DAYTON, Ohio -- The navigator from the B-29
Enola Gay, the aircraft that dropped the world's first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, will speak at 1:30 p.m. on July 6 at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.
Capt. Theodore "Dutch" Van Kirk will present "My True Course," giving a first-hand perspective of one of World War II's most famous missions. The free lecture takes place in the museum's Carney Auditorium, and seating for this presentation is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Van Kirk will sign autographs for lecture attendees (limit is one item per person with no personalization). The autograph session may be shortened in consideration of Van Kirk's age and health.
Van Kirk received both his commission and navigator wings on April 1, 1942, and transferred to the 97th Bomb Group, the first operational B-17 Flying Fortress unit in England. The crew of the "Red Gremlin" also included pilot Paul Tibbets and bombardier Tom Ferebee. Van Kirk would later fly with these men on the Hiroshima mission.
Van Kirk returned to the States in June 1943 after flying a total of 58 missions overseas. He served as an instructor navigator until reuniting with Tibbets and Ferebee in the 509th Composite Group at Wendover Field, Utah, in late 1944 where they flew the Boeing B-29 Superfortress. From November 1944 to June 1945, they trained continually for the first atomic bomb drop. The day they had so diligently prepared for arrived on Aug. 6, 1945.
The 13-hour mission to Hiroshima began at 2:45 a.m. Tinian time. By the time they rendezvoused with their accompanying B-29s at 6:07 a.m. over Iwo Jima, the group was three hours from the target area. As they approached the target, Van Kirk worked closely with Ferebee to confirm the winds and aimpoint. The bomb fell away from the aircraft at 9:15:17 a.m. Tinian time. Van Kirk later participated in Crossroads, the first Bikini Atoll atomic bomb tests.
For more information or handicapped seating arrangements during the lecture, contact the museum's Special Events Division at (937) 255-1670. Filming or videotaping the lecture is prohibited.
The B-29
Bockscar, which dropped the second atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan, is on display in the museum's World War II Gallery. Also exhibited are replicas of the Fat Man and Little Boy atomic bombs.
The National Museum of the United States Air Force is located on Springfield Street, six miles northeast of downtown Dayton. It is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day). Admission and parking are free. For more information about the museum, visit
www.nationalmuseum.af.mil.
NOTE TO PUBLIC: For more information, please contact the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at (937) 255-1670.
NOTE TO MEDIA: For more information, please contact Sarah Swan at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force Public Affairs Division at (937) 255-1283.