Wikipedia:Version 1.0 Editorial Team/Biography articles by quality/93 and Paul Tibbets: Difference between pages
(Difference between pages)
Content deleted Content added
Update for December 24, 2006 |
No edit summary |
||
Line 1:
{{Infobox Military Person
|name= Paul Warfield Tibbets, Jr.
|lived= [[February 23]], [[1915]] –
|placeofbirth= [[Quincy, Illinois]]
|placeofdeath=
|image=[[Image:Paul_W_Tibbets_USAF_bio_photo.jpg|200px]]
|caption= Official photograph Paul W. Tibbets
|nickname=
|allegiance= [[United States Air Force]]
|serviceyears= 1937-1966
|rank= [[Brigadier general]]
|commands=[[509th Operations Group|509th Composite Group]]
|unit=
|battles= [[World War II]]<br>[[Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki]]
|awards= [[Distinguished Service Cross (United States)|Distinguished Service Cross]]<br>[[Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)|Distinguished Flying Cross]]<br>[[Legion of Merit]]<br>[[Purple Heart]]<br>[[Air Medal]]<br>[[Commendation Medal]]
|laterwork=
}}
'''Paul Warfield Tibbets, Jr.''' (born [[February 23]], [[1915]]) is a former [[brigadier general]] in the [[United States Air Force]] and was the pilot of the first aircraft to drop an [[atomic bomb]].
==Biography==
Tibbets was born in [[Quincy, Illinois]] and was the son of Paul Warfield Tibbets and Enola Gay Tibbets (born Haggard). On [[February 25]], [[1937]], he enlisted as a flying cadet in the [[United States Army Air Corps|Army Air Corps]] at [[Fort Thomas, Kentucky]]. He was commissioned a [[ second lieutenant]] in 1938 and received his wings at [[Kelly Air Force Base|Kelly Field]], [[Texas]]. Tibbets was named commanding officer of the 340th Bomb Squadron, [[97th Heavy Bomb Group]] flying [[B-17 Flying Fortress]]es in March, 1942. Based at [[RAF Polebrook]], he piloted the lead bomber on the first [[Eighth Air Force]] bombing mission in Europe on [[August 17]], [[1942]] and later flew combat missions in the [[Mediterranean Theater of Operations]] until returning to the U.S. to test fly [[B-29 Superfortress]]es. In September 1944 he was selected to command the project at [[Wendover Army Air Field]], [[Utah]], that became the [[509th Operations Group|509th Composite Group]], in connection with the [[Manhattan Project]]'s [[Project Alberta]].
[[Image:Tibbets-wave.jpg|thumb|Colonel Paul Tibbets Jr.]]
On [[August 5]], [[1945]] Colonel Paul Tibbets formally named B-29 serial number 44-86292 ''[[Enola Gay]]'' after his mother (she was named after the heroine, Enola, of a [[novel]] her father had liked). On [[August 6]] [[1945]] the ''Enola Gay'' departed [[Tinian]] Island in the Marianas with Tibbets at the controls at 2:45 a.m. for [[Hiroshima, Japan]]. The atomic bomb was dropped over Hiroshima at 8:15 a.m. local time.
The film ''[[Above and Beyond (film)|Above and Beyond]]'' (1952) depicted the World War II events involving Tibbets, with [[Robert Taylor (actor)|Robert Taylor]] starring as Tibbets and [[Eleanor Parker]] as his first wife, Lucy.
In [[1959]], Col. Tibbets was promoted to [[Brigadier General]]. He retired from the [[U.S. Air Force]] on [[August 31]], [[1966]].
In the '60s, Tibbets was posted as military attaché in India, but this posting was rescinded after all political parties in India protested his presence. After retirement, he worked for Executive Jet Aviation, a Columbus, Ohio-based air taxi company, and was president from 1976 until he retired in 1987.
Although Tibbets was born in Illinois, he was raised in [[Cedar Rapids, Iowa]], where his father was a confections wholesaler. The family was listed there in the 1920 U.S. Federal Population Census. In about 1927, the family moved to Florida.
Tibbets married his wife, Andrea, in about 1953 or 1954.
An interview of Paul Tibbets can be seen in the 1982 movie entitled [[Atomic Cafe]]. He was also interviewed in the British documentary series ''[[The World at War]]''.
His grandson [[Lt. Col.]] Paul Tibbets, IV, [[as of 2005]] is a pilot in the U.S. Air Force, flying a [[B-2 Spirit]] for the 509th Bomb Wing, the same unit that his grandfather commanded.
Tibbets has been interviewed extensively by Mike Harden of the Columbus (Ohio) ''Dispatch'', and profiles have appeared in the newspaper on anniversaries of the first dropping of an atomic bomb. Tibbets generally expresses no regret regarding the decision to drop the bomb. In March of 2005, he publicly stated "If you give me the same circumstances, hell yeah, I'd do it again."
There is no substance to the [[urban legend]] which states that Tibbets or other members of the Enola Gay crew later went insane with remorse. However, [[Claude Eatherly]], pilot of the weather reconnaissance aircraft [[Straight Flush]], did experience recurring guilt feelings that tormented him for the rest of his life.
==Awards and Decorations==
[[Image:Commandpilotbadge.jpg|90px]] [[USAF aeronautical rating#Pilot ratings|Command pilot]]
*[[Image:DSCRib.gif|60px]] [[Distinguished Service Cross (United States)|Distinguished Service Cross]]
*[[Image:Us_disflycross_rib.png|60px]] [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)|Distinguished Flying Cross]]
*[[Image:Us_airmedal_rib.png|60px]] [[Air Medal]]
*[[Image:Purpleheart rib.png|60px]] [[Purple Heart]]
*[[Image:Us_legion_of_merit_rib.png|60px]] [[Legion of Merit]]
*[[Image:ArmyComRib.gif|60px]] [[Commendation Medal]]
*[[Image:EAMERib.gif|60px]] [[European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal]]
*[[Image:AsiaCampRib.gif|60px]] [[Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal]]
*[[Image:USADefRib.gif|60px]] [[American Defense Service Medal]]
*[[Image:USACampRib.gif|60px]] [[American Campaign Medal]]
*[[Image:WW2rib.gif|60px]] [[World War II Victory Medal]]
== See also ==
* [[Sigma_Nu#Lead|Sigma Nu LEADership learning program]]
== External links ==
{{commons}}
{{Wikiquote}}
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhZERU58RSI Paul Tibbets (circa 1950-1960's) video interview] @ youtube.com
*[http://www.olive-drab.com/od_nuclear_509th.php 509th Composite Group]
*[http://www.olive-drab.com/od_nuclear_hiroshima.php Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima]
*[http://alsos.wlu.edu/qsearch.aspx?browse=people/Tibbets,+Paul Annotated bibliography for Paul Tibbets from the Alsos Digital Library]
[[Category:1915 births|Tibbets, Paul]]
[[Category:American military personnel of World War II|Tibbets, Paul]]
[[Category:Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki|Tibbets, Paul]]
[[Category:Living people|Tibbets, Paul]]
[[Category:United States Air Force generals|Tibbets, Paul]]
[[Category:University of Florida alumni|Tibbets, Paul]]
[[Category:World War II pilots|Tibbets, Paul]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Purple Heart medal|Tibbets, Paul]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Legion of Merit|Tibbets, Paul]]
[[Category:Recipients of US Distinguished Flying Cross|Tibbets, Paul]]
[[Category:Recipients of US Distinguished Service Cross|Tibbets, Paul]]
[[ca:Paul Tibbets]]
[[de:Paul Tibbets]]
[[es:Paul Tibbets]]
[[fi:Paul Tibbets]]
[[fr:Paul Tibbets]]
[[it:Paul Tibbets]]
[[nl:Paul Tibbets]]
[[ja:ポール・ティベッツ]]
[[no:Paul Tibbets]]
[[sv:Paul Tibbets]]
[[tr:Paul Tibbets]]
| |||