![enola gay pilot suicide enola gay pilot suicide](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/GQ0AAOSwstxVANeZ/s-l400.jpg)
We looked to see what happened to the target, and we could make absolutely no visual observation because the entire city of Hiroshima was covered in black smoke and dust, debris that had been kicked up by the bomb and the blast, and a large white cloud that you've seen pictures of. Shortly after that, the first shock wave hit us, and the plane snapped all over. All we saw in the airplane was a bright flash. on the turn and ran away as fast as we could. Immediately Paul took the airplane to a 180° turn. When the bomb left the airplane, the plane jumped because you released 10,000 lbs. It was just like any other mission: some people are reading books, some are taking naps. All the turrets, all the guns-except the tail guns-and anything we did not absolutely need, we discarded. The Enola Gay was stripped down-a big metal tube with a lot of instruments and people in it. The navigator was to keep the plane on course, getting the plane from Tinian to Hiroshima on time. But there were questions, picture taking, tape interviewing and everything. Dick Nelson said it looked like a supermarket opening. I said it looked like a Hollywood premiere. We get down to the airplane, and the Manhattan Project had it lit up with a whole bunch of lights. I don't know how they expect to tell you that you're going out to drop the atom bomb and not know if it's going to work or if it's going to blow up the airplane, and then tell you to go get some sleep.
![enola gay pilot suicide enola gay pilot suicide](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/INelreLMivI/hqdefault.jpg)
They called us about 10 or 11 in the evening. We were going to drop the bomb, Sweeney was going to fly the instruments, George was going to fly the picture airplane, Bock was flying one of the weather airplanes. At the briefing that day, they told you who was assigned to what airplanes. He told me, "We're going to do something that I can't tell you about right now, but if it works, it will end or significantly shorten the war." And I thought, Oh, yeah, buddy. When Tibbetts was picked to be commanding officer, he named me group navigator. Navigator on the Enola Gay, the B-29 that dropped the bomb on Hiroshima