, on Dec. 7, was flying his A-10 attack bomber to Savannah, Ga..."

err, the A-10 wasn't developed until late 60's. first flight in 72' I think.
must be a typo, probably meant P-47 thunderbolt. tho I didn't think it was availible until later in WWII.

[jaydubya2]

What an interesting and great man!

[Glenn]

who formed the unshakeable brotherhood that become the only religion some men ever know.

Good line.

[Gritty]

This is a man we will all miss when he is gone.

[vikzilla]

there had to be something better in life than administering arsenic treatments to syphilitics

You know, I'm thinking this didn't take a whole lot of thought.

[vox humana]

Reading the title of the post, it seems to me like the Columbus Dispatch hack is disappointed to see General Tibbets without a regret for doing his job.

Mike Harden is a great reporter. I doubt that he wrote that headline.

Most newspaper headlines are written by copy editors who don't have a clue about the article's content, or they are trying to create some controversy where there is none.

[gdc61]

also could have meant B-10, which was a post WWI bomber. first single wing bomber I believe. uglier than a A-10 too!

[BluH2o]

Last September at a local air show (Lunken Field, Cincinnati Ohio) Paul Tibbets was signing his newly updated book 'ENOLA GAY'. The line at his desk was fairly long but I waited patiently (not a attribute of mine) knowing this was an opportunity not to be missed. Spoke briefly with Paul Tibbetts as he signed my book (you have to speak into a small amplifier as Tibbetts, like all old bomber pilots, is hard of hearing). He signature, dated 9-11-04, and my brief conversation with a legend was well worth the wait.