70 years ago, this aircraft spoke for America

On August 6th, 1945, this Boeing B-29 sent a message to Japan, loud and clear.

The message was simple: "It stops now. You're done."

On this day, seventy years ago, a people whose leaders had started more trouble than the eastern world had ever seen before and who had ignored several warnings to surrender now and call it a day wound up reaping the whirlwind courtesy of this one bomber.

That plane was flown by these men:

(back row, left to right) Major Ferebee, Captain Van Kirk, Colonel Tibbets, Captain Lewis
(front row) Staff Sgt. Caron, Sgt. Stiborik, Staff Sgt. Duzenbury, Pvt. 1st Class Nelson, Sgt. Shumard

The call then went out to them again to surrender and put an end to the war this very day, seventy years ago. But sadly for the people of Nagasaki, that overture was rebuffed.

Three days later, this aircraft sent them another message:


This time, they got it. The war ended and people stopped killing and dying.

The second crew.

(back row, left to right) Captain Beahan, Captain Van Pelt, Jr., First Lt. Albury, Second Lt. Olivi, Major Sweeney
(front row) Staff Sgt. Buckley, Master Sgt. Kuharek, Sgt. Gallagher, Staff Sgt. DeHart, Sgt. Spitzer

All so young back then. They changed the world.