---------------------------------------------------------- Commander-List Digest Archive --- Total Messages Posted Mon 08/08/05: 6 ---------------------------------------------------------- Today's Message Index: ---------------------- 1. 10:20 AM - FW: Witness to History... Interview with a retired Eastern Captain (Lowell Girod) 2. 12:06 PM - Re: FW: Witness to History... Interview with a retired Eastern Captain (Bill Bow) 3. 12:54 PM - More pilot stories (nico css) 4. 01:34 PM - Bird strike! Fighter down! (nico css) 5. 01:48 PM - TURBO 800 TED SMITH ARTICLE (BertBerry1@aol.com) 6. 10:26 PM - MEMBERSHI/VENDOR LIST (YOURTCFG@aol.com) ________________________________ Message 1 _____________________________________ Time: 10:20:33 AM PST US From: "Lowell Girod" Subject: Commander-List: FW: Witness to History... Interview with a retired Eastern Captain --> Commander-List message posted by: "Lowell Girod" This gentleman was my instructor on DC-9's when I was a co-pilot years ago. Thought you may enjoy reading the story. Don +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Witness to History Miami native saw both A-bombs hit Japan By Martin E. Comas Orlando Sentinel Posted August 8 2005 It was the brightest light Don Albury had ever seen, beautiful but horrific. From his co-pilot's seat 30,000 feet above Japan, Albury witnessed the dropping of the first atomic bomb 60 years ago. "There were blues, greens and yellows," the former Army Air Forces captain said last week, recalling the moment when the city of Hiroshima was turned into a nuclear wasteland, leaving 140,000 people dead, some instantly, the rest within a few months, and tens of thousands more wounded. Albury's plane was following the bomber Enola Gay as it dropped the uranium bomb. Three days later, on Aug. 9, 1945, Albury co-piloted the B-29 bomber Bock's Car when it dropped another atomic bomb on Nagasaki, killing about 80,000 Japanese. The attacks effectively ended World War II. Albury, a Miami native and retired Eastern Airlines pilot living in south Orange County, is one of the few to have seen both of the only atomic bombs yet launched in war. "At the time, we didn't know it was an atomic bomb," Albury, 84, said at his home in Hunter's Creek. "But we knew we had a very powerful bomb." For years after the war ended, when Albury returned to Miami, he received dozens of letters from Americans criticizing him for taking part in the two missions. Some of the letters said the Nagasaki bombing was not necessary. The Japanese had suffered enough with the Hiroshima bombing and were on the verge of surrendering, the writers told him. At first, Albury answered as many of the letters as he could explaining that many more -- perhaps millions more -- would have died if the bombs were not dropped and the war had continued. "Finally, I said the heck with it," Albury said. "I stopped answering them." On Aug. 6, Albury said, the sky was clear when the three B-29 bombers took off from Tinian Island in the South Pacific and headed for Hiroshima. The lead plane, Enola Gay, was piloted by Paul Tibbets. On board was the 8,900-pound bomb nicknamed "Little Boy." Tibbets' plane was followed by Albury's plane, The Great Artiste. The job of its crew was to drop instruments to record the magnitude of the bomb blast and the levels of radioactivity. The third plane was to photograph the blast. Crew members were told to wear thick goggles to protect themselves from the flash. "But we didn't wear ours because we couldn't see the instrument panel," Albury said. When the bomb was dropped, "we saw a great flash," he said. "Then it sounded like someone just slapped the airplane about three times." The second mission three days later did not go as well. There was foul weather over the primary target of Kokura, the planes were low on fuel and the photo plane was missing after taking a different route. On board Albury's plane was the 10,000-pound plutonium bomb nicknamed "Fat Man." Kokura was covered by clouds. So the two remaining planes headed to the secondary target, Nagasaki, a seaside city where many of the torpedoes used in the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor had been built. This time, Albury saw a bright, white flash when the bomb went off. His plane was rocked back and forth. "It was like someone picked us up and shook us around." After the Japanese agreed to surrender on Aug. 15, 1945, Asbury flew a team of U.S. doctors, scientists and civilians into Nagasaki to study the damage and help the wounded. "I never saw so much twisted metal," Albury said. "It was horrific, I'll tell you that." He recalled walking up a hill to a hospital and seeing a Japanese man wearing a tattered shirt crawling on the ground. "We saw that he was bleeding. We tried to help him as much as we could." There were no doctors or medical staff inside the hospital, Albury said. Born and raised in Miami, Albury briefly studied engineering at the University of Miami until he scored so well on a test offered to him by an Army recruiter that he was pulled into the Air Forces. Sun-Sentinel Staff Writer Robert Nolin contributed to this report. ________________________________ Message 2 _____________________________________ Time: 12:06:33 PM PST US From: "Bill Bow" Subject: Re: Commander-List: FW: Witness to History... Interview with a retired Eastern Captain --> Commander-List message posted by: "Bill Bow" It's a small world. Don Albury was the brother to Warren, who was one of my fathers best friends through life. bilbo ----- Original Message ----- From: "Lowell Girod" Subject: Commander-List: FW: Witness to History... Interview with a retired Eastern Captain > --> Commander-List message posted by: "Lowell Girod" > > > This gentleman was my instructor on DC-9's when I was a co-pilot years > ago. Thought you may enjoy reading the story. > > Don > > > +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > > Witness to History > > Miami native saw both A-bombs hit Japan > > By Martin E. Comas > Orlando Sentinel > Posted August 8 2005 > > > It was the brightest light Don Albury had ever seen, beautiful but > horrific. > > From his co-pilot's seat 30,000 feet above Japan, Albury witnessed the > dropping of the first atomic bomb 60 years ago. > > > "There were blues, greens and yellows," the former Army Air Forces captain > said last week, recalling the moment when the city of Hiroshima was turned > into a nuclear wasteland, leaving 140,000 people dead, some instantly, the > rest within a few months, and tens of thousands more wounded. > > Albury's plane was following the bomber Enola Gay as it dropped the > uranium bomb. > > Three days later, on Aug. 9, 1945, Albury co-piloted the B-29 bomber > Bock's Car when it dropped another atomic bomb on Nagasaki, killing about > 80,000 Japanese. The attacks effectively ended World War II. > > Albury, a Miami native and retired Eastern Airlines pilot living in south > Orange County, is one of the few to have seen both of the only atomic > bombs yet launched in war. > > "At the time, we didn't know it was an atomic bomb," Albury, 84, said at > his home in Hunter's Creek. "But we knew we had a very powerful bomb." > > For years after the war ended, when Albury returned to Miami, he received > dozens of letters from Americans criticizing him for taking part in the > two missions. Some of the letters said the Nagasaki bombing was not > necessary. The Japanese had suffered enough with the Hiroshima bombing and > were on the verge of surrendering, the writers told him. > > At first, Albury answered as many of the letters as he could explaining > that many more -- perhaps millions more -- would have died if the bombs > were not dropped and the war had continued. "Finally, I said the heck with > it," Albury said. "I stopped answering them." > > On Aug. 6, Albury said, the sky was clear when the three B-29 bombers took > off from Tinian Island in the South Pacific and headed for Hiroshima. The > lead plane, Enola Gay, was piloted by Paul Tibbets. On board was the > 8,900-pound bomb nicknamed "Little Boy." > > Tibbets' plane was followed by Albury's plane, The Great Artiste. The job > of its crew was to drop instruments to record the magnitude of the bomb > blast and the levels of radioactivity. The third plane was to photograph > the blast. > > Crew members were told to wear thick goggles to protect themselves from > the flash. "But we didn't wear ours because we couldn't see the instrument > panel," Albury said. > > When the bomb was dropped, "we saw a great flash," he said. "Then it > sounded like someone just slapped the airplane about three times." > > The second mission three days later did not go as well. There was foul > weather over the primary target of Kokura, the planes were low on fuel and > the photo plane was missing after taking a different route. > > On board Albury's plane was the 10,000-pound plutonium bomb nicknamed "Fat > Man." > > Kokura was covered by clouds. So the two remaining planes headed to the > secondary target, Nagasaki, a seaside city where many of the torpedoes > used in the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor had been built. > > This time, Albury saw a bright, white flash when the bomb went off. > > His plane was rocked back and forth. "It was like someone picked us up and > shook us around." > > After the Japanese agreed to surrender on Aug. 15, 1945, Asbury flew a > team of U.S. doctors, scientists and civilians into Nagasaki to study the > damage and help the wounded. "I never saw so much twisted metal," Albury > said. "It was horrific, I'll tell you that." He recalled walking up a hill > to a hospital and seeing a Japanese man wearing a tattered shirt crawling > on the ground. "We saw that he was bleeding. We tried to help him as much > as we could." > > There were no doctors or medical staff inside the hospital, Albury said. > > Born and raised in Miami, Albury briefly studied engineering at the > University of Miami until he scored so well on a test offered to him by an > Army recruiter that he was pulled into the Air Forces. > > Sun-Sentinel Staff Writer Robert Nolin contributed to this report. > > > ________________________________ Message 3 _____________________________________ Time: 12:54:26 PM PST US From: "nico css" Subject: Commander-List: More pilot stories --> Commander-List message posted by: "nico css" More stories published, folks. This is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you. http://www.teletuition.org/documents/Aviation/Pilotstories ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bill Bow" Subject: Re: Commander-List: FW: Witness to History... Interview with a retired Eastern Captain > --> Commander-List message posted by: "Bill Bow" > > It's a small world. Don Albury was the brother to Warren, who was one of my > fathers best friends through life. > > bilbo > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Lowell Girod" > To: > Subject: Commander-List: FW: Witness to History... Interview with a retired > Eastern Captain > > > > --> Commander-List message posted by: "Lowell Girod" > > > > > > This gentleman was my instructor on DC-9's when I was a co-pilot years > > ago. Thought you may enjoy reading the story. > > > > Don > > > > > > +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > > > > Witness to History > > > > Miami native saw both A-bombs hit Japan > > > > By Martin E. Comas > > Orlando Sentinel > > Posted August 8 2005 > > > > > > It was the brightest light Don Albury had ever seen, beautiful but > > horrific. > > > > From his co-pilot's seat 30,000 feet above Japan, Albury witnessed the > > dropping of the first atomic bomb 60 years ago. > > > > > > "There were blues, greens and yellows," the former Army Air Forces captain > > said last week, recalling the moment when the city of Hiroshima was turned > > into a nuclear wasteland, leaving 140,000 people dead, some instantly, the > > rest within a few months, and tens of thousands more wounded. > > > > Albury's plane was following the bomber Enola Gay as it dropped the > > uranium bomb. > > > > Three days later, on Aug. 9, 1945, Albury co-piloted the B-29 bomber > > Bock's Car when it dropped another atomic bomb on Nagasaki, killing about > > 80,000 Japanese. The attacks effectively ended World War II. > > > > Albury, a Miami native and retired Eastern Airlines pilot living in south > > Orange County, is one of the few to have seen both of the only atomic > > bombs yet launched in war. > > > > "At the time, we didn't know it was an atomic bomb," Albury, 84, said at > > his home in Hunter's Creek. "But we knew we had a very powerful bomb." > > > > For years after the war ended, when Albury returned to Miami, he received > > dozens of letters from Americans criticizing him for taking part in the > > two missions. Some of the letters said the Nagasaki bombing was not > > necessary. The Japanese had suffered enough with the Hiroshima bombing and > > were on the verge of surrendering, the writers told him. > > > > At first, Albury answered as many of the letters as he could explaining > > that many more -- perhaps millions more -- would have died if the bombs > > were not dropped and the war had continued. "Finally, I said the heck with > > it," Albury said. "I stopped answering them." > > > > On Aug. 6, Albury said, the sky was clear when the three B-29 bombers took > > off from Tinian Island in the South Pacific and headed for Hiroshima. The > > lead plane, Enola Gay, was piloted by Paul Tibbets. On board was the > > 8,900-pound bomb nicknamed "Little Boy." > > > > Tibbets' plane was followed by Albury's plane, The Great Artiste. The job > > of its crew was to drop instruments to record the magnitude of the bomb > > blast and the levels of radioactivity. The third plane was to photograph > > the blast. > > > > Crew members were told to wear thick goggles to protect themselves from > > the flash. "But we didn't wear ours because we couldn't see the instrument > > panel," Albury said. > > > > When the bomb was dropped, "we saw a great flash," he said. "Then it > > sounded like someone just slapped the airplane about three times." > > > > The second mission three days later did not go as well. There was foul > > weather over the primary target of Kokura, the planes were low on fuel and > > the photo plane was missing after taking a different route. > > > > On board Albury's plane was the 10,000-pound plutonium bomb nicknamed "Fat > > Man." > > > > Kokura was covered by clouds. So the two remaining planes headed to the > > secondary target, Nagasaki, a seaside city where many of the torpedoes > > used in the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor had been built. > > > > This time, Albury saw a bright, white flash when the bomb went off. > > > > His plane was rocked back and forth. "It was like someone picked us up and > > shook us around." > > > > After the Japanese agreed to surrender on Aug. 15, 1945, Asbury flew a > > team of U.S. doctors, scientists and civilians into Nagasaki to study the > > damage and help the wounded. "I never saw so much twisted metal," Albury > > said. "It was horrific, I'll tell you that." He recalled walking up a hill > > to a hospital and seeing a Japanese man wearing a tattered shirt crawling > > on the ground. "We saw that he was bleeding. We tried to help him as much > > as we could." > > > > There were no doctors or medical staff inside the hospital, Albury said. > > > > Born and raised in Miami, Albury briefly studied engineering at the > > University of Miami until he scored so well on a test offered to him by an > > Army recruiter that he was pulled into the Air Forces. > > > > Sun-Sentinel Staff Writer Robert Nolin contributed to this report. > > > > > > > > ________________________________ Message 4 _____________________________________ Time: 01:34:57 PM PST US From: "nico css" Subject: Commander-List: Bird strike! Fighter down! 0.00 MANY_EXCLAMATIONS Subject has many exclamations --> Commander-List message posted by: "nico css" I just had to share this with you all. Nico http://www.teletuition.org/documents/Aviation/Movies/birdsuck.wmv ________________________________ Message 5 _____________________________________ Time: 01:48:02 PM PST US From: BertBerry1@aol.com Subject: Commander-List: TURBO 800 TED SMITH ARTICLE --> Commander-List message posted by: BertBerry1@aol.com I just sent Nico a new article on the Ted Smith Commander 800 Conversion. I'm sure he will get it posted in the next couple of days. Be interested to know of any of you have this. Thanks, Bert ________________________________ Message 6 _____________________________________ Time: 10:26:20 PM PST US From: YOURTCFG@aol.com Subject: Commander-List: MEMBERSHI/VENDOR LIST --> Commander-List message posted by: YOURTCFG@aol.com HI KIDS. They are in the mail!! My wonderful wife has complete the draft copy of the vendors list/membership roster and they were mailed today. If you are a member of the TCFG, your is on the way. Please check your personal information to make certain it is correct. Also, review the vendor list and let us know if there is some one who should be included (or deflated). Hope to see all for you at the fly-in!! jb