Pilot’s place in history

Re “Pilot launched Atomic Age over Hiroshima,” obituary, Nov. 2

The death of Paul Tibbets, the pilot of the plane that dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima in 1945, should be noted for its historical significance. According to Tibbets, he never lost a night’s sleep over his famous flight and felt that it shortened the war in the Pacific and saved lives. With some reluctance, most historians would agree. If Tibbets had refused to do the job, the Army Air Corps would have found another pilot for the mission. They were going to drop the bomb -- and that was it.

The real decision to use the bomb rested squarely and heavily on the shoulders of President Truman. Publicly, Truman never seemed to exhibit any misgivings about his decision; privately, he was much less enthusiastic. He admitted to close friends the enormity of it all, and was greatly relieved when the Japanese surrendered soon after the bombs were dropped. There’s no question that Truman lost many a night’s sleep. over his decision to use the atomic bombs on Japan.

Now that Tibbets is gone, another chapter in the destructive history of mankind is closed forever. May he rest in peace.

Charles Reilly

Manhattan Beach

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Your obituary is insulting to our military and those who fought and died in World War II to keep America free. You state that Tibbets never apologized for the bombing of Hiroshima. Why the hell should he? If the Japanese had the bomb and dropped it on us, do you think they would apologize today? I seriously doubt it.

Our more recent generations fail to realize the dark significance of World War II. This country was fighting for its very existence and owes no one an apology for using whatever weapons available to end the war. Don’t muddy the waters by arguing Japan was about to surrender anyway and dropping the bomb was unnecessary. Japan may have been considering surrender, but it hadn’t made a formal declaration. Additionally, the Japanese were preparing to defend to the death against an invasion by our forces, using millions of civilian men, women and children. Tibbets owed no one an apology.

Bill Wyse

Marina del Rey