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Paul TibbetsBrigadier General, United States Air Force.
Date of Birth: 23.02.1915
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Early Life
- Military Career
- World War II
- The Manhattan Project
- The Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima
- Later Life
- Personal Life and Legacy
Early Life
Paul Warfield Tibbets Jr. was born on February 23, 1915, in Quincy, Illinois. He spent his formative years in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Miami, Florida. Tibbets attended the University of Florida and joined the Sigma Nu fraternity in 1934.
Military Career
Enlistment and TrainingOn February 25, 1937, Tibbets enlisted as a cadet in the U.S. Army Air Forces. He commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1938 and became a pilot at Kelly Field in Texas.
World War II
In 1942, Tibbets commanded the 340th Bombardment Squadron, flying Boeing B-17s in Europe. He later participated in operations in the Mediterranean theater before returning to the U.S. to test-fly the Boeing B-29 Superfortress.
The Manhattan Project
In September 1944, Tibbets was appointed commander of the elite 509th Composite Group, tasked with transporting and assembling atomic weapons for the Manhattan Project. The group was based at Wendover Army Air Field in Utah and Roswell Army Air Field in New Mexico.
The Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima
On August 5, 1945, Tibbets named the B-29 carrying the atomic bomb "Enola Gay" after his mother. On August 6, the Enola Gay flew from Tinian Island to Hiroshima and dropped the bomb code-named "Little Boy." The explosion killed an estimated 140,000 people.
Later Life
After the war, Tibbets served as a military attache in India but was recalled due to protests. He retired from the Air Force as a brigadier general in 1966. He then worked for Executive Jet Aviation and became its president from 1976 to 1987.
Personal Life and Legacy
Tibbets married Lucy Wingate in 1938, and they divorced in 1955. He later married Andrea. He had two children and died in 2007.
Tibbets remained unapologetic for his role in the bombing of Hiroshima. He believed it was necessary to end the war and save lives. His legacy is complex and controversial, as the bombing of Hiroshima raised profound moral and ethical questions about the use of nuclear weapons.
