Enola Gay and all the controversy, discussions, name calling andeverything else it has brought up.

Mary Shafer ) wrote:
: On 23 Dec 2003 05:07:57 EST, Mark and Kim Smith
: wrote:

: I read through most of those threads and I actually might be learning
: something from them. ( BTW Art, keep posting your stuff too! I try to
: read most all threads unless the subject line looks absolutely boring.
: ) My question is, there were two A bombs dropped, but only one by the
: Enola Gay. Why no controversy over the display of Bockscar? Was there
: controversy over Bockscar ever?? I remember one of the statements posed
: by the original poster was that "The plane, in fact, differs little from other B-29s and
: gains its notoriety only from the deadly and history-altering nature
: of its mission." Okay, so what if the Smithsonian didn't display the
: Enola Gay, how about Bockscar? How about "The Great Artiste"? Would
: that be less controversial?? It flew along side both bomb runs! Why is
: it only the Enola Gay that stirs this stuff up? Past and present?

: Maybe it's because Bockscar is on display in the USAF museum, on a
: USAF base?

But still very open to the public, if anybody wanted to create
a fuss they certainly could. But this would presume a broader and
deeper knowledge of history than most potential protesters have.

But still very open to the public, if anybody wanted to create
a fuss they certainly could. But this would presume a broader and
deeper knowledge of history than most potential protesters have.

The average protestor probably doesn't even know that a nuclear weapon
was dropped on Nagasaki, let alone that Bockscar dropped it.

If you want to have some fun with a bright anti-warrior sometime, ask
her: "Say, how many world wars were there, anyhow?" and watch the
wheels spin.

all the best -- Dan Ford
email:

see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com
and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com

From: Cub Driver


But still very open to the public, if anybody wanted to create
a fuss they certainly could. But this would presume a broader and
deeper knowledge of history than most potential protesters have.

The average protestor probably doesn't even know that a nuclear weapon
was dropped on Nagasaki, let alone that Bockscar dropped it.

If you want to have some fun with a bright anti-warrior sometime, ask
her: "Say, how many world wars were there, anyhow?" and watch the
wheels spin.

all the best -- Dan Ford
email:


The same is true about the Holocaust. Most people only know the name Auschwitz
and I suspect a great many in the media who refer to a person or a group of
persons being "sent to Auschwitz" use it as a generic term. In the same way
most people know about the 6 million Jews but not the 6 million non Jews who
died in the camps etc.

Schools should teach a bit more history, but how much more? You have to keep it
age appropriate and fairly simple. I was taught the sinking of the Lusitania in
1915 got the U.S. into WW1 in 1917. Mention of the Zimmerman telegram would
have been nice to add to that.

Dan, U. S. Air Force, retired

You can also have fun asking if the US ever fought a war with Italy. To cause
brains to simulate a blue screen of death, ask in which world war(s) Italy and
the US were allies and in which were they enemies.


Chris Mark

On 26 Dec 2003 17:50:00 GMT, ost (Chris Mark) wrote:

You can also have fun asking if the US ever fought a war with Italy. To cause
brains to simulate a blue screen of death, ask in which world war(s) Italy and
the US were allies and in which were they enemies.


Chris Mark

Guess you have to read "Farewell to Arms" and then see "Patton."


Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
Smithsonian Institution Press
ISBN #1-58834-103-8

From: Ed Rasimus

Guess you have to read "Farewell to Arms" and then see "Patton."

That would help, but the consternation sets in when noting that Italy fought on
both sides in WW2, declaring war on Germany on Oct. 13, 1943, iirc.
That was confusing even then. As, for example, Macchis, enemy fighters, now
became friendly fighters.
At Elmo field, a co-occupant of the airdrome, along with allied fighter units,
was the famous Italian Air Force “Black Cat� squadron of the 155th
Autonomous Fighter Group. They were touted to be on par with the German
“Yellow-Nose� squadron. The rumor was that only fighter aces could fly with
them. Since their Macchi 202s, 205s, and Reggiane 2001s could fly inverted,
the Italians would buzz the field in a tight formation with half of the planes
inverted, thumbing their noses as the P-38 pilots also stationed on the field,
because the P-38 could not fly inverted.
It was quite an uncomfortable feeling for B-25 and B-25 pilots to see Macchis
come zooming in on them and then instead of attacking, take up escort
positions, ready to defend them from their erstwhile allies in Messerschmitts.





Chris Mark

That would help, but the consternation sets in when noting that Italy fought on
both sides in WW2,

There's a pretty town on the Mediterranean named Vernazza, and by the
railroad station / town square there's a WWII monument. At a rough
guess (it was five years ago) the town has a population of two
thousand and the plaque had the names of a hundred men who'd died in
WWII.

They were about equally divided between those who died in North
Africa, those "caduta in Russia", and those died fighting against the
Germans in the partisan war that followed Mussolini's deposition and
death.

all the best -- Dan Ford
email:

see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com
and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com