ENOLA GAY CREW - - "NO REGRETS"

www.enolagay.org ^ | 8-6-05 | ?

[SlowBoat407]

Bless them for the difficult decision and the courage to carry it through.

[ncountylee]

Thanks Harry, Paul and all the crew. Happy H-Day and only 2 more shopping days to N-Day.

[CheneyChick]

We were proud to have served like so many men and women stationed around the world today. To them, to you, we salute you and goodbye."

The salute is returned. Thank you for your service.

[Travis McGee]

Both my father and father-in-law were poised to take part in the 1946 invasion of Japan.

I'm here because of Truman's decision.

[Spktyr]

If we hadn't gone atomic, we would have expended at least one million American lives in the initial invasion of Japan and some estimates put the final estimated toll to subjugate the Japanese home islands at over five million American lives. On top of that, the only way we could have won is by the virtual extermination of the Japanese people, which would add untold millions to the butcher's bill. The estimates place the estimated death rate at over 1000 combatants (Japanese and American) per hour in the early stages of the of the invasion.

Instead, only an estimated 150,000 died, and millions of people got to live.

In the name of humanity, I'll make that trade any day.

[injin]

sorry to put it like this but....the Japs had it coming.
They proved themselves to be the most bloodthirsty ,fanatical,
racist , maniacs of the era . Even than the Nazis in many ways ,certainly as a people in general.
Instead of bemoaning the fact that they got nuked into surrender , they should be expressing thanks that we didn't administer this treatment to Tokyo and every single metropolitan center in the country , as well as several of their hold-out hardcore garrisons that we chose to by-pass.

[billnaz]

They should have no regrets. They ended a war. Without the atomic bomb the Allies would have had to invade Japan, and many lives would have been lost.

The men of the Enola Gay and Bock's Car are all genuine heroes.

[hoagy62]

I'd heard there were only 3 crew left from the Hiroshima mission. Now I know who they are....and I salute them!

[Screaming_Gerbil]

"...On top of that, the only way we could have won is by the virtual extermination of the Japanese people..."

I think the sentiment at the time was that when we were done with Japan, "The only place Japanese will be spoken will be in Hell."

Dropping those two A-bombs on Japan saved the Japanese people from total annihilation.

[stacytec]

The special they had on History Channel was amazing. The best parts were the eyewitness accounts from the ground. It is interesting to think that, as horrible as that event must have been to the people living there, that the city was rebuilt and became a thriving metropolis again. The bomb ended a horrible war, and from its ashes people rebuilt and lived peaceful lives.

[oldleft]

I wish it never happened...but I thank God it did.

[ALASKA]

I thought that Tibbitts had died recently, but his great-nephew is sitting in my house right now and says he is alive and lives in the Mid-West.

[GonzoGOP]

God bless General Tibbets and the entire crew of the Enola Gay. A generation of Americans who's fathers did not die on the beaches of the Japanese home islands thanks them.

[Artem55]

I had the honor of meeting Col. Tibbets briefly at an aviation event approximately 15 years ago. He did not seem to have any regrets about his participation (nor should he have).

All of these men were heroes and saved many lives on both sides.

[dandelion]

You and me both, Travis - these men saved my father's life. He was to be in the first wave, and he always said that he knew he was going to die...

These men saved my father's life, and I am here because of them. My daughter, who proudly serves in the Air Force today, is here because of them.

I thank God for the men who dropped the Bomb.

[Travis McGee]

Amen.

[I_like_good_things_too]

Thank GOD for these real men.

[COEXERJ145]

Probably thinking of General Charles Sweeney who flew Bock's Car on the second atomic bomb mission. General Sweeney died July 15, 2004.

[Spktyr]

They wouldn't have given us the choice. The would have fought to the last man, woman, and child - that's how that society was. The only way to subjugate the Japanese would have been to kill them all.


The A-bomb shocked them out of that mindset. They realized that we could just sit back and incinerate their homeland, their people, and their Imperial family, and not have to risk any infantry. There would be no Americans in reach to take with them to the afterlife.