Theodore Van Kirk, last crew member of Enola Gay, di US aged 93 | Send world war | The Guardian

Contents:

• THEODORE “DUTCH” VAN KIRK, NAVIGATOR ON THE ENOLA GAY
• THEODORE J. ‘DUTCH’ VANKIRK, NAVIGATOR OF THE ENOLA GAY, DI AT 93
• THEODORE ‘DUTCH’ VAN KIRK, NAVIGATOR ON ENOLA GAY, DI AT 93
• ENOLA GAY
• CREW OF THE ENOLA GAY
• THEODORE VAN KIRK, 93, ENOLA GAY NAVIGATOR, DI
• HIROSHIMA’S ENOLA GAY RRIED 12 MEN, HOPE AND THE WORLD’S ADLIT WEAPON
• THEODORE VAN KIRK, LAST CREW MEMBER OF ENOLA GAY, DI US AGED 93
• LAST SURVIVOR OF ENOLA GAY CREW DI
• LAST SURVIVG MEMBER OF ENOLA GAY CREW IS DEAD
• ENOLA GAY
• LAST SURVIVOR OF ENOLA GAY CREW DI
• THEODORE "DUTCH" VAN KIRK, LAST ENOLA GAY CREWMAN, DI AT 93

THEODORE “DUTCH” VAN KIRK, NAVIGATOR ON THE ENOLA GAY

The navigator and last survivg crew member of the B-29 Superfortrs Enola Gay, Theodore “Dutch” Van Kirk, passed away on July 28, 2014. Officers of the Enola Gay: (left to right) Major Thomas W. On Augt 6, 1945, Enola Gay followed the 1, 500-e route planned by Van Kirk to liver an atomic bomb, lled Ltle Boy, to the target cy, Hiroshima.

The Enola Gay lands safely on the airstrip at Tian after pletg the missn to drop Ltle Boy on Hiroshima. Van Kirk’s navigator statn the Enola Gay. Tibbets the ckp of Enola Gay durg a 2005 vis to the Steven F.

THEODORE J. ‘DUTCH’ VANKIRK, NAVIGATOR OF THE ENOLA GAY, DI AT 93

Boeg B-29 Superfortrs "Enola Gay".

Load Adjter, Boeg B-29, Enola Gay. Radar Un and mounts, AM-77/APQ-23, B-29 "Enola Gay". "Dutch" Van Kirk Boeg B-29 Enola Gay Route Map, Tian to Hawaii via Kwajale.

He was on the crew of the Enola Gay, which dropped a nuclear bomb on Japan. B-29 Superfortrs lled the Enola Gay over Hiroshima, Japan, on a sunny Augt day. Once over s target, the Enola Gay unload the first atomic bomb dropped war.

THEODORE ‘DUTCH’ VAN KIRK, NAVIGATOR ON ENOLA GAY, DI AT 93

His ath means there are now no survivg members of the Enola Gay’s crew who, by dog their jobs, beme an early and tegral part the ongog narrative over nuclear weapons. Theodore “Dutch” Van Kirk, navigator on the Enola Gay, scrib arrivg at Wendover Field, Utah and figurg out that he would be takg part a missn to drop an atomic bomb.

"Before dawn, he took his place as the navigator the Enola Gay. Together, the attacks hastened Japan’s surrenr and marked the begng of a new era VanKirk, who was wily reported to be the last survivor of the 12-member Enola Gay crew, died July 28 at a retirement muny Stone Mounta, Ga. He was 93 and had recently veloped vascular disease, said his son Tom VanKirk was servg stati as a navigatn stctor 1944 when he received a ll om Tibbets, his former mandg officer Europe and the soon-to-be manr of the Enola Gay.

He said that he was “proud to be on the Enola Gay” bee had saved liv by endg the war. 6, 1945, guid the Enola Gay over Hiroshima to drop the first nuclear bomb the history of warfare, died Monday at an assisted livg facily Stone Mounta, Ga. He was last survivg member of the Enola Gay’s 12-member crew, Van Kirk died of age-related , said his son Tom.

ENOLA GAY

In 1995, anti-nuclear monstrators poured blood and ash over a piece of the Enola Gay on display at the Smhsonian Instutn’s Natnal Air and Space Mm.

15, 1945, the Japane Kirk was equently asked whether he and the Enola Gay’s other crew members experienced any physil or emotnal damage om the bombg. Tibbets, who remaed one of Van Kirk’s lifelong iends, beme the Enola Gay’s crew traed for months Wendover, Utah. Enola Gay, the B-29bomber that was ed by the Uned Stat on Augt 6, 1945, to drop an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, the first time the explosive vice had been ed on an enemy target.

” The Enola Gay—Tibbets had a matenance man pat that name on the aircraft’s nose shortly before takeoff—was acpanied by var other plan. Tibbets flew the Enola Gay back to Tian, where he was award the Distguished Service Cross.

CREW OF THE ENOLA GAY

Three days later the Enola Gay nducted weather rennaissance the lead-up to the bombg of Nagasaki, Japan. Japan officially surrenred on September 2, Enola Gay remaed service for several years before beg given to the Smhsonian Instutn on July 3, 1949.

THEODORE VAN KIRK, 93, ENOLA GAY NAVIGATOR, DI

In 2003 the fully rtored Enola Gay was put on display at the NASM’s Steven F. Fifty years after the crew of the Enola Gay dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, hasteng Japan's surrenr, The Amerin Legn honored Tibbets and his crew wh the Distguished Service Medal.

HIROSHIMA’S ENOLA GAY RRIED 12 MEN, HOPE AND THE WORLD’S ADLIT WEAPON

"There is no doubt my md that many of you who are here today would not be here if hadn't been for the urageo missn of the men of the Enola Gay, " Natnal Commanr William Detweiler told nventn legat.

As Enola Gay's pilot, Tibbets said Pearl Harbor was the animatg force for his missn. Tibbets named the B-29 bomber Enola Gay, for his mother. Enola Gay dropped the first atomic bomb, "Ltle Boy, " was dropped at 8:15 a.

For more on the Enola Gay, click here (). 45am lol time on 6 Augt 1945, Theodore Van Kirk, who has died aged 93, rerd his logbook the take-off of the Boeg B29 Enola Gay om s base on Tian the Mariana islands of the wtern the prev year, the US had ma Tian, 6, 000 wt of San Francis, the largt airport the world. That night the Enola Gay's manr, Colonel Pl Tibbets, was pilotg a 65-ton plane – rryg 7, 000 gallons of aviatn fuel and a four and a half ton bomb.

THEODORE VAN KIRK, LAST CREW MEMBER OF ENOLA GAY, DI US AGED 93

The bomber stggled to the air jt 100 feet (30 metr) short of the end of the two-e nway, 1, 500 om Kirk was the Enola Gay's navigator.

LAST SURVIVOR OF ENOLA GAY CREW DI

Photograph: Dan Callister/RexLong after Hiroshima, Van Kirk observed that the Enola Gay's crew were a "bunch of civilians they put uniforms on" whose llective ambn was to get the war over and get out of the USAAF. The bomber plane that dropped that bomb was the 'Enola Gay' and s crew were Theodore 'Dutch' Van Kirk - Navigator; Pl Tibbs - Pilot; and Tom Ferbie - Bombardier. Air Force, via Agence France-Prs — Getty ImagJuly 29, 2014Theodore (Dutch) Van Kirk, the navigator and last survivg crew member of the Enola Gay, the B-29 Superfortrs that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima the last days of World War II, died on Monday at his home Stone Mounta, Ga.

6, 1945, the Enola Gay, piloted by Col. From that spot, at the end of a long tunnel atop the bomb bays, he took the plane’s beargs, g a hand-held sextant to gui wh the the Enola Gay reached Iwo Jima as the sun rose, began an ascent to 31, 000 feet.

Ferebee, said, “I got , ” announcg that the Enola Gay was over his aimg pot, the T-shaped Ai Bridge. His navigatg skills had brought the Enola Gay to s target only a few sends behd schle at the ncln of a six-and-a-half-hour Ferebee released the bomb, known as Ltle Boy, and 43 sends later, at 1, 890 feet above ground zero, explod a nuclear ferno, leavg tens of thoands ad or dyg and turng Hiroshima to srched Cabell/The Telegraph, via Associated PrsColonel Tibbets executed a divg turn to avoid the blast effects, but the Enola Gay was buffeted by a pair of shock wav.

LAST SURVIVG MEMBER OF ENOLA GAY CREW IS DEAD

”A versn of this article appears prt on, Sectn A, Page 18 of the New York edn wh the headle: Theodore Van Kirk, 93, Enola Gay Navigator, Di. " If the pilot of the Enola Gay thought like that, we'd be speakg Japane right now. " als piloot van Enola Gay zo dacht, dan spraken we nu allemaal Japans.

ENOLA GAY

The third was the Enola Gay... De r was Enola Gay...

It was lled the Enola Gay. Het vliegtuig heette Enola Gay.

LAST SURVIVOR OF ENOLA GAY CREW DI

Callg Enola Gay.

Oproep voor Enola Gay. We’re rtorg the felage of the Enola Gay, the B-29 that rried the A-bomb over Hiroshima.

We rtreren momenteel romp van Enola Gay, B-29 die atoombom boven Hiroshima afwierp.

THEODORE "DUTCH" VAN KIRK, LAST ENOLA GAY CREWMAN, DI AT 93

Enola Gay gettg ready to drop on target. Enola Gay maakt zich klaar om te lossen boven het doel.