I am less than 10 feet from an autographed picture of the “Enola Gay”.

August 3, 2018

I am less than 10 feet from an autographed picture of the “Enola Gay”. It is signed by the chief negotiator of the most successful arms limitation treaty of the 20^th century. He was also the pilot of the B29 that delivered the first atomic bomb dropped in anger. Paul Tibbetts led the negotiations, and it must be said that they were full and frank with an open discussion of opposing viewpoints. The talks lasted 3 days – August 6, 1945 to August 9, 1945. The treaty was signed on September 2, 1845 in Tokyo harbor with 1000 American planes flying overhead. General MacArthur, with his customary flourish, said “These proceedings are closed”. 

73 years later and we still enjoy a nuclear-free zone, viz, the Earth. Way to go, Paulie!

Directly above the picture is a scroll memorializing the death of Corporal Leonard W. Putnam who died “in the Pacific area on May 25, 1945”. It was signed by President Harry Truman. His upper right torso was blown off by a Japanese mortar shell on Okinawa. He was a 42-year-old piano salesman from Jersey City, NJ who married my wife’s Aunt Millie.

At the end of “The Bridges of Toko-Ri”, the Admiral, played superbly well by Frederic March, says, upon being informed of the death of a Naval aviator on this mission,  “Where do we find such men?”

Would I be “painting the lily” if I were to point out that these men weren’t snowflakes and that these men created their own safe spaces wherever they went and that we are forever in their debt?

No.

“The whole earth is the sepulchre of famous men.”

Kevin Smith

WARRIORBARDIT@BELLSOUTH.NET