August 6, 1945: The Beginning of the Atomic Age

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August 6, 1945.

Sixty-three years ago, the bombing of Hiroshima helped bring about the end of the most destructive world in the history of the world.

The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were nuclear attacks at the end of World War II against the Empire of Japan by the United States at the order of U.S. President Harry S. Truman on August 6 and 9, 1945. After six months of intense firebombing of 67 other Japanese cities, the nuclear weapon "Little Boy" was dropped on the city of Hiroshima on Monday, August 6, 1945, followed on August 9 by the detonation of the "Fat Man" nuclear bomb over Nagasaki. These are to date the only attacks with nuclear weapons in the history of warfare.
--Wikipedia: Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Japan announced its surrender six days later on August 15, 1945.

To all those who sit in comfort in 2006 and render judgment on those who lived and made decisions sixty-three years ago, a few reminders.

1- Those in 2006 do not have husbands, brothers and sons who would have faced certain death in an invasion of Japan in 1945.

2- Did not have to live through the preceding four years of nearly total war.

Those who argue in favor of the decision to drop the bombs generally assert that they caused the Japanese surrender, preventing massive casualties on both sides in the planned invasion of Japan.

Those who argue against the decision to drop the bombs characterize them as inherently immoral, war crimes or, crimes against humanity and/or state terrorism. They may also argue that they were militarily unnecessary.

Regardless, today is the 63rd anniversary of the beginning of the Atomic Age.

From that point forward, the stakes for disagreements between nations were raised immeasurably.

by Mondoreb
image: RidesAPaleHorse

Terrorist Alert: Atom Bomb Attack Instructions from the '50s

"Duck and Cover"

Not sure what to do when the next time terrorists detonate an atom bomb in Kansas City?

Take 2 minutes to review these tips from the 1950s instructional video we found.

Brings back the days of the old atom bomb drills we did in first grade in Dallas, TX. Everyone would go into the hallway, kneel down and put their heads on the floor next to their lockers.



If you couldn't make it to the hallway, you were to crawl under your desk and cover up with your hands.

The effectiveness of the instructions can't be argued with: How many first-grade students in Dallas ever died in an atom bomb attack?



Of course, by the 1970s, nuclear weapons had changed the strategic calculation and survival instructions. The formula was boiled down to an even simpler set of rules.



The last 2 instructions on the poster above were:

6. Immediately upon seeing the brilliant nuclear flash, bend over and place your head firmly between your legs.

7. Then kiss your ass goodbye.

Sometimes, it's hard to improve on good advice from the past.

by Mondoreb
images:
* thenervousbreakdown
* flatrock
* posters



Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.

Paul W. Tibbets: A Tribute

Many will not know who this man is.
Many will remember only one thing about him and revile him.
Many others, old warriors, will remember him as the man that saved their lives.
He was called upon to do his duty, a terrible task.
And he did it with no regrets.
General Tibbets now joins his comrades in arms.
Farewell old friend. We are grateful for your service.


On February 25, 1937, he enlisted as a flying cadet in the Army Air Corps at Fort Thomas, Kentucky. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1938 and received his wings at Kelly Field, Texas. Tibbets was named commanding officer of the 340th Bomb Squadron, 97th Heavy Bomb Group flying B-17 Flying Fortresses in March, 1942. Based at RAF Polebrook, he piloted the lead bomber on the first Eighth Air Force bombing mission in Europe on August 17, 1942, and later flew combat missions in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations until returning to the U.S. to test fly B-29 Superfortresses. "By reputation", Tibbets was "the best flier in the Army Air Force". One of those who confirmed this reputation was Dwight Eisenhower, for whom Tibbets served as a personal pilot at times during the war.

In September 1944 he was selected to command the project at Wendover Army Air Field, Utah, that became the 509th Composite Group, in connection with the Manhattan Project's Project Alberta.

On August 5, 1945, Colonel Paul Tibbets formally named B-29 serial number 44-86292 Enola Gay after his mother (she was named after the heroine, Enola, of a novel her father had liked). On August 6, 1945, the Enola Gay departed Tinian Island in the Marianas with Tibbets at the controls at 2:45 a.m. for Hiroshima, Japan. The atomic bomb, codenamed Little Boy, was dropped over Hiroshima at 8:15 a.m. local time, killing about 140,000 Japanese, with many more dying later.

In 1959, he was promoted to Brigadier General. He retired from the U.S. Air Force on August 31, 1966.

--Historical info from Wikipedia.
Tribute and graphic: RidesAPaleHorse



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