LUCERNE — Sixty-five years ago today, at 8:15 in the morning, the world changed. The first atomic bomb used in warfare was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Reports indicated that 69 percent of Hiroshima”s buildings were obliterated and estimates were that 70,000 to 80,000 people were killed instantly.
President Truman”s hope was that the dropping of one atomic bomb on one Japanese city would cause Japan to surrender and end the war. Unfortunately, they chose not to quit immediately and three days later a second bomb was dropped; this time on Nagasaki. After the second bombing, the Japanese government decided to call an end to the war in the Pacific.
Paul Roe, 87, a 35-year resident of Lucerne, vividly remembers many details about the events involving the use of the atomic bombs against Japan. Just five days before the bombing mission, Roe was the co-pilot on the Princess Carol, a B-24 bomber, during a flight from Tinian Island to Guam with Colonel Paul Tibbets, the pilot who flew the Enola Gay, the B-29 that carried “Little Boy,” the atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima.
Roe was a staff sergeant flight engineer in the 313th Bombardment Wing of the Army Air Corps. He said that the 313th responsibility was to provide support for Colonel Tibbet”s outfit, the 509th Composite Group that was in charge of the atomic bomb missions.
Roe was born in Wyoming on January 25, 1923. His family moved to California when he was about 7. In 1942, he joined the Army Air Corps and became a flight engineer. In 1944, just before being sent to Tinian Island, Roe was sent to Boeing Aircraft in Seattle and was trained on the B-17 bomber. He remembers Tinian Island as, “The world”s biggest airport. The island was covered with runways.” He said that planes were taking off and landing constantly, going to places like Guam and Iwo Jima.
Roe said that the atomic bombs that were used, “Little Boy” and “Fat Man,” were so big and weighed so much that they were placed in a pit. The plane had to be driven over them and the bomb was raised into the bomb bay on a hydraulic lift. According to statistics on “Little Boy,” it weighed almost 9,000 pounds and utilized 130 pounds of uranium-235 to make it function.
Roe said that Truman selected the right man for the job when he picked Tibbets to be in charge of the atomic bomb missions. Roe said, “Tibbets was definitely a man on a mission. He knew he had an important job to do, and his attitude was that he was going to get it done. When you shook his hand you could tell that he had confidence.”
On the day of the bombing of Hiroshima, upon Tibbet”s return to Tinian Island in the Enola Gay, which was named after his mother, Roe said, “It was amazing.
There was a huge crowd with many military and civilian dignitaries to greet the pilot and crew.” Roe said he remembers seeing Tibbets honored by having a medal pinned on his uniform by a high-ranking general.
Roe said that after Japan surrendered, the soldiers on Tinian Island were offered an opportunity for an early discharge by taking a flight to Japan; observe what they saw and then submit a report. He preferred not to do that, so he stayed on the island a little longer. He received his discharge in January of 1946.
As a civilian, Roe worked for 20 years at McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento in the aircraft inspection area. He said he dealt mostly with aircraft radio and radar systems. After retiring, he and his wife, Helen, moved to Lucerne. Helen died a few years ago. Roe has four children, 10 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. In 2005, Roe learned that Tibbets was going to be at an air museum in Palm Springs, so he traveled there to see the famous pilot one more time. Roe said he had Tibbets sign his book about the 509th Composite Group. Tibbets died not long afterward at the age of 92.
Regarding Japan wanting an apology from the United States for dropping the atomic bombs on their people, Roe said, “It was war. We did what we thought we had to do. No, I don”t believe we should apologize for our actions.”
