doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com OT, Paul Tibbets has died at age 92

Plus, he got to see himself portrayed by Jimmy Stewart in a movie about his mission! (And by the way, I wasn't born until 1966, but I sure know who he was, and admire him). His son Gene still lives here in town.

My Dad shook hands with and personally thanked Paul Tibbets at a Bob Evans restaurant in Columbus, Ohio in early 2005. You see, my Dad had been in training for the land invasion of Japan when the war ended. Odds are that if it had not been for Mr. Tibets and his crew Dad's chances of seeing the end of the war would not have been good. And it follows that I would not be here today. Mr. Tibbets was very hard of hearing but warmly received my Dad's thanks. My Dad passed approximately a month later.

We used to see Mr. Tibbets around town occasionally and Dad always spoke highly of him. He had not wanted to bother the man but had always wanted to thank him. In the month following their handshake Dad mentioned several times he was glad to have had the chance to do so.

tim

I just finished reading General Tibbets book, "Return of the Enola Gay" this past Tuesday. An excellent book, it describes his entire career in the Air Corps, and his life after retirement from military service. I picked up the book at the Chantilly Gun Show a couple years ago, and it is signed by Paul Tibbets, Dutch Van Kirk and Maurice Jeppson. I was fortunate enough to meet Navigator Van Kirk at the Show, and he signed the book personally to me. It will hold an honored place on my bookshelf.

I would like to chime in that his action indeed did save hundreds of thousands of American lives and millions of Japanese. No apology should ever have been made for that action by anyone.