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"I remember the shock to our nation that all of this brought.
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I remember Pearl Harbor and all of the Japanese atrocities." Theodore Van Kirk, also known as 'Dutch', was 24 when he became the. He was a radarman on the Enola Gay and performed the same duties on Bockscar.īeser would later write that "No, I feel no sorrow or remorse for whatever small role I played. 29 July 2014 The last surviving member of the US air crew that dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima has died in Georgia aged 93. Jacob Beser would be the only one to see the aftermath of both explosions. 9, when a B-29 called "Bockscar" dropped another atomic bomb on Nagasaki.Īrmy Air Forces 2nd Lt. The crew also hoped that the bomb would never be used again but it was, three days later on Aug. Tom VanKirk says his 93-year-old father, the last surviving member of the Enola Gay crew, died in Stone Mountain, Ga. Such a terrible waste, such a loss of life." Theodore "Dutch" Van Kirk, of Northumberland, Pa., later said that "I honestly believe the use of the atomic bomb saved lives in the long run, but I pray no man will have to witness that sight again. troops who were then preparing for the invasion of Japan.Ĭapt. It had hastened the end of the war and saved the lives of U.S. Lewis, Caron and the others, however, would later say they had no regrets about dropping the bomb. "I honestly have the feeling of groping for words to explain this or I might say, my God, what have we done?" Everyone on the ship is actually dumbstruck even though we had expected something fierce." ATLANTA The last surviving member of the crew that dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. ''If I live a hundred years, I'll never quite get these few minutes out of my mind. Last member of Enola Gay crew dies VanKirk was only 24 when he was part of the crew that dropped the bomb. He was keeping a log of the flight, scribbling on the backs of old War Department forms. It was about that time that Tibbets turned the airplane around, so that everybody could get a look at it." Theodore Van Kirk dies at age 93 Story highlights Theodore 'Dutch' Van Kirk dies in Georgia at age 93, his daughter confirms He was on the crew of the Enola Gay, which dropped a nuclear bomb on. Flames in different spots would be springing up.
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"And fires, I could see fires spring up through this undercast, or whatever you would call it, that was covering the city. It looked like bubbling molasses, let's say, spreading out and running up into the foothills, just covering the whole city." I could see the city, and it was being covered with this low, bubbling mass. USA Last Survivor of Enola Gay Crew Dies J6:51 PM VOA News FILE - In this undated handout picture from the U.S.Army Air Force, the ground crew of the Enola Gay B29 bomber, which. "As we got further away, I could see the city then, not just the mushroom, coming up. Tom VanKirk says his 93-year-old father, the last surviving member of the Enola Gay crew, died in Stone Mountain, Ga.