Tibbets.

This is coolbert:

From the Chicago Tribune today:

Paul Tibbets Jr. [1915-2007]

“Enola Gay pilot had no regrets”

"Paul Warfield Tibbets Jr., the Army Air Forces pilot whose bombing run over Hiroshima, Japan, in 1945 introduced nuclear war, died Thursday at his home in Columbus, Ohio. He was 92.”

“I never lost a night’s sleep over it,” Tibbets had said”

“I’m not proud that I killed 80,000 people, . . . You’ve got to take stock and assess the situation at that time. We were at war. . . . You use anything at your disposal.”

Tibbets of course piloted the aircraft that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. A lot of anti-war activists have made a point of saying that ALL involved in the Hiroshima mission died premature or tragic deaths!! For what they did, those involved WERE CURSED!!?? Evidently that is not so? Tibbets led a long and prosperous life.

From the same Tribune article:

“I made one great mistake in my life - - when I signed a letter to President [Franklin] Roosevelt recommending that an atomic bomb be made,” said physicist Albert Einstein.”

Well, it was the refugee Leo Szilard that penned the letter to Roosevelt, signed by Szilard and Einstein both. The fear these two JEWISH REFUGEE SCIENTISTS had was that HITLER AND THE GERMANS MIGHT GET THE BOMB FIRST!!!

What am I to think here?? Einstein thought the bomb was necessary and good if the intention was to use against or deter HITLER AND THE GERMANS. But if we use against the Japanese, well, Albert had his doubts? I cannot say!

“On June 18, 1945, President Harry Truman approved military plans for the invasion of Japan. Gen. Douglas MacArthur said it could take 10 years and at least 1 million soldiers’ lives to wipe out resistance.”

This was “DOWNFALL”. The invasion and conquest of Japan. Consisting of Coronet and Olympic. 1 million casualties [KIA/MIA/WIA] in a three-year period were estimated. Based upon casualty figures for U.S. forces from Okinawa and Iwo Jima.

[Read a blog entry as posted by Colonel Craig as TO WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED if the bomb WAS NOT AVAILABLE WHEN IT WAS. What IF “Downfall” had proceeded as planned!]

It is true that prior to the dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan, the Japanese were CONTEMPLATING SURRENDER. A NEGOTIATED, CONDITIONAL SURRENDER. Retaining through negotiations:

* The militaristic Japanese government.

* The Japanese military more or left intact

* Overseas possessions and colonies remaining under Japanese control.

“Golden Gate [San Francisco] in Forty-Eight [1948] or home alive in Forty-Five [1945]” - - popular GI saying from the World War Two era!!

Hey dude, take your pick!!

OH, and the grandson of General Tibbets, today, flies B-2 stealth bombers!! The son and grandson of General Tibbets were/are both career Air Force men and bomber pilots.

coolbert.