Paul Tibbets
Guide
Paul Tibbets was the commander of the B-29 plane that dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan in World War II. He died on November 1, 2007 at the age of 92 at his home in Columbus, Ohio.
Fast Facts:
- The five-ton "Little Boy" bomb was dropped on August 6, 1945, killing about 140,000 Japanese
- Awarded Purple Heart
- Rank: Brigadier General
Career
Paul Tibbets was made commanding officer of the 340th Bomb Squadron in March of 1942. Later that year he led air bombing missions to Europe and the Mediterranean. He earned a reputation as one of the top pilots in the air force and sometimes acted as the pilot for Dwight D. Eisenhower.
In 1944 he was chosen to lead the 509th Composite Group, which had ties to the Manhattan Project, and in 1945 he was entrusted with the responsibility of dropping the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. His plane, the Enola Gay, was a B-29 model that was named after his mother.
After retiring from the army, Tibbets became the president of the air taxi company Executive Jet Aviation (now known as NetJets) from 1976 to 1987, when he retired.
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