I met Colonel Paul Tibbets, at the "Show of Showes," in Louisville Kentucky, and introduced my Son to him. They had their picture taken together, and Colonel Tibbets signed his book for us. My Son asked who he was, and I had to explain the history of it all to him. My Son was amazed after hearing the history. I overheard a person in line ask Colonel Tibbets, "if he had it to do all over again," and the Colonel replied before the guy could get the entire question out, he said with a grin, "I would do it all over again!" The Colonel sleeps good at night. God bless America! Thank you for the great videos, and keep up the good work.
When I met him back in the 90s, I asked the same question, which he had heard many times. He said that he was given a military mission, and he would do his best to complete it. My father was on the Battleship Colorado at the time of the bomb drop, preparing to invade Japan. Those two bombs took many thousands of lives, but saved millions. Dad came home because of The actions of those men. RIP Colonel Tibet’s.
My favorite thing about watching your program and learning history in general, is when, no matter how smart you think you are about a time or an event in history, you learn something new that you never ever heard of before, like this video when you showed us the Japanese "cherry blossom" kamikaze plane that would be dropped from a bomber. NEVER ever heard of it . Keep up the great work , love your videos
I have been to it twice as I live about and hour and 20 minutes away from it and it has so much aviation history in it. The SR-71 Blackbird and Space Shuttle are very cool.
You showed the uniform of Gen. Doolittle, my hero in so many respects. During the '30's, he took a job with Shell Oil. He lobbied Shell to begin producing 100 octane fuel as planes were getting bigger and more powerful. Yet there wasn't a market yet for 100 octane and many within Shell hoped he would fail. He convinced the Royal Air Force to start purchasing it. Then, the Battle of Britain occurred...The German and British fighters were fairly evenly matched. After the war, the Brits admitted that the difference was they flew with 100 octane while the German's used 87 octane. Just one more great, great contribution that General Jimmy made....
@@TheHistoryUnderground If I could...Behind every good man, is a great woman? General Doolittle's wife was world renown as a fine crafted, beer brewer. Jimmy would have his flyer friends, fly in the best hops from around the world, from which she would brew. As a side results, being the consummate entertainer that she was, along with all of his contacts, she would have them sign her linen dinner cloth. So, so, so many famous autographs. The only one she didn't get was FDR's when he was awarded the Medal of Honor, in the White House, she forgot to bring it because she was surprised that Jimmy had survived 30 seconds over Tokyo and it was rush, rush..... It's a testament to almost every famous person that lived during that time. What a life! That linen dinner cloth is now at the AF Museum in Dayton, OH.
These episodes are so cool. My 13 year old daughter is as about as far removed from the horrors of war that someone can be (Thankfully) but her grandparents, my parents, lived through the war and it's important she knows it's not ancient history, it was only a few years ago and being able to show her, and explain, about Enola Gay made it real. Even she was impressed that it wasn't a replica, it was the actual plane that dropped the first atomoc bomb. Thx for your efforts.
Interesting thing about Doolittle is that his copilot on the famous raid was a man named Richard Cole. He just recently passed away and I got to know him pretty well because I worked as a paramedic in the county he lived, Kendall County, TX. My brother is a sheriff’s deputy and he and I would go by Mr. Cole’s house and have coffee with him every week. Such an amazing man.
What great thing to do, have coffee with vet, I’m sure he appreciated you guys coming by. I can only imagine the stories he had, we as a people owe men like this a debt that can never be paid.
Thank you for put up this and your other videos mate. I’ll watch them all over time. You do a fine job filming and telling us what’s going on. I’ve clicked thumbs up and subscribed. Regards from the Great Southern Land. 🦘🇦🇺
Bravo! Superb video once again. I may never get to see them in person, so your videos are the next best thing. Thank you, and keep doing what you do best. 👍
So glad the Enola Gay is in one piece. I heard at one point that it was going to be disassembled and only part of it displayed. I believe it had something to do with the mixed feelings about so many civilians being killed. We didn’t start the war, but we finished it. My grandfather was actually a foreman at the plant in Nebraska where this was built.
I am a HUGE aviation geek, so naturally, I had to make the pilgrimage to both air museums. I met a reconnaissance systems officer that used to fly back seat in the SR-71. He told me all sorts of happenings in his flying days. I had to get a picture with him. That man’s name is Col. Larry Elliott (ret). That was a trip I’ll never forget. He was the RSO on the flight that broke the world speed record for fastest powered flight in the horizontal. Told me all sorts of aviation stories about the Blackbird that, not many people think to ask about. Side note: that B-29 is NOT the actual Enola Gay. The museum does have the actual plane (well, fuselage anyway) while they determine who has the rights to aircraft. Big legal dispute going on there, read about it in the magazine of the Smithsonian after my trip in 2016.
I been watching most of the videos you put out. I have been to the Air and Space Museum many times never the second place, Thank You..I could only dream of doing what you do as a job..My vote is 2 thumbs..
Thanks for the compliment. I really appreciate that. And yes, there's so much out there to learn and so much that continues to happen around us. That's a big part of why I started doing these videos. Be sure to subscribe and be watching for the next video, which is a continuation of this one.
Really loving all your videos! Thanks for taking us all along with you on your travels - we learn so much with each video. Just an aside, I believe Charles Lindbergh also flew in the P38 Lightning in the Pacific theater, showing the pilots in PNG how to drastically improve their gas mileage. He also flew a few missions with those squadrons, but after almost creating a bad incident, was grounded by the commanding general. A very well documented book written about this and other exploits of those flying out of Port Moresby is "Race of Aces", by John Bruning. Great read. Thanks again!
Great video, been there couple times. Little off topic but for me the most impressive sight there is looking down on the SR71 with the shuttle Discovery behind it. The final backdrop is the US flag. I was totally amazed by the Enola Gay, alot of people walk right past it without realizing its importance in history.
I hear you. I had to wonder how many who visited that place really knew what they were looking at. Pretty amazing museum though. You'll have to subscribe and check back with the next episode, which is a continuation of this one. I get some shots of the SR-71 in there. Thanks for watching and for the kind words.
Alex U - That means more to me than you know. Hopefully people are able to look past my ham-fisted delivery and maybe learn a little something extra about history. Always appreciate the kind words.
My family went to DC around 2016 or so and visited the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum eagerly. My dad and I were perplexed when we couldn't find the Enola Gay, as we'd both hoped to see it. We'd had no idea until after the day was over that there was a complete other center to explore, and sadly we missed out on it due to that lack of knowledge when planning our trip. Fortunately, we're Dayton natives that visit the USAF museum often, so I guess there's some kind of fair exchange at play until we can make it to DC again someday. It was definitely surreal to see our hometown so prominently referenced in the Smithsonian though.
My stepfather, who was a childhood friend of my father's, was 21 years in the military. First 13 were in the Marines. In WWII he flew planes off of carriers in the Pacific. I don't know what type, but there was another person with him as a gunner. Supposedly he was shot down a number of times. After the war he was stationed in Roswell. In the 60s and in the Air Force he was part of the Strategic Air Command and stationed in Rapid City as a navigator on B-36s. After the service he flew crop dusters in California and helicopters. He and my mother were only married about 8 years. We thought she was his 3rd wife. According to his sister she was probably #5. He married once or twice after he left my mother. I think she loved him up until he died. Even visited the funeral home before his burial. I would have gone just to make sure he was really dead.
In the late 90 my dad, brother and me got to tour the Smithsonian's Silver Hill Facility outside DC. In the back of one of the building was the mid section of the Enola Gay the person leading the tour told us we could go up and look into it and even touch it, since its was going to be restored soon. It was so interesting too be able to look inside a plane with so much history behind it. We have pictures some where of me and my brother standing next to it.
Love your videos!! Definitely making me feel the need to visit the States but if you ever come to the UK check out Duxford, got a whole US air force hanger and it's still a working airfield. Also..like the mention of the hurricane 😁
Great video as always!!! Any chance you'll make your way to Dayton to the Air Force museum and do an episode on the aircraft there but the main one, the Memphis Belle?
Fun family history. I have a photo of my dad an air frame mechanic and machinist and his fellow workers (from Bell Bomber) standing under the nose of the Enola. She was brand new and they were modifying her for the load. Her number is clear in the photo. The photo hangs on my wall in my study. He'd told me the story, but until I saw the photo I was skeptical, but there she was!
Great video. I wish I could go there and see it. With respect to the Enola Gay, I was at the Smithsonian in 1977 and toured there and saw the Wright Flyer, Spirit of St. Louis, Moon lander LEM and many others. I inquired about the Enola Gay and was told it was in a warehouse in Maryland and not shown to any people. They were so concerned back then that politically it was too hot an item. Mostly they were afraid that displaying it to the public would offend the Japanese. I thought then as I do now that that was BS.
Great video. At the end there was a WW1 plane behind you. Think of flying at 15-20 thousand feet with no oxygen mask in an open cockpit and at very cold temperatures. Planes had only existed for less than 15 years and those guys were dog fighting in them. Talk about guts.
Argh. Stupid me. I was in a hurry and didn't even notice the WWI plane. Thanks for pointing that out though! I guess I'll need to get back and catch the things that I missed. Thanks for watching!
Ray = 20,000ft in a WW.I Biplane would give you 'anoxia' & the pilot WOULD 100% fall unconscious Well known that WW.II B.17 & B.24 waist gunners would be "on oxygen" well before 10,000ft What gets me is the 40-45 degrees below zero (centigrade) COLD, even on a warm sunny summers day If gunners took their gloves off, they'd have frostbitten fingers in around 2-mins RAF gunners at night (bombing missions), would often experience 50 degrees below zero - unthinkable
Hey man, love the videos been working through them slowly but surely. The Ebola Gay is definitely ‘iconic’ in WW2 history. Having visited Hiroshima in the last couple of years I was humbled by the memorial to the 220,000 civilian lives lost its hard not to notice you have edited the loss of innocent life out of your version of history. Hopefully this wasn’t intentional but as I say I love your videos and they are a great Educational tool so long as history isn’t sanitised.
Appreciate that. Thank you. And yeah, I wasn't trying to sanitize the history. To be honest, there were a bunch of people around and I always feel like a moron when I'm talking to that camera so I was probably just trying to get through it all as quick as I could and failed to mention a very important stat. I have plans to visit Hiroshima myself one of these days and go more in depth.
@@TheHistoryUnderground that’s understandable. I’d feel self conscious too. I really enjoy your content and the subjects you highlight. I knew Hiroshima would be different kind of day on our tour of Japan but I wasn’t expecting to feel the weight of history as much as i did. About to jump on your Patreon! keep up the great content.
Both of the “atomic B-29s”, Ebola Gay and Bock’s Car, were built at the Martin bomber plant, located on what is now Offutt Air Force Base. Offutt served as headquarters for the Strategic Air Command and is now the headquarters of the US Strategic Command, located near Bellevue, Nebraska. When Paul Tibbets was to pick his B-29 for the atomic mission, he visited the Martin plant. The foreman on duty told Colonel Tibbets, that the plane that was to become Enola Gay, was “the perfect bomber”. Other B-29s may have had some flaws but Enola Gay was perfect! If you read the mission reports of the two bombing flights, the first was much smoother than the second.
Did you know that most of the B-29s were built in Wichita, KS where my wife is from(I lived there from 96-2012) her grandpa worked for Beechcraft for 36 yrs as engineer! So much aviation history building done there, it’s called the Air Capital of the World! Boeing, Cessna, Beech, Learjet and so many smaller companies there! It was started because the farm machinery used were worked on by the farmers and were skilled w machinery so they were perfect for a/c manufacturing! The AF Museum is a great place to go if you haven’t been in Dayton! My dad was AF pilot. Flew fighters(F-86,F-102,F-106) instructor (T-33) forward air controller FAC in Vietnam (OV-10), Bombers (B-52) and Tankers (KC-135) everything my dad flew is there. As you mentioned Bockscar too! I need to go to the Smithsonian there by Dulles!
Very interesting video. In the late 1990’s I was able to go to the Air & Space Museum in Washington D.C. There was a space set aside for the Enola Gay in the museum, but there was such a bitter dispute over the wording of the descriptive placard that the plane itself had not yet been installed. I was quite disappointed to miss it, but am glad to see it is finally displayed. BTW, the F4U Corsair had those interesting wings because it was designed as a carrier based plane, and the wings folded at the bend in the wing for storage on the carrier.
Yes. Thanks for bringing that up. I wish that I would've mentioned that in the video. That's a slice of WWII history that few people seem to know about. Thanks for watching and for bringing that into the conversation.
@@TheHistoryUnderground I was a bit surprised when you mentioned the Lightning was responsible for more downed Japanese aircraft than any other plane in the PTO. I would have thought it was the Hellcat or Corsair. BTW, the reason the Corsair has those distinctive gull-wings is because of it's monster propeller. They had to mount the landing gear lower to keep the prop from hitting the ground.
The P-47 Thunderbolt gave my local high school their sports teams name, The Thunderbolts. Also our little local airport was the first civil defense airport in the US.
Met them separately when I worked at Naval Air Station Wildwood Museum when they were guest speakers. They both felt the Bomb save thousands of lives on both sides. How ironic but true. The museum is at the Cape May County Airport in Lower Township, NJ. It was a training base for Navy pilots and crews during WW 2. It’s in the base’s original hanger and has a great collection of aircraft and artifacts.
Brah, seriously... I'm slowly getting through your videos since finding you and this is my favourite yet, what an amazing place that must be and what a great job you do. Just something you might know or not but little ole New Zealand flew the Corsair's during WW2 Pacific forum. They were known as whistling death for the unique noise they mate during flight. Anyway brah much love from NZL
K H - Thanks! I really enjoyed putting this one together. Thanks for the extra info too. Always learning something. I gotta find a way to work in some New Zealand history in one of these episodes 🇳🇿
@@TheHistoryUnderground it's all good ... as a history Buff I enjoy learning a little about everywhere especially our mates stateside. Your platform and topics are right on target for my Interests. Cheers dude keep up the good work.
Do you know why they had 'gull wings'? The engine was the biggest that had ever been mounted on a fighter. They had to bend the wings so that the prop would clear the ground.. Whistling death was the word....
Clyde Parker - It’s quite the place. You should check out the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio if you haven’t already. It’s even better in my opinion. Thanks for watching!
The Corsair had the gull wing design because the prop was so big,if you see old footage of them taxing they are swerving back and forth because the pilots could not see over the cowling
I have seen several video's you have made around the Marietta Georgia area and wanted you to know Wyatt E. Duzenbury Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army Air Forces A veteran of World War II, was the flight engineer aboard the Enola Gay, the plane that dropped the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima and is buried in the Georgia Memorial Park Cemetary in Marietta. Also, Marietta had an aircraft plant built for the B29's that were used in the war known as the Bell Bomber Plant named after Lawrence Dale Bell. It employed thousands of people with one being my mother.
Bro this, again, was awesome... But just once do a vid on WHO YOU ARE!.. why youve got into such epic history we all appreciate.. Would love to know. - Go man.. give us it 💯👃💪
Nice you showed off the Jug, I am a big fan of the P-47s and the 56th FG.. A pet peeve of mine is that it does not get the credit it deserves for grinding down the Luftwaffe. Most of that work was even done before the bubbletops came into the theatre. Some believe that the P-51Ds did it.. And they did great work, but again, alo of that was already done by Razorback P-47s... Gotta respect those big, fast, wonderful Jugs! ;)
Not so well known is that two of the Enola Gay's original propellers are located at the Texas A&M Wind Tunnel in College Station, Texas. One is used to generate the wind needed for testing in the tunnel while the other is kept as a spare. I'm not really sure how A&M got their hands on them but there is a framed display in the tunnel lobby area about the propellers. Some people say it's an urban legend but the tunnel folks insist it's true. They are definitely B-29 props.
For non history buffs, this museum was also used in a scene in Transformers 2. The jet you see walking towards the main room is the actual jet used in the movie
I have a signed photo of the Enola gay by "Dutch" van kirk , was the last surviving crew member , we paid 25 dollars to have him sign it at a richmond va gunshow , he has since passed, RIP 🙏Dutch
Author Michael Killian did an essay, describing how he was allowed into Enola Gay. He made his way to the bombardier's position, saw the bomb release switch....….and could not bring himself to touch it.
I always wondered about the nose art on Tibbets' B-29. While most every other US aircraft pilot had sexy (almost pornographic) women on them, Tibbets named the thing after his mother?! I would bet that he was made aware of the significance of his mission and was told to dial his plane's art back. That or he was the most cornball flier in the war, lol.
If i recall correctly he bumped another pilot out of his aircraft because he liked it better and had his mother's name painted over the nose art the plane already had.
I’m sad you didn’t mention the other guys who flew on the Enola Gay. I live a block from Dutch VanKirks childhood home. Dutch was the Navigator who pinpointed when to drop the bomb.
Udvar Hazy is a piece of aviation nirvana! That P-38 was saved because it was flown by USAAF top fighter ace Richard Bong on his return to the States. He was tragically killed in an aircraft accident in an early design jet.
You need to go to theMuseum of the United States Air Force in Dayton Ohio,it blows the Smithsonian Air and Space away! The best military aviation museum in the world.👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
The History Underground They have finished the 4th hangar and all the Presidential and Experimental aircraft that were crammed into that little hangar on the secured side of the base are now spread out in their own building. Unfortunately they don’t have tours of the restoration building anymore,or at least that’s what I’ve read. Amazing museum. I’m planning a trip in the fall or winter if the museums open to see the Memphis Belle now that she’s all restored.
A world class museum. We go there a lot. It’s 45 minutes away. And free. It’s up there with the Smithsonian in DC or the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago. I also like the Auburn-Cord Museum in Auburn Indiana. But it’s not quite the same. I guess I’m a museum junkie.
I've actually went there a few years ago but it was before I started producing these videos. That place is HUGE! I want to go back because I didn't have enough time to tour the whole facility. Way too much cool stuff there so it's a must that I go back and make a video. Thanks!
@@TheHistoryUnderground the hall of missiles is sweet the memorial park with the medal of Honor garden and THE "Memphis Belle" I been there countless times lol
@@krugh1246 - That's why I need to go back. I was only there for about an hour and really didn't even make it out of the hall with the Memphis Belle and Bockscar.
Maj.Richard I Bong flew P-38s in the Pacific and shot down 40 Japanese planes. He was awarded the Medal of Honor. He's from a Poplar, WI.....not far from where I live (Superior, WI).
If you are a historical aircraft buff, you will want to visit the Museum Of The Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. Not only does it have the Bocks Car, but it has almost all aircraft from every war and other things. The Hanoi Taxi is the aircraft that brought the P.O.W.s back from Vietnam after the war. I personally worked on that plane during my time in the Air Force Reserve before it was retired. There are four buildings of planes and artifacts going back to the Wright Brothers. While in Dayton you can see the house that they grew up in and their shop. Also the Presidential aircraft, space shuttle and more. It could take all day to see all the planes. Very interesting and worth the trip if you can make it. www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/
I actually had a chance to visit the Air Force Museum in Dayton last summer, but I really planned it poorly and didn't give myself enough time. That place is HUUUUUGE! I'm going to go back and give it the proper attention that it deserves at some point and do a few videos on it so that people can know what's there. Thanks for pointing that out!
Big difference between the B29 and B17 is the B29 was pressurized so it could fly higher. Also, the P38 Lightning was designed by Kelly Johnson who also went on to design the P80 Shooting Star, U2 Spy plane, F104 Starfighter, SR71 Blackbird, and he and the CIA picked out where Area 51 should be constructed.
You may not know this but the Doolittle raiders had a bottle of scotch and a glass for each raider. On the 50th anniversary of the bombing they were to open the scotch and toast Doolittle and the bombing. As each one passed away, one glass was turned over marking their passing. At the time of the anniversary, only 2 were left and they did toast at Wright Patterson Air Force Base museum.
Been there done it seen it. BTW I have shookColonel Paul Tibbets hand and also skooks hands with Charles William Sweeney. This was in Albuquerque NM on the 50 year anniversary.
I am alive today because of boeing b29 superfortress and the 509th compsite group because my late father was in the AAF during ww2 and it was the beginning long range high altitude avation we have today.
P47 was the most built American plane maybe...Spitfires and Messerschmitt 109's were more numerous and the Russian Sturmovik ground attack airplane was the most built
I met Colonel Paul Tibbets, at the "Show of Showes," in Louisville Kentucky, and introduced my Son to him. They had their picture taken together, and Colonel Tibbets signed his book for us. My Son asked who he was, and I had to explain the history of it all to him. My Son was amazed after hearing the history. I overheard a person in line ask Colonel Tibbets, "if he had it to do all over again," and the Colonel replied before the guy could get the entire question out, he said with a grin, "I would do it all over again!" The Colonel sleeps good at night. God bless America! Thank you for the great videos, and keep up the good work.
Wow!
When I met him back in the 90s, I asked the same question, which he had heard many times. He said that he was given a military mission, and he would do his best to complete it. My father was on the Battleship Colorado at the time of the bomb drop, preparing to invade Japan. Those two bombs took many thousands of lives, but saved millions. Dad came home because of The actions of those men. RIP Colonel Tibet’s.
My favorite thing about watching your program and learning history in general, is when, no matter how smart you think you are about a time or an event in history, you learn something new that you never ever heard of before, like this video when you showed us the Japanese "cherry blossom" kamikaze plane that would be dropped from a bomber. NEVER ever heard of it . Keep up the great work , love your videos
Always learning!
Super well done...love the way most are timed being there early and first is great...very well edited and calming voice bonus...keep it up
Great footage from an amazing museum. If you are ever in London, then the Imperial War Museum and HMS Belfast are brilliant to visit
I have been to it twice as I live about and hour and 20 minutes away from it and it has so much aviation history in it. The SR-71 Blackbird and Space Shuttle are very cool.
You showed the uniform of Gen. Doolittle, my hero in so many respects. During the '30's, he took a job with Shell Oil. He lobbied Shell to begin producing 100 octane fuel as planes were getting bigger and more powerful. Yet there wasn't a market yet for 100 octane and many within Shell hoped he would fail. He convinced the Royal Air Force to start purchasing it. Then, the Battle of Britain occurred...The German and British fighters were fairly evenly matched. After the war, the Brits admitted that the difference was they flew with 100 octane while the German's used 87 octane. Just one more great, great contribution that General Jimmy made....
Interesting! Thanks for the extra info. Definitely an American hero.
@@TheHistoryUnderground If I could...Behind every good man, is a great woman? General Doolittle's wife was world renown as a fine crafted, beer brewer. Jimmy would have his flyer friends, fly in the best hops from around the world, from which she would brew. As a side results, being the consummate entertainer that she was, along with all of his contacts, she would have them sign her linen dinner cloth. So, so, so many famous autographs. The only one she didn't get was FDR's when he was awarded the Medal of Honor, in the White House, she forgot to bring it because she was surprised that Jimmy had survived 30 seconds over Tokyo and it was rush, rush..... It's a testament to almost every famous person that lived during that time. What a life! That linen dinner cloth is now at the AF Museum in Dayton, OH.
Walking into that atrium and seeing the Discovery then into the main gallery with the SR71 in front of the space shuttle is awesome.
Pretty amazing entry, isn't it?
@@TheHistoryUnderground yes it is. Especially you cannot see the Blackbird until you walk most of the way into the atrium.
These episodes are so cool. My 13 year old daughter is as about as far removed from the horrors of war that someone can be (Thankfully) but her grandparents, my parents, lived through the war and it's important she knows it's not ancient history, it was only a few years ago and being able to show her, and explain, about Enola Gay made it real. Even she was impressed that it wasn't a replica, it was the actual plane that dropped the first atomoc bomb. Thx for your efforts.
Awesome! That means a lot to me. Thank you.
Interesting thing about Doolittle is that his copilot on the famous raid was a man named Richard Cole. He just recently passed away and I got to know him pretty well because I worked as a paramedic in the county he lived, Kendall County, TX.
My brother is a sheriff’s deputy and he and I would go by Mr. Cole’s house and have coffee with him every week. Such an amazing man.
What great thing to do, have coffee with vet, I’m sure he appreciated you guys coming by. I can only imagine the stories he had, we as a people owe men like this a debt that can never be paid.
Thank you for put up this and your other videos mate. I’ll watch them all over time. You do a fine job filming and telling us what’s going on. I’ve clicked thumbs up and subscribed. Regards from the Great Southern Land. 🦘🇦🇺
Appreciate that. Really hope to get over to your country one of these days.
Bravo! Superb video once again. I may never get to see them in person, so your videos are the next best thing. Thank you, and keep doing what you do best. 👍
Stace Parsons - Thanks. Appreciate that. Hope that you continue to enjoy the future episodes.
@@TheHistoryUnderground Keep up the good works!
A Friend - 🙏🏼
Stace Parsons My health isnt that good anymore so JD does all my walking for me. lol
@@billd.iniowa2263 - Ha! Happy to do it. 👍🏻
Another great tour!!! Thank you!!!
Thanks!
So glad the Enola Gay is in one piece. I heard at one point that it was going to be disassembled and only part of it displayed. I believe it had something to do with the mixed feelings about so many civilians being killed. We didn’t start the war, but we finished it. My grandfather was actually a foreman at the plant in Nebraska where this was built.
Almost felt like correcting you and then I went back and re watched once or twice. Educated myself. Thank you 😊
👍🏻
I am a HUGE aviation geek, so naturally, I had to make the pilgrimage to both air museums. I met a reconnaissance systems officer that used to fly back seat in the SR-71. He told me all sorts of happenings in his flying days. I had to get a picture with him. That man’s name is Col. Larry Elliott (ret). That was a trip I’ll never forget. He was the RSO on the flight that broke the world speed record for fastest powered flight in the horizontal. Told me all sorts of aviation stories about the Blackbird that, not many people think to ask about.
Side note: that B-29 is NOT the actual Enola Gay. The museum does have the actual plane (well, fuselage anyway) while they determine who has the rights to aircraft. Big legal dispute going on there, read about it in the magazine of the Smithsonian after my trip in 2016.
Thanks for posting this
I been watching most of the videos you put out. I have been to the Air and Space Museum many times never the second place, Thank You..I could only dream of doing what you do as a job..My vote is 2 thumbs..
Really nice video. So much history- and we’re making more everyday.
Thanks for the compliment. I really appreciate that. And yes, there's so much out there to learn and so much that continues to happen around us. That's a big part of why I started doing these videos. Be sure to subscribe and be watching for the next video, which is a continuation of this one.
Really loving all your videos! Thanks for taking us all along with you on your travels - we learn so much with each video. Just an aside, I believe Charles Lindbergh also flew in the P38 Lightning in the Pacific theater, showing the pilots in PNG how to drastically improve their gas mileage. He also flew a few missions with those squadrons, but after almost creating a bad incident, was grounded by the commanding general. A very well documented book written about this and other exploits of those flying out of Port Moresby is "Race of Aces", by John Bruning. Great read. Thanks again!
Not only did he teach them how to "wean' the 38 but he became a silent, multi- ACE to the point where had to pull him out of the theater.
Great video, been there couple times. Little off topic but for me the most impressive sight there is looking down on the SR71 with the shuttle Discovery behind it. The final backdrop is the US flag. I was totally amazed by the Enola Gay, alot of people walk right past it without realizing its importance in history.
I hear you. I had to wonder how many who visited that place really knew what they were looking at. Pretty amazing museum though. You'll have to subscribe and check back with the next episode, which is a continuation of this one. I get some shots of the SR-71 in there. Thanks for watching and for the kind words.
That is because they don't know their history. To many it is just an old airplane.
Nicely done can’t wait to get over there and have a look myself
It really is an impressive place. Thanks!
Great production quality once again. Definitely a treat when I get notified of your new videos.
Alex U - That means more to me than you know. Hopefully people are able to look past my ham-fisted delivery and maybe learn a little something extra about history. Always appreciate the kind words.
Thanks for sharing this one--I love these types of museums (been to many), but have not been to this one yet. Perhaps on my next trip to the DC area.
Great video, lots of history!
Thanks! And yes, the history there is all around you. Definitely worth a visit.
Colonel Tibbets and Edward "Butch" O'Hare attended the Western Military Academy in Alton, IL and played on the football team together.
My family went to DC around 2016 or so and visited the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum eagerly. My dad and I were perplexed when we couldn't find the Enola Gay, as we'd both hoped to see it. We'd had no idea until after the day was over that there was a complete other center to explore, and sadly we missed out on it due to that lack of knowledge when planning our trip. Fortunately, we're Dayton natives that visit the USAF museum often, so I guess there's some kind of fair exchange at play until we can make it to DC again someday. It was definitely surreal to see our hometown so prominently referenced in the Smithsonian though.
My stepfather, who was a childhood friend of my father's, was 21 years in the military. First 13 were in the Marines. In WWII he flew planes off of carriers in the Pacific. I don't know what type, but there was another person with him as a gunner. Supposedly he was shot down a number of times. After the war he was stationed in Roswell. In the 60s and in the Air Force he was part of the Strategic Air Command and stationed in Rapid City as a navigator on B-36s. After the service he flew crop dusters in California and helicopters. He and my mother were only married about 8 years. We thought she was his 3rd wife. According to his sister she was probably #5. He married once or twice after he left my mother. I think she loved him up until he died. Even visited the funeral home before his burial. I would have gone just to make sure he was really dead.
Waneta Boyce - Wow. That’s quite a story. Thanks for sharing that.
In the late 90 my dad, brother and me got to tour the Smithsonian's Silver Hill Facility outside DC. In the back of one of the building was the mid section of the Enola Gay the person leading the tour told us we could go up and look into it and even touch it, since its was going to be restored soon. It was so interesting too be able to look inside a plane with so much history behind it. We have pictures some where of me and my brother standing next to it.
Be great if you could somehow send a copy of your photos to History Traveller so he could put on his channel, cheers
@@nigelapps3122 I actually haven't been there in years. I wish I could go back but health issues prevent me from doing so.
Love your videos!! Definitely making me feel the need to visit the States but if you ever come to the UK check out Duxford, got a whole US air force hanger and it's still a working airfield. Also..like the mention of the hurricane 😁
Thanks! Definitely hope to get over there at some point. Lots of rich history in the UK.
My husband and I really enjoyed this video. !!!👌👌
Pamela Kern - Awesome! Glad you all liked it. Definitely worth a visit if you ever get a chance.
Great video as always!!! Any chance you'll make your way to Dayton to the Air Force museum and do an episode on the aircraft there but the main one, the Memphis Belle?
Fun family history. I have a photo of my dad an air frame mechanic and machinist and his fellow workers (from Bell Bomber) standing under the nose of the Enola. She was brand new and they were modifying her for the load. Her number is clear in the photo. The photo hangs on my wall in my study. He'd told me the story, but until I saw the photo I was skeptical, but there she was!
Great video. I wish I could go there and see it. With respect to the Enola Gay, I was at the Smithsonian in 1977 and toured there and saw the Wright Flyer, Spirit of St. Louis, Moon lander LEM and many others. I inquired about the Enola Gay and was told it was in a warehouse in Maryland and not shown to any people. They were so concerned back then that politically it was too hot an item. Mostly they were afraid that displaying it to the public would offend the Japanese. I thought then as I do now that that was BS.
Great video. At the end there was a WW1 plane behind you. Think of flying at 15-20 thousand feet with no oxygen mask in an open cockpit and at very cold temperatures. Planes had only existed for less than 15 years and those guys were dog fighting in them. Talk about guts.
Argh. Stupid me. I was in a hurry and didn't even notice the WWI plane. Thanks for pointing that out though! I guess I'll need to get back and catch the things that I missed. Thanks for watching!
Ray = 20,000ft in a WW.I Biplane would give you 'anoxia' & the pilot WOULD 100% fall unconscious
Well known that WW.II B.17 & B.24 waist gunners would be "on oxygen" well before 10,000ft
What gets me is the 40-45 degrees below zero (centigrade) COLD, even on a warm sunny summers day
If gunners took their gloves off, they'd have frostbitten fingers in around 2-mins
RAF gunners at night (bombing missions), would often experience 50 degrees below zero - unthinkable
5 to 7 thousand feet max in WW1! Remember the overall range of these string kites was a few hundred miles at best!
Never got to this Museum. Thanks.
Hey man, love the videos been working through them slowly but surely.
The Ebola Gay is definitely ‘iconic’ in WW2 history. Having visited Hiroshima in the last couple of years I was humbled by the memorial to the 220,000 civilian lives lost its hard not to notice you have edited the loss of innocent life out of your version of history. Hopefully this wasn’t intentional but as I say I love your videos and they are a great Educational tool so long as history isn’t sanitised.
Appreciate that. Thank you. And yeah, I wasn't trying to sanitize the history. To be honest, there were a bunch of people around and I always feel like a moron when I'm talking to that camera so I was probably just trying to get through it all as quick as I could and failed to mention a very important stat. I have plans to visit Hiroshima myself one of these days and go more in depth.
@@TheHistoryUnderground that’s understandable. I’d feel self conscious too. I really enjoy your content and the subjects you highlight.
I knew Hiroshima would be different kind of day on our tour of Japan but I wasn’t expecting to feel the weight of history as much as i did.
About to jump on your Patreon! keep up the great content.
@@consult02 - Much appreciated!
I have been to the Hiroshima Peace Museum several times. The presentation there of Japan's role in WWII is sanitized to the extreme.
Both of the “atomic B-29s”, Ebola Gay and Bock’s Car, were built at the Martin bomber plant, located on what is now Offutt Air Force Base. Offutt served as headquarters for the Strategic Air Command and is now the headquarters of the US Strategic Command, located near Bellevue, Nebraska.
When Paul Tibbets was to pick his B-29 for the atomic mission, he visited the Martin plant. The foreman on duty told Colonel Tibbets, that the plane that was to become Enola Gay, was “the perfect bomber”. Other B-29s may have had some flaws but Enola Gay was perfect!
If you read the mission reports of the two bombing flights, the first was much smoother than the second.
Awesome video!
Did you know that most of the B-29s were built in Wichita, KS where my wife is from(I lived there from 96-2012) her grandpa worked for Beechcraft for 36 yrs as engineer! So much aviation history building done there, it’s called the Air Capital of the World! Boeing, Cessna, Beech, Learjet and so many smaller companies there! It was started because the farm machinery used were worked on by the farmers and were skilled w machinery so they were perfect for a/c manufacturing!
The AF Museum is a great place to go if you haven’t been in Dayton! My dad was AF pilot. Flew fighters(F-86,F-102,F-106) instructor (T-33) forward air controller FAC in Vietnam (OV-10), Bombers (B-52) and Tankers (KC-135) everything my dad flew is there. As you mentioned Bockscar too! I need to go to the Smithsonian there by Dulles!
Interesting! Thanks!
At 6:37, you can see the last surviving Dornier Do 335 (very left of the screen) and Arado Ar 234 (between the Do 335 and Fw 190).
Very interesting video. In the late 1990’s I was able to go to the Air & Space Museum in Washington D.C. There was a space set aside for the Enola Gay in the museum, but there was such a bitter dispute over the wording of the descriptive placard that the plane itself had not yet been installed. I was quite disappointed to miss it, but am glad to see it is finally displayed. BTW, the F4U Corsair had those interesting wings because it was designed as a carrier based plane, and the wings folded at the bend in the wing for storage on the carrier.
I also read that the gull wings helped accommodate the large propeller the plane had. Created extra ground space.
The P-38 was also the planes that shot down Admiral Yamamoto over Bougainville Island.
Yes. Thanks for bringing that up. I wish that I would've mentioned that in the video. That's a slice of WWII history that few people seem to know about. Thanks for watching and for bringing that into the conversation.
@@TheHistoryUnderground It was an extremely long range mission, that wouldn't have been possible without Lucky Lindy...
@@TheHistoryUnderground I was a bit surprised when you mentioned the Lightning was responsible for more downed Japanese aircraft than any other plane in the PTO. I would have thought it was the Hellcat or Corsair. BTW, the reason the Corsair has those distinctive gull-wings is because of it's monster propeller. They had to mount the landing gear lower to keep the prop from hitting the ground.
The P-47 Thunderbolt gave my local high school their sports teams name, The Thunderbolts. Also our little local airport was the first civil defense airport in the US.
Nice! That's a great mascot name.
Had the honor of meeting Paul Tibbets and Dutch Van Kirk. Great Americans
Oh wow. I would have loved to have met those guys.
Met them separately when I worked at Naval Air Station Wildwood Museum when they were guest speakers. They both felt the Bomb save thousands of lives on both sides. How ironic but true. The museum is at the Cape May County Airport in Lower Township, NJ. It was a training base for Navy pilots and crews during WW 2. It’s in the base’s original hanger and has a great collection of aircraft and artifacts.
My inlaws live 20 minutes from there. My kids absolutely love it.
Love you videos! I haven't seen all of your videos, but will you be visiting the Air Force Museum in Dayton?
Brah, seriously... I'm slowly getting through your videos since finding you and this is my favourite yet, what an amazing place that must be and what a great job you do. Just something you might know or not but little ole New Zealand flew the Corsair's during WW2 Pacific forum. They were known as whistling death for the unique noise they mate during flight.
Anyway brah much love from NZL
K H - Thanks! I really enjoyed putting this one together. Thanks for the extra info too. Always learning something. I gotta find a way to work in some New Zealand history in one of these episodes 🇳🇿
@@TheHistoryUnderground it's all good ... as a history Buff I enjoy learning a little about everywhere especially our mates stateside. Your platform and topics are right on target for my Interests. Cheers dude keep up the good work.
Do you know why they had 'gull wings'? The engine was the biggest that had ever been mounted on a fighter. They had to bend the wings so that the prop would clear the ground.. Whistling death was the word....
Word of the day: “Iconic”
😅
Paul Tibbets was from my hometown Quincy IL.
Interesting! Didn't know that.
My grandfather & two of his brothers helped to build the planes that were used to drop the bombs in Hiroshima & Nagasaki
Oh wow. That is cool. Not everyone realizes that it wasn't just the frontline soldiers that won that war. It was the whole country.
Good Video, wish there was a P-51 Mustang.
J.A. Jones - I hear you. That’s my favorite.
Been there and loved it.
Clyde Parker - It’s quite the place. You should check out the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio if you haven’t already. It’s even better in my opinion. Thanks for watching!
Speechless didnt even know they kept the enola gay Fantastic video loved it thankyou
Why wouldn't they have? It is an extremely important part of history...
The Corsair had the gull wing design because the prop was so big,if you see old footage of them taxing they are swerving back and forth because the pilots could not see over the cowling
I have seen several video's you have made around the Marietta Georgia area and wanted you to know Wyatt E. Duzenbury Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army Air Forces A veteran of World War II, was the flight engineer aboard the Enola Gay, the plane that dropped the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima and is buried in the Georgia Memorial Park Cemetary in Marietta. Also, Marietta had an aircraft plant built for the B29's that were used in the war known as the Bell Bomber Plant named after Lawrence Dale Bell. It employed thousands of people with one being my mother.
Bro this, again, was awesome... But just once do a vid on WHO YOU ARE!.. why youve got into such epic history we all appreciate.. Would love to know. - Go man.. give us it 💯👃💪
Ha! That’d be a short video. I’m about as deep as a creek.
Nice you showed off the Jug, I am a big fan of the P-47s and the 56th FG.. A pet peeve of mine is that it does not get the credit it deserves for grinding down the Luftwaffe. Most of that work was even done before the bubbletops came into the theatre. Some believe that the P-51Ds did it.. And they did great work, but again, alo of that was already done by Razorback P-47s... Gotta respect those big, fast, wonderful Jugs! ;)
Not so well known is that two of the Enola Gay's original propellers are located at the Texas A&M Wind Tunnel in College Station, Texas. One is used to generate the wind needed for testing in the tunnel while the other is kept as a spare. I'm not really sure how A&M got their hands on them but there is a framed display in the tunnel lobby area about the propellers. Some people say it's an urban legend but the tunnel folks insist it's true. They are definitely B-29 props.
Whaaat? Ok, I try to keep my opinions out of all of this, but that's a little messed up to me. Those things need to go back to the original plane.
For non history buffs, this museum was also used in a scene in Transformers 2. The jet you see walking towards the main room is the actual jet used in the movie
Oh dang. Didn’t know that.
Another great museum to see is the one out at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.
I have a signed photo of the Enola gay by "Dutch" van kirk , was the last surviving crew member , we paid 25 dollars to have him sign it at a richmond va gunshow , he has since passed, RIP 🙏Dutch
Thanks again
Always welcome
Author Michael Killian did an essay, describing how he was allowed into Enola Gay. He made his way to the bombardier's position, saw the bomb release switch....….and could not bring himself to touch it.
Crazy to think how that one little flip of the switch changed history as we know it.
I always wondered about the nose art on Tibbets' B-29. While most every other US aircraft pilot had sexy (almost pornographic) women on them, Tibbets named the thing after his mother?! I would bet that he was made aware of the significance of his mission and was told to dial his plane's art back. That or he was the most cornball flier in the war, lol.
If i recall correctly he bumped another pilot out of his aircraft because he liked it better and had his mother's name painted over the nose art the plane already had.
I’m sad you didn’t mention the other guys who flew on the Enola Gay. I live a block from Dutch VanKirks childhood home. Dutch was the Navigator who pinpointed when to drop the bomb.
Not sure if you have been there or not but you must see the Air Force museum in Dayton, Ohio! The best collection of historical planes in one place.
Yes, I was there a few years ago (before I started the channel). Amazing place! I plan on getting back there sometime soon.
I would like to go there before I kick the bucket. A lot of history.
You gotta go to the usaf museum in Dayton. They have Boxcar.
Been there. I also enjoyed the helicopters.😊
You’d probably love the Dayton Air Museum.
Udvar Hazy is a piece of aviation nirvana! That P-38 was saved because it was flown by USAAF top fighter ace Richard Bong on his return to the States. He was tragically killed in an aircraft accident in an early design jet.
You need to go to theMuseum of the United States Air Force in Dayton Ohio,it blows the Smithsonian Air and Space away! The best military aviation museum in the world.👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
fw1421 - I’ve been there once but didn’t get to see everything. That place is very high on my list to go back and visit with a camera.
The History Underground They have finished the 4th hangar and all the Presidential and Experimental aircraft that were crammed into that little hangar on the secured side of the base are now spread out in their own building. Unfortunately they don’t have tours of the restoration building anymore,or at least that’s what I’ve read. Amazing museum. I’m planning a trip in the fall or winter if the museums open to see the Memphis Belle now that she’s all restored.
fw1421 👍🏻
A world class museum. We go there a lot. It’s 45 minutes away. And free.
It’s up there with the Smithsonian in DC or the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.
I also like the Auburn-Cord Museum in Auburn Indiana. But it’s not quite the same.
I guess I’m a museum junkie.
Did you notice the medal of honor ribbon on gen. Dolittle’s uniform the blue ribbon with the stars on it
You need to check out the national museum of the U.S. Airforce in Dayton Ohio BTW way they have another P-61 Black Widow
I've actually went there a few years ago but it was before I started producing these videos. That place is HUGE! I want to go back because I didn't have enough time to tour the whole facility. Way too much cool stuff there so it's a must that I go back and make a video. Thanks!
@@TheHistoryUnderground the hall of missiles is sweet the memorial park with the medal of Honor garden and THE "Memphis Belle" I been there countless times lol
@@krugh1246 - That's why I need to go back. I was only there for about an hour and really didn't even make it out of the hall with the Memphis Belle and Bockscar.
Oh yeah you can get into air force one now as well
If I’m not mistaken isn’t the thunderbolt the precessor to the warthog
Lindbergh also flew P 38's with the Army Air Corps.
my late dad worked for the company that made the Spirit
Maj.Richard I Bong flew P-38s in the Pacific and shot down 40 Japanese planes. He was awarded the Medal of Honor. He's from a Poplar, WI.....not far from where I live (Superior, WI).
My step brother grandfather was a mechanic that work on the Ebola gay
8:37 mins in. Looks like a James bond film from the 70s
If you are a historical aircraft buff, you will want to visit the Museum Of The Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. Not only does it have the Bocks Car, but it has almost all aircraft from every war and other things. The Hanoi Taxi is the aircraft that brought the P.O.W.s back from Vietnam after the war. I personally worked on that plane during my time in the Air Force Reserve before it was retired. There are four buildings of planes and artifacts going back to the Wright Brothers. While in Dayton you can see the house that they grew up in and their shop.
Also the Presidential aircraft, space shuttle and more. It could take all day to see all the planes.
Very interesting and worth the trip if you can make it.
www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/
Thank you for your service. Would love to see that museum.
I actually had a chance to visit the Air Force Museum in Dayton last summer, but I really planned it poorly and didn't give myself enough time. That place is HUUUUUGE! I'm going to go back and give it the proper attention that it deserves at some point and do a few videos on it so that people can know what's there. Thanks for pointing that out!
@@TheHistoryUnderground You can see the actual Memphis Belle there as well.
My great uncle help build the bomb in Tennessee..he went on to work for many years in the pentagon.
Big difference between the B29 and B17 is the B29 was pressurized so it could fly higher. Also, the P38 Lightning was designed by Kelly Johnson who also went on to design the P80 Shooting Star, U2 Spy plane, F104 Starfighter, SR71 Blackbird, and he and the CIA picked out where Area 51 should be constructed.
Disappointed that there wasnt a P-51 Mustang or a B-17. That B-29 is intimidating though.
Agreed. Those are my favorites.
You may not know this but the Doolittle raiders had a bottle of scotch and a glass for each raider. On the 50th anniversary of the bombing they were to open the scotch and toast Doolittle and the bombing. As each one passed away, one glass was turned over marking their passing. At the time of the anniversary, only 2 were left and they did toast at Wright Patterson Air Force Base museum.
I was there 12 years ago.
I wish that I could upload my photos of the Horten Ho 229 V3 shortly after they received it.
Me too!
3:19 looks like latte stones lol
Been there done it seen it. BTW I have shookColonel Paul Tibbets hand and also skooks hands with Charles William Sweeney. This was in Albuquerque NM on the 50 year anniversary.
Last time I saw this bird, only the cockpit section was visible.
Lets go brandon!
I was disappointed when there was no mention of the Tuskegee Men on this episode. They were a HUGE part of this war!
Covered them in another video.
@@TheHistoryUnderground which one please?
Saw Gary Power's U-2 in Moscow's Armed Forces Museum
Wow!
Enola spelled backwards is ALONE.
Never thought of that.
Certified 8:39 moment
Bwuh
Just curious , what is that round rusty metal canister in your intro?
IED. I show it in Episode 4 at Soldiers Memorial.
IED. I show it in Episode 4 at Soldiers Memorial.
I am alive today because of boeing b29 superfortress and the 509th compsite group because my late father was in the AAF during ww2 and it was the beginning long range high altitude avation we have today.
Just one aircraft carrier named the USS Hornet
P47 was the most built American plane maybe...Spitfires and Messerschmitt 109's were more numerous and the Russian Sturmovik ground attack airplane was the most built