October Legends
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/2/2013
Major Theodore Van Kirk is the last surviving member of the Enola Gay crew, the B-29 Bomber which dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima on August 6th, 1945. This 11x14 black and white photo shows the destruction the bomb caused as a slew of rubble and wreckage is seen amongst a few surviving buildings. Along the top of the photo is an inscription which reads: “The skies were clear as we located our aiming point in Hiroshima, Japan. We dropped ‘Little Boy’ on August 6 at 9:15 am Japan time. The five ton bomb exploded 43 seconds later at an altitude of 1800 feet with a length flash and two shock waves that later hit the plane. Although I feel sorry for the citizens of Hiroshima there will be civilian casualties as long as military and civilian targets are mixed and despite our dropping thousands of warning leaflets. The mission was necessary to end the war with minimum casualties. Nevertheless "War is Hell". Dutch Van Kirk. Navigator – Enola Gay. Hiroshima 6 Aug 1945.” He turns 93 years old soon and is longer capable of writing such a long inscription. COA by PSA/DNA #U69494.