The Man Who Dropped the Bomb on Hiroshima Was Given No Gravestone or Funeral

Photo Credit: 1. Universal History Archive / Universal Images Group / Getty Images 2. Bettmann / Getty Images
Photo Credit: 1. Universal History Archive / Universal Images Group / Getty Images 2. Bettmann / Getty Images
Brigadier General Paul Tibbets, famously known for piloting the Enola Gay during the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, gained considerable fame in the United States after World War II. Although he was widely acknowledged, Tibbets expressed a desire to forgo both a funeral service and a gravestone upon his death.

Paul Tibbets enlists with the US Army Air Corps

Paul Tibbets standing in front of the Enola Gay
Paul Tibbets next to the Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay that he piloted during the atomic bombing mission over Hiroshima, Japan, 1945. (Photo Credit: Bettmann / Getty Images)

Paul Tibbets was an abdominal surgeon before joining the US Army Air Corps (USAAC). Originally signed up for three years, he earned his pilot wings in 1938 and chose to continue active duty upon the outbreak of World War II. While renowned for his service in the Pacific Theater, Tibbets initially participated in bombing missions in North Africa and France. Notably, he served as Gen. George Patton‘s personal pilot from 1940-41.

Paul Tibbets was a test pilot for the Boeing B-29 Superfortress

Boeing B-29 Superfortress in flight
Boeing B-29 Superfortress. (Photo Credits: wallycacsabre / Wikimedia Commons CC BY 2.0)

In the autumn of 1943, Paul Tibbets was called back to be a test pilot during the development of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress. He discovered that, by removing armor plating and armaments, the bomber became 7,000 pounds lighter and performed better. After a year, he was assigned to retrain other pilots in the 17th Bombardment Operational Training Wing (Very Heavy).

In 1944, Tibbets was appointed to lead the 509th Composite Group, which was tasked with the training and deployment of atomic bombs from B-29s.

Bombing of Hiroshima

Crew of the Enola Gay standing together
Crew of the Enola Gay before takeoff. (Photo Credit: John van Hasselt / Sygma / Getty Images)

In May 1945, Paul Tibbets and his crew were relocated to Tinian, where they conducted standard bombing operations on Japanese-occupied islands while also training with atomic bomb prototypes.

When the 509th group received authorization to target Japan, Tibbets became the pilot of the bomber designated to drop Little Boy, the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. He christened the plane Enola Gay, in honor of his mother.

Dropping Little Boy

Ground crewmen sitting beneath the Boeing B-29 Superfortress 'Enola Gay'
Little Boy being loaded into the Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay, 1945. (Photo Credit: US War Department / Office of the Chief of Engineers / Manhattan Engineer District / National Archives and Records Administration / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain)

On August 6, 1945, Paul Tibbets set out on his mission with his crew and two observation planes in tow, releasing Little Boy over Hiroshima. Reflecting on the event, he remembered the swift emergence of a mushroom cloud over the Japanese city following the detonation of Little Boy.

Although some of his crew were involved in subsequent missions that included dropping the second atomic bomb, Fat Man, on Nagasaki, Tibbets himself did not participate in those operations. Nevertheless, he achieved the notable distinction of being the first person in history to use an atomic weapon against an enemy city.

Paul Tibbets returns home as a war hero

Crew of the Enola Gay riding in an open-top Jeep
The crew of the Enola Gay parading around the streets of New York, April 15, 1946. (Photo Credit: Keystone-France / Gamma-Keystone / Getty Images)

Paul Tibbets was a celebrated figure of the Second World War, receiving the Distinguished Service Cross for his contributions. President Harry Truman even invited him to the White House, in recognition of his remarkable achievements.

In 1976, Tibbets participated in a re-enactment of the bombing of Hiroshima at the Harlingen, Texas airshow, drawing criticism from Japan. He clarified that it “was not intended to insult anybody,” leading to an apology from the US government.

Despite ongoing ethical debates about atomic bombs, Tibbets maintained his belief in the necessity of the action. While he wasn’t proud of the loss of lives, he believed it brought resolution to the conflict. These convictions against nuclear weapons and warfare influenced Tibbets’ choice for his final resting place.

Paul Tibbets’ final resting place

Paul Tibbets and Tom Ferebee sitting in the cockpit of the Enola Gay
Brig. Gen. Paul Tibbets and bombardier Tom Ferebee in the cockpit of the Enola Gay, 1981. (Photo Credit: Ben Martin / Getty Images)

In the months leading up to his death, Paul Tibbets’ health declined. During this period, he firmly expressed his wish to forego a grave or funeral. He was worried about his burial site possibly becoming a target for protests against America’s actions in Japan or opposition to nuclear weapons, and feared its potential desecration.

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Instead of a grave, Tibbets requested cremation and that his ashes be scattered over the English Channel. He chose this location because he had flown over it many times during the war. Following his death on November 1, 2007, at the age of 92, his family honored his wishes and scattered his ashes accordingly.

Rosemary Giles

Rosemary Giles is a history content writer with Hive Media. She received both her bachelor of arts degree in history, and her master of arts degree in history from Western University. Her research focused on military, environmental, and Canadian history with a specific focus on the Second World War. As a student, she worked in a variety of research positions, including as an archivist. She also worked as a teaching assistant in the History Department.

Since completing her degrees, she has decided to take a step back from academia to focus her career on writing and sharing history in a more accessible way. With a passion for historical learning and historical education, her writing interests include social history, and war history, especially researching obscure facts about the Second World War. In her spare time, Rosemary enjoys spending time with her partner, her cats, and her horse, or sitting down to read a good book.

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