The loss of an American hero

[TAB]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090605/ap_on_re_us/us_obit_albury

ORLANDO, Fla. – Charles Donald Albury, co-pilot of the plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan, has died after years of congestive heart failure. He was 88.

Albury died May 23 at a hospital, Family Funeral Care in Orlando confirmed.

Albury helped fly the B-29 Superfortress, nicknamed "Bockscar," that dropped the weapon on Aug. 9, 1945. He also witnessed the first atomic blast over Hiroshima, as a pilot on a support plane that measured the magnitude of the blast and levels of radioactivity.

The Hiroshima mission was led by Col. Paul Tibbets Jr. aboard the better-known "Enola Gay."

"When Tibbets dropped the bomb, we dropped our instruments and made our left turn," Albury told Time magazine four years ago. "Then this bright light hit us and the top of that mushroom cloud was the most terrifying, but also the most beautiful, thing you've ever seen in your life. Every color in the rainbow seemed to be coming out of it."

Three days later, Albury copiloted the mission over Nagasaki. Cloud cover caused problems for the mission until the bombardier found a hole in the clouds.

The 10,200-pound explosive instantly killed an estimated 40,000 people. Another 35,000 died from injuries and radiation sickness. Japan surrendered on Aug. 14.

Albury said he felt no remorse, since the attacks prevented what was certain to be a devastating loss of life in a U.S. invasion of Japan.

"My husband was a hero," Roberta Albury, his wife of 65 years, told The Miami Herald. "He saved one million people ... He sure did do a lot of praying."

Gwyneth Clarke-Bell, Albury's secretary at Eastern Airlines, where he worked for most of his career after World War II, told the Herald that Albury "felt he was doing his job, and that lives were saved on both sides."

Albury was born in 1920 at his parents' home, now the site of the Miami Police Department. He enlisted in the wartime Army before graduating from the University of Miami's engineering school. In 1943, Albury joined Tibbets' unit: the elite 509th Composite Group. They trained at Wendover Air Field in Utah. At the time, the participants were clueless as to the scope of what they were training to do.

After the war, he settled in Coral Gables, Fla., with his wife and flew for Eastern Airlines. He eventually co-managed Eastern's Airbus A-300 training program.

Albury told the Herald in 1982 that he deplored war but would do what he did again if someone attacked the United States.

"Everyone should be prepared to fight for liberty," he said. "Our laws give us our freedom and I think that's worth fighting for."

The strength of that man can not be measured, I don't think I could have pushed that button.

[Texas_Bryan]

He sure is a hero, carried a burden greater than most could ever imagine, although a righteous one without a doubt.

[tombogan03884]

The YOUNGEST WW_II Vets are in their 80's, we are losing these men at a rate of 1000 a month, If you know a WWII Vet who has not already done so, encourage them to record their memories to save history from the revisionists.

[Timothy]

The YOUNGEST WW_II Vets are in their 80's, we are losing these men at a rate of 1000 a month, If you know a WWII Vet who has not already done so, encourage them to record their memories to save history from the revisionists.

Yup, get em talking because their history, wisdom, patriotism and strength will be gone, in a whisper!

My Pops would have been 90 in August and he was the youngest of 9 kids.  All 5 of his brothers served as well and they're all gone!

[TAB]

had 3 WWII vets in my family, only one left.

Lost one on Omaha Beach, he was a member of the big red 1

[Sponsor]

[Pathfinder]

The strength of that man can not be measured, I don't think I could have pushed that button.

Therein lies part of your problem Tab. In that situation I have no doubt I could have and would have wished to be able to do more to break the will of the Japanese to continue the fight and stop that war. No problem at all. It is not something to wish for, but when put into that situation by actions not under your control - like being assaulted on the street - you do what you have to do to end it fast and hard, and never look back.

Bless that man and all who served (like my Dad) - only each of them and God understand what they had to go through.

[PegLeg45]

The strength of that man can not be measured, I don't think I could have pushed that button.

He sure is a hero, carried a burden greater than most could ever imagine, although a righteous one without a doubt.

That's one of the things many of our younger folks today fail to fathom while they sit there playing warfare video games.
They don't understand the true weight of lining up the sights and pressing a trigger, or a bomb-drop button, knowing that death and destruction looms on the other end.
In real life you don't get 'do-overs' and 'energy packs' for reaching the next level.

[tombogan03884]

"I don't think I could have pushed that button."

Projected casualties for the Invasion of Japan exceeded 1 million, and that was just on OUR side.
Tarawa was defended by 20,000 Japanese troops, 19 survived.
The ENTIRE 6 divisions of the Marine corps were slated to land on one of the MULTIPLE landing beaches on the first day
The deaths and destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki pale by comparison to the horror that was prevented by those 2 bombs

[twyacht]

As far as pushing the button, remember the context of the time. We bombed Germany relentlessly, factories within residential neighborhoods, were in essence, carpet bombed by our bombers.

We also warned the Japanese prior to Hiroshima and Nagasaki warning civilians to leave the city. We bombed leaflets.

Prior to that we fire bombed mainland Japan, knowing the residential areas were "very flammable".

So instead of a bunch of bomber squadrons and countless more American casualties, we made a bomb that could give the same damage with one plane, with one bomb.

The dedication to DUTY was the reason that flight crew "volunteered" for that assignment, and "pushed the button".

May his family know his part saved the lives of American soldiers, and may Charles Albury Rest In Peace. Because that is what resulted from his actions.