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Paul Warfield Tibbets Jr. (23 February 1915 1 November 2007) was a brigadier general in the United States Air Force. He returned to Whiteman in July 2003, where he served as a T-38 and B-2 flight examiner, director of operations of the 325th Bomb Squadron and then the 13th Bomb Squadron. I made up my mind then that the morality of dropping that bomb was not my business. [91] Tibbets figured largely in the 2000 book Duty: A Father, His Son and the Man Who Won the War by Bob Greene of the Chicago Tribune. Among the old photos of the B-29 bombers that made up this wing, one stands out. He is remembered for flying the first aircraft that dropped an atomic bomb, the B-29 Superfortress known as Enola Gay. The aircraft had dropped the atomic bomb Little Boy on the Japanese city of Hiroshima during the last stages of the Second World War. [3] There, he qualified on the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, making him one of the few pilots qualified to fly all three of the USAF's strategic bombers: the B-1, B-2 and B-52. with Robert Taylor starring as Tibbets and Eleanor Parker as his first wife, Lucy. [5] In February 2014, he became Deputy Director for Nuclear Operations at the United States Strategic Command, at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, where he was responsible for the nuclear mission of the nation's ballistic missile submarines, intercontinental ballistic missiles, and strategic bombers. Paul III Tibbets and Gene Tibbets. But then he thought back to a lesson he had learned during his time at medical school from his roommate who was a doctor. Those are not soldiers." [12], In February 1942, Tibbets reported for duty with the 29th Bombardment Group as its engineering officer. In March 1944, a year after the developmental testing of the bomber, Tibbets was made the director of operations of the 17th Bombardment Operational Training Wing.. He was told that Norstad had vetoed the promotion, saying "there's only going to be one colonel in operations. Pilot launched Atomic Age over Hiroshima. He was also interviewed in the 1970s for the British documentary series The World at War. I. Paul Warfield Tibbets Jr. was an American Second World War veteran who served the United States Air Force (USAF) as a brigadier general. Robert Taylor, who had earned a flying license before the war and went into naval aviation as an instructor, played Paul Tibbets; Eleanor Parker played his wife, Lucy. 1989 Bachelor of Science, Human Factors Engineering, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo. 1996 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 2000 Masters of Science, Human Factors Engineering, University of Idaho, Moscow. My father said 'You seem to be very interested in serving what do you want to do with your life?' However, he attended for only a year and a half as he changed his mind about wanting to become a doctor. His father worked there as a confections wholesaler. Tibbets returned to the United States in February 1943 to help with the development of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress. I don't care whether you are dropping atom bombs, or 100-pound bombs, or shooting a rifle. He died in 2007. Gen. Paul W. Tibbets Jr., the pilot in command of the "Enola Gay" when it dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, Aug. 6, 1945. He is a member of famous Actor with the age 92 years old group. [15] It had been hastily assembled to meet demands for an early deployment, and arrived without any training in the basics of high altitude daylight bombing. Paul III was born in 1940, in Columbus, Georgia, and graduated from Huntingdon College and Auburn University. He then became Deputy Director of Operations of the Air Force Global Strike Command at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. Now we've had a nice lunch, you and I and your companion. In January 1943, Tibbets, who had now flown 43 combat missions,[26] was assigned as the assistant for bomber operations to Colonel Lauris Norstad, Assistant Chief of Staff of Operations (A-3) of the Twelfth Air Force. On that date, Captain Tibbets made aviation history by leading the world's first B-2 combat sortie without package support during Operation Allied Force. Paul Warfield Tibbets Jr. was an American Second World War veteran who served the 'United States Air Force' (USAF) as a brigadier general. At 08:15 local time, they dropped the atomic bomb, code-named Little Boy, over Hiroshima. Employing the new Joint Direct Attack Munition, Captain Tibbets successfully targeted 16 separate impact points and destroyed critical military production facilities including the Smederevo Petroleum Product Storage near Belgrade, a radio relay facility, and an arms production plant in Kragujevac. Paul Tibbets wiki ionformation include family relationships: spouse or partner (wife or husband); siblings; childen/kids; parents life. Paul entered the career as United States Air Force pilot In his early life after completing his formal education.. On 1 November 2007, Paul Tibbets died of non-communicable disease. His wife is Andrea P. Quattrehomme (4 May1956 - 1 November2007)( his death)( 1 child), Lucy Frances Wingate (19 June1938 - 1955)( divorced)( 2 children). He was then selected for training on the B-1 bomber at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, and was posted to a B-1 squadron, the 37th Bomb Squadron at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota. He was a colonel in the United States Army Reserve and worked as a hospital pharmacist. In February 1956, he returned to the U.S. and took command of the 308th Bombardment Wing in Georgias Hunter Air Force Base. He started commanding the 6th Air Division at the MacDill Air Force Base in Florida from January 1958 and was elevated to the position of brigadier general the following year. [55], Tibbets was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross by Spaatz immediately after landing on Tinian. In 1927, when he was 12 years old, he flew in a plane piloted by barnstormer Doug Davis, dropping candy bars with tiny parachutes to the crowd of people attending the races at the Hialeah Park Race Track. They divorced because of alcoholism problems and infidelity in the marriage. Tibbets was promoted to colonel in January 1945[39] and brought his wife and family along with him to Wendover. He is best known as the aircraft captain who flew the B-29 Superfortress known as the Enola Gay (named after his mother) when it dropped a Little Boy, the first of two atomic bombs used in warfare, on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. From September 1944 until May 1945, Tibbets and the 509th Composite Group trained extensively at Wendover Air Force Base in Wendover, Utah. The film Above and Beyond (1952) depicted the World War II events involving Paul Tibbets, with Robert Taylor starring as Tibbets and Eleanor Parker as his first wife, Lucy. For his grandson, see, United States Air Force general (19152007), Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, 17th Bombardment Operational Training Wing (Very Heavy), European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, Enola Gay: The Men, the Mission, the Atomic Bomb, "Paul Tibbets Jr., who flew plane that dropped first atomic bomb, dies at 92", "General Paul Tibbets Reflections on Hiroshima", "Literary Fallout: The legacies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki", "Miamian who bombed Hiroshima in 1945 dies", "Paul W. Tibbets Jr., Pilot of Enola Gay, Dies at 92", "Paul Tibbets Jr., 92; piloted Enola Gay over Hiroshima", "Paul Tibbets: A Rendezvous with History by Di Freeze", "Face of Defense: Grandson Carries on Grandfather's Service", "Grandson of Enola Gay Pilot Takes Command of B-2 Bomb Wing", "Man Who Dropped Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima Dies at 92", "Tibbets did his duty, and this country should be thankful", "Duty: A Father, His Son, and the Man Who Won the War", General Paul Tibbets: Reflections on Hiroshima, A dramatic retelling of the Hiroshima mission with Paul Tibbets. Paul Tibbets Jr. was born on Feb. 23, 1915, to Paul Warfield Tibbets and Enola Gay Haggard, in Quincy, Ill. He was also interviewed in the 1970s British documentary series The World at War. Today, in his nineties, Paul Tibbets is still a handsome man. When Paul Tibbets died in January 2007, he had been retired from the Air Force since 1966. You can scroll down for information about his Social media profiles. Lucy and Desi were married for 20 years before divorcing. Still no regrets for frail Enola Gay pilot (Col. Paul Tibbets) Columbus Dispatch ^ | August 6, 2005 | Mike Harden Posted on 08/06/2005 4:18:39 AM PDT by Columbus Dawg. President Harry S. Truman invited him to visit the White House. Later, in 1999, the 509th Composite Group received the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award., Following the war, Tibbets served as a technical advisor in the 1946 Operation Crossroads nuclear weapon tests held at Bikini Atoll. He said that he had not intended for the re-enactment to insult the Japanese people. Although unaware of the full potential of this new weapon, he knows that it is capable of doing tremendously more damage than any other weapon used before, and that the death toll resulting from it will be enormous. [3], Tibbets was denied promotion to major general, following an investigation into allegations of his misconduct during his command of the 509th Bomb Wing that included making inappropriate comments regarding women, failure to report suicide attempts under his watch, and inappropriate use of a military vehicle. Armstrong was an experienced combat veteran against German targets, but he was in his forties and had been severely injured in a fire in the summer of 1943. He successfully dropped his bomb upon reaching the Target city, this single attack being the culmination of many months of tireless effort, training and organization unique in the Army Air Forces history, during which he constantly coped with new problems in precision bombing and engineering. Paul Warfield Tibbets Jr. (23 February 1915 1 November 2007) was a brigadier general in the United States Air Force. They arrived at Wendover, Utah, for training and practice bombing on June 14. L'histoire du colonel Paul Tibbets, le pilote qui a largu la bombe atomique sur Hiroshima. The group commander, Lieutenant Colonel Cornelius W. Cousland,[16] was replaced by Colonel Frank A. Armstrong Jr., who appointed Tibbets as his deputy. [5] They had two sons. He was 92 and insisted . In accordance with his wishes, his body was cremated,[78] and his ashes were scattered over the English Channel;[79] he had flown over the Channel many times during the war. ST: I know. For information about the bombing, click here. I sleep clearly every night. Underwood worked at the 200 West Area at Hanford during the Manhattan Project. Paul Warfield Tibbets IV (born 21 November 1966) is a former United States Air Force brigadier general. Paul Tibbets (Paul Warfield Tibbets Jr.) was born on 23 February, 1915 in Quincy, Illinois, USA, is an Actor. Skip to comments. Paul Tibbets was a brigadier general in the United States Air Force. Also find out how he got rich at the age of 92. He was married to Andrea P. Quattrehomme and Lucy Frances Wingate. [19] On 9 October 1942, Tibbets led the first American raid of more than 100 bombers in Europe, attacking industrial targets in the French city of Lille. C. E. Centerworked for theUnion Carbide & Carbon Corporation. He also became the deputy director of the National Military Command System in June 1963. In July 2017, he became Deputy Commander, Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. He was vice Commander of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing in southwest Asia from June 2010 to July 2011, flying missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. To supporters, Tibbets became known as a national hero who ended the war with Japan; to his detractors, he was a war criminal responsible for the deaths of many thousands of Japanese civilians. Studs Terkel: I know. He was elevated to the position of colonel in January 1945. After Tibbets flew 43 combat missions, in January 1943, he was made the bomber operations assistant of Colonel Lauris Norstad and the assistant chief-of-staff of operations (A-3) of the Twelfth Air Force., In February 1943, he returned to the U.S. after his name was recommended following a request made by the chief of the United States Army Air Forces, General Henry H. "Hap" Arnold, to provide an experienced bombardment pilot who could help in developing the Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber. [13] and was promoted to brigadier general in 1959. [2], From October 2007 to August 2009, Tibbets was stationed at NATO headquarters in Brussels. [57] The 509th Composite Group was awarded an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award in 1999. He was the man who dropped the first atomic weapon used in combat against an enemy city. Sundlun lured Tibbets back to EJA that year. [3] In 1999, he flew combat missions over Yugoslavia. [24] "By reputation", historian Stephen Ambrose wrote, Tibbets was "the best flier in the Army Air Force. He was then assigned to the Air Command and Staff School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., from which he graduated in 1947. Instead, he decided to enlist in the United States Army and become a pilot in the United States Army Air Corps. [59] He was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1996.[71]. He is the grandson of Paul W. Tibbets Jr., the pilot of the aircraft that dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima in 1945. Paul Tibbets: Hey, you've got to correct that. [43], With the addition of the 1st Ordnance Squadron to its roster in March 1945, the 509th Composite Group had an authorized strength of 225 officers and 1,542 enlisted men, almost all of whom deployed to Tinian, an island in the northern Marianas within striking distance of Japan, in May and June 1945. [38] Tibbets indicated that the decision on what aircraft to use to deliver the bomb was left to him. In December 1941, he received orders to join the 29th Bombardment Group at MacDill Field, Florida, for training on the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. Paul Warfield Tibbets Jr. has a net worth of $5.00 million (Estimated) which he earned from his occupation as United States Air Force pilot. Courtesy of the Joseph Papalia Collection. In 1995, he denounced the 50th anniversary exhibition of the Enola Gay at the Smithsonian Institution, which attempted to present the bombing in context with the destruction it caused, as a "damn big insult",[59] due to its focus on the Japanese casualties rather than the brutality of the Japanese government. All rights reserved. The Army Air Forces received the B-29-45-MO with the serial number 44-86292 on May 18 and the 509th assigned it to crew B-9 commanded by Capt. Following his retirement from the USAF, Tibbets served the air taxi company Executive Jet Aviation. He became a member of the founding board of the company and eventually served as its president. The bomb, code-named Little Boy, was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. He does look like an old man, but not a 90-year-old man. Brig. Paul Warfield Tibbets IV is the grandson of Paul W. Tibbets Jr., the pilot of the aircraft that dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima in 1945. After leading the first American daylight heavy bomber misson in Occupied France in August 1942,Tibbets was selected to fly Major General Mark W. Clark from Polebook to Gibraltar in preparation for Operation Torch, the allied invasion of North Africa. His body was cremated because he had earlier instructed that no funeral was to be held and no headstone was to be constructed for him, as he was skeptical that his resting place could be used by opponents of the bombing for protests and destruction. Paul Tibbets was born on February 23, 1915 in Quincy, Illinois, USA. Brigadier General Paul Warfield Tibbets Jr. 1915-2007. I'm only 87. When news of the successful mission appeared in American newspapers the next day, Tibbets and his family became instant celebrities. Tibbets received the Distinguished Service Cross from Spaatz and became a national hero overnight, following the Hiroshima bombing. "[61], The 509th Composite Group returned to the United States on 6 November 1945, and was stationed at Roswell Army Airfield, New Mexico. He was born on 1 November 2007, in Columbus, Ohio.Columbus is a beautiful and populous city located in Columbus, Ohio United States of America. [41], On 6 March 1945 (concurrent with the activation of Project Alberta), the 1st Ordnance Squadron, Special (Aviation) was activated at Wendover, again using Army Air Forces personnel on hand or already at Los Alamos. . After flying 43 combat missions, he became the assistant for bomber operations on the staff of the Twelfth Air Force. Early life [ edit] The 509th was the home of the Enola Gay, the aircraft that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. For 22 months, from 1964 till June 1966, he served as a military attach in India. Brig. He is known for The Ken Murray Show (1950), Heaven on Earth (2001) and Price for Peace (2002). On 6 May the support elements sailed on the SS Cape Victory for the Marianas, while the group's materiel was shipped on the SS Emile Berliner. January 1968 (78) Orlando, Orange County, Florida, United States. However, he attended for only a year and a half as he changed his mind about wanting to become a doctor. On hand for this. On June 19, 1938, Tibbets quietly married a department store clerk named Lucy Frances Wingate in a Roman Catholic seminary in Holy Trinity, Alabama, without the knowledge of his family and commanding officer. We have estimated In 1934, he became an initiated member of the Sigma Nu fraternitys Epsilon Zeta chapter. I told him I was interested in serving, and he told me to look into something like the ROTC or service academies. As a boy he was very interested in flying. He was the pilot of the B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay, which dropped the atomic bomb Little Boy on Hiroshima on 6 August 1945. Courtesy of the Joseph Papalia Collection. He grew up in Montgomery, Alabama,[1] and was inspired to join the United States Air Force (USAF) not by his famous grandfather but by his father, Paul W. Tibbets III, a pharmacist and hospital administrator who served in the United States Army Reserve, retiring as a colonel. [71], After his retirement from the Air Force, Tibbets worked for Executive Jet Aviation (EJA), an air taxi company based in Columbus, Ohio, and now called NetJets. Rather than taking his. In September 1944, he was appointed the commander of the 509th Composite Group, which would conduct the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Me and Paul Tibbets, 89 years old, brigadier-general retired, in his home town of Columbus, Ohio, where he has lived for many years. [35] Tibbets was told that he would be in charge of the 509th Composite Group, a fully self-contained organization of about 1,800 men, which would have 15 B-29s and a high priority for all kinds of military stores. Paul Harrison Tibbitt IV is a former SpongeBob SquarePants crew member. He felt that allowing married men in the group to bring their families would improve morale, although it put a strain on his own marriage. He transferred to the University of Cincinnati after his second year to complete his pre-med studies there, because the University of Florida had no medical school at the time. Gen. Paul W. Tibbets, Jr., seen here, says Friday's visit to Hiroshima by U.S. He then attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, and became an initiated member of the Epsilon Zeta chapter of Sigma Nu fraternity in 1934. I was told that it wasn't because of who I was, but because it was the best fit."[2]. To watch his first-person account of the Hiroshima mission, click here. Paul Warfield Tibbets Jr. was born on February 23, 1915, in Quincy, Illinois. He is best known as the pilot who flew the B-29 Superfortress known as the Enola Gay (named after his mother) when it dropped Little Boy, the first of two atomic bombs used in warfare, on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. He found that without defensive armament and armor plating, the aircraft was 7,000 pounds (3,200kg) lighter, and its performance was much improved. He spent 22 months there on this posting, which ended in June 1966. [13] He left Lucy and his sons behind in Alabama,[66] and he and Lucy divorced that year. 1915 Paul Tibbets was born on February 23, 1915 in Quincy, Illinois, USA as Paul Warfield Tibbets Jr. [29] Tibbets returned to the United States in February 1943. [6] The younger son, Gene Wingate Tibbets, was born in 1944, and was at the time of his death in 2012 residing in Georgiana in Butler County in southern Alabama. The atomic bomb Little Boy was dropped over the city of Hiroshima, resulting in an almost complete destruction of the city. Tibbets later received an invitation from President Harry S. Truman to visit the White House. Paul Tibbets and the Enola Gay. In order to disguise all the civilian engineers on base who were working on the Manhattan Project, Tibbets was forced to lie to his wife; he told her that the engineers were "sanitary workers". He and Merle Haggard are 6th cousins, 1x removed. The two quietly married in a Roman Catholic seminary in Holy Trinity, Alabama, on 19 June 1938 even though Tibbets was a Protestant. [70] He retired from the United States Air Force (USAF) on 31 August 1966. Paul Tibbets, the pilot of the B-29 bomber Enola Gay that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, died Thursday at his home in Columbus, Ohio after suffering a number of health problems. Popularly known as the United States Air Force pilot of United States of America. Tom Ferebee, Paul Tibbets, Dutch Van Kirk, and Bob Lewis. Paul Warfield Tibbets Jr. was born in Quincy, Illinois, on 23 February 1915, the son of Paul Warfield Tibbets Sr. and his wife, Enola Gay Tibbets. Paul Tibbets was the pilot of B-29 bomber "Enola Gay" which dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima. He married Sarah Frost about 1726, in Dover Neck, Strafford, New Hampshire, British Colonial America. He commanded the 308th Bombardment Wing and 6th Air Division in the late 1950s, and was military attach in India from 1964 to 1966. After the war, he participated in the Operation Crossroads nuclear weapon tests at Bikini Atoll in mid-1946, and was involved in the development of the Boeing B-47 Stratojet in the early 1950s. Explore Paul Tibbets Wiki Age, Height, Biography as Wikipedia, Wife, Family relation. Discover Paul Tibbets's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Paul Tibbets was created on Feb 23, 1915 in Quincy, Illinois, USA while Paul Warfield Tibbets Jr. [13] When the head of the directorate, Brigadier General Thomas S. Power, was posted to London as air attach, he was replaced by Brigadier General Carl Brandt. [1][2], In the late 1920s, business issues forced Tibbets's family to return to Alton, Illinois, where he graduated from Western Military Academy in 1933. Paul Warfield Tibbets, Jr. (February 23, 1915 - November 1, 2007) was a brigadier general in the United States Air Force, best known for being the pilot of the Enola Gay (named for his mother), the first aircraft to drop an atomic bomb in the history of warfare. Robert A. Lewis. [31][32], After a year of developmental testing of the B-29, Tibbets was assigned in March 1944 as director of operations of the 17th Bombardment Operational Training Wing (Very Heavy), a B-29 training unit based at Grand Island Army Air Field, Nebraska, and commanded by Armstrong. The son of a prosperous businessman, Paul Warfield Tibbets was born at Quincy, Illinois, on February 23 1915. . Blake Stilwell. [68] They had a son, James Tibbets. When he was five years old the family moved to Davenport, Iowa, and then to Iowa's capital, Des Moines, where he was raised, and where his father became a confections wholesaler. His primary and basic flight training was undertaken at Randolph Field in San Antonio, Texas. He transferred to the University of Cincinnati after his second year to complete his pre-med studies there, because the University of Florida had no medical school at the time. As a boy, he was very interested in flying. He had named the aircraft after his mother. Using his expert knowledge, Captain Tibbets resolved a system anomaly, which would have inhibited release, within minutes of striking his targets. Tibbets chose the Wendover Army Air Field, Utah, from the three options of bases given to him for this top-secret project. One day his mother agreed to pay one dollar to get him into an airplane at the local carnival. [49][50], On 5 August 1945, Tibbets formally named his B-29 Enola Gay after his mother. Tibbets married his wife, Andrea, in about 1953 or 1954. 2023 Wiki Biography & Celebrity Profiles as wikipedia, Dave Ingram Wiki, Biography, Age, Net Worth, Family, Instagram, Twitter, Social Profiles & More Facts, Virginie Thevenet Wiki, Biography, Age, Wife, Family, Net Worth, Harold Tichenor Wiki, Biography, Age, Wife, Family, Net Worth. The attack marked Little Boy as the first nuclear weapon used in warfare and the bomber as the first aircraft to drop an atomic bomb. Tibbets quickly earned a reputation as one of the best pilots in the Army Air Force. His citation read: The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Captain Paul W. Tibbets IV, United States Air Force, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as a B-2 Mission Commander, at or near Yugoslavia, on 8 April 1999. The story of Colonel Paul Tibbets, the pilot of the Enola Gay, the bomber that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Flight crews practiced dropping large dummy bombs modeled after the shape and size of the atomic bombs in order to prepare for their ultimate mission in Japan. He was wedded to Andrea P. Quattrehomme and Lucy Frances Wingate. On June 26, 1940, young pilot Lt. Paul W. Tibbets, Jr., was summoned to aid Col. Samuel R. Hopkins, whose wife and son were in a terrible automobile accident near Elmira. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, he flew anti-submarine patrols over the Atlantic. [13] It was initially based at MacDill, and then Sarasota Army Airfield, Florida, before moving to Godfrey Army Airfield in Bangor, Maine. Paul Warfield Tibbets III was born November 19, 1940 in Columbus, Georgia and he passed away peacefully at the Stoneybrook Memory Care Home in West Monroe, Louisiana, on October 20, 2016 following a courageous battle with Alzheimer's. For Tibbets, the war in North Africa introduced him to the realities of aerial warfare. General Tibbets is a command pilot with more than 4,000 flying hours. 35, Tibbets, with Robert A. Lewis as his co-pilot, flew the bomber from the North Field and reached Hiroshima after 6 hours. Copyright 2022 by the Atomic Heritage Foundation. After he graduated in June 1955, he became Director of War Plans at the Allied Air Forces in Central Europe Headquarters at Fontainebleau, France. [1], After graduation, Tibbets was assigned to the 16th Observation Squadron, which was based at Lawson Field, Georgia, with a flight supporting the Infantry School at nearby Fort Benning. [65] He subsequently served as B-47 project officer at Boeing in Wichita from July 1950 until February 1952. [51][52] Enola Gay, serial number 4486292, had been personally selected by him, on recommendation of a civilian production supervisor, while it was still on the assembly line at the Glenn L. Martin Company plant in Bellevue, Nebraska. On August 31, 1966, he retired from the USAF. He then worked for the air taxi company Executive Jet Aviation. He served as a founding board member of the company and remained its president from April 21, 1976, till 1986. In the first weeks of August 1942, under the tutelage of Royal Air Force veterans, the group received intensive training for its first mission. [28], When General Henry H. "Hap" Arnold, the Chief of United States Army Air Forces, requested an experienced bombardment pilot to help with the development of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber, Doolittle recommended Tibbets. He attended the United States College of Naval Command and Staff at Newport, Rhode Island, from April 2002 to June 2003, from which he obtained a Master of Arts degree in National Security and Strategic Studies. Patrick Duffy played Tibbets and Kim Darby played Lucy. The result of this attack was tremendous damage to the city of Hiroshima, contributing materially to the effectiveness of our strikes against the enemy. . Paul Tibbets was born on February 23, 1915 in Quincy, Illinois, USA as Paul Warfield Tibbets Jr. Following this, he was inducted into the Directorate of Requirements at the Air Force Headquarters at the Pentagon. He was made the director of the Strategic Air Division of the Directorate of Requirements.. 35the Enola Gay departed North Field for Hiroshima, Japan, with Tibbets at the controls. "[2], Tibbets entered the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, from which he graduated in 1989 with a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in Human Factors Engineering. By Eric Malnic. Tibbets initially wanted to become an abdominal surgeon. Hiroshima bomber pilot Paul Warfield Tibbets Jr remained unrepentant till his dying day 1 November 2007. Now in Montgomery with his wife, son Gene Tibbets recalls the turmoil that followed the explosion.