Deceased Pilot Paul W. Tibbets Autographed Enola Gay B-29 Photograph! Mint!

By early August 1945, the Japanese nation was preparing for an invasion by the Allied forces lead by the United States. Women, children, old men were issued sharpened bamboo poles and trained by the Japanese military leadership to stab the invading American soldiers. Over 6,000 kamikaze airplanes were hidden ready to strike the American invasion fleet. Over a million allied casualties were predicted by the American military planners. The problem was that Japan was a defeated nation in all but name only. B-29 bombers had reduced her cities to ashes, U.S. forces had captured island after island, submarines had destroyed her commercial fleet, and the island nation was literally starving. Yet nothing save an armed invasion would force the Japanese military to surrender. Then, on the morning of August 6, 1945, a single B-29 piloted by Paul W. Tibbets flew over the city of Hiroshima and dropped the first atomic bomb. In an instant the energy and destructive power of 20,000 pounds of TNT reduced the city to ashes. Thousands perished in the blast and from radiation poisoning in the days that followed. Yet these did not die in vain, after a second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki the Japanese finally surrendered. World War 2 was over. Literally millions of Allied and Japanese lives were save by the bombing. Later revisionists would chide America for the “brutality” of dropping the bomb, but ask any veteran who was scheduled to be on the invasion force, as I have, and they have no doubts that it was the correct decision.

Later rumors would circulate that Tibbets went mad and committed suicide. In fact, he passed away at the ripe age of 92--to the very last he was convinced he had done the right thing. Bottom line, it was war and the best way to save lives in war, any war, is ending it as soon as possible.

Item is an 8 X 10” B&W photograph the Enola Gay being backed over the bomb pit. The photograph has been signed by General Tibbets who added, “Pilot, 1329 Enola Gay 6 Aug, 1945.” The photograph is in mint condition, no cuts, tears, folds or discolorations of any kind. It will make a great display piece.

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Bill Ownbey