Today in World War II History—Aug. 6, 1940 & 1945
US poster, WWII
80 Years Ago—Aug. 6, 1940: First meeting of US National Inventors Council, to screen ideas from scientists and amateur inventors that might have military use—200,000 ideas screened during the war; 560 were deemed to have value.
In Luxembourg, Germans ban speaking French.
Col. Paul Tibbets and the crew of B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay, 5 Aug 1945 (US Army photo)
75 Years Ago—Aug. 6, 1945: Atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima by US B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay, flown by Col. Paul Tibbets Jr.; about 78,000 killed.
Maj. Richard Bong, leading US fighter pilot ace (40 victories) and a Medal of Honor recipient, is killed testing a Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star jet fighter in Burbank, CA.
Off Bali, Japanese aircraft sink sub USS Bullhead, the last US warship lost in the war.
My friend’s grandfather served in WWII. He was stationed on an island (I’m not sure which one, sorry!), but he and some of the other men stationed with him were told they had a “very important VIP” coming and had to pick up every single piece of debris from the landing strip. I remember him saying he was on his hands and knees. A plane landed, refueled, and took off again. It was the Enola Gay, and the payload was the VIP. I still get goosebumps every time I think of that story.
Oh my! What an incredible story!