636:, which flew from a base in the Marianas Islands to drop on the city of Hiroshima, Japan, the first atomic bomb to be used in warfare. Flying 1500 miles over open water to the coast of Japan, they manned their assigned positions and crossed the island of Shikoku and the Inland Sea. They constantly faced the danger of being hit by anti-aircraft fire, enemy fighters, or suffering mechanical or other failures which would intensify the risks of carrying this powerful missile. Throughout the mission the element of hazard from the unknown prevailed, for this was the first time that this bomb, much more destructive than any other in existence, had been dropped from an airplane. The effect it would have on the airplane and these crew members was only to be estimated. Shortly after 0900 they brought the plane in over the city, and at 0915 the bomb release was pressed. The bomb cleared, and fell toward the planned objective. They then headed from the area and, despite a minor effect from the detonation, returned safely to their home base. By their courage and skillful performance of duty achieved in outstanding fashion despite the dangers involved in accomplishment of this historic mission, these individuals distinguished themselves by extraordinary achievement and reflect great credit on themselves and the Army Air Forces.
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implosion bomb that became the second and last atomic bomb used in combat. Beser was the only crew member to accompany both atomic bomb missions and besides the commanding officers/pilots, had a scientific understanding of the new weapons' potential and destructiveness, as a result of his earlier
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Captain (Air Corps) Jacob Beser (ASN: 0-66), United States Army Air Forces, for gallantry in action while engaged in aerial flight against the
Japanese Empire on 6 August 1945. Lieutenant Beser was the Radar Countermeasures Officer for a combat crew of the B-29 aircraft of the
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405:. I remember the shock to our nation that all of this brought. I don't want to hear any discussion of morality. War, by its very nature, is immoral. Are you any more dead from an atomic bomb than from a conventional bomb?
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One has to consider the context of the times in which decisions are made. Given the same set of circumstances as existed in 1945, I would not hesitate to take part in another similar mission.
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time. Beser did not watch the bomb detonate but he heard the bomb's radar signals switch on and then cut off at the moment the intense light generated by its detonation filled the plane.
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He died of natural causes in 1992 and was survived by his wife Sylvia, their four sons, and nine grandchildren. He was inducted into the "Hall of Fame" of his alma mater high school,
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For years I have been asked two questions. (1) Would you do it again? (2) Do you feel any guilt for having been a part of
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No I feel no sorrow or remorse for whatever small role I played. That I should is crazy. I remember Pearl Harbor and all of the
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in the area of weapons firing and fusing. There, he met or worked with various luminaries such as Robert B. Brode,
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to enlist in the Army Air Forces. He was Jewish and extremely restless to get into the fight against Hitler.
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When asked about his atomic bomb missions on numerous interviews, Beser made the following response:
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Hiroshima: Hubertus
Hoffmann meets the only U.S. Officer on both A-Missions and one of his Victims
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in May 1945. The unit's First
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326:. The thirteen-hour mission to Hiroshima under the command of famous pilot Colonel
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rendezvoused with its two accompanying B-29 Superfortresses at 0607 over
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Headquarters, 20th Air Force, General Orders No. 69 (September 22, 1945)
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Because of his training and educational background, Beser was sent to
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669:"Over Hiroshima, Missing the Target by 500 Feet Was Kind of Academic"
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People associated with the atomic bombings of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
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The Rising Sun Sets: The
Complete Story of the Bombing of Nagasaki
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atomic bomb. The unit began training on
December 17, 1944, at the
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He wrote a book about the experiences of flying on both flights;
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393d
Bombardment Squadron, 509th Composite Group, 20th Air Force
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Three days later in a second B-29 Superfortress bomber,
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United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II
239:, also in Baltimore, but dropped out the day after the
176:(May 15, 1921 – June 17, 1992) was a lieutenant in the
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The Enola Gay: the Men, the
Mission, the Atomic Bomb
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290:in Utah, before being deployed to the island of
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895:Audio Recording of 1985 Lecture by Jacob Beser
728:"The Smithsonian and the Enola Gay: The Crew"
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184:. Beser was the radar specialist aboard the
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730:. the AirForce Association. Archived from
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146:Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
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190:on August 6, 1945, when it dropped the
982:United States Army Air Forces officers
865:Beser, Jerome; Spangler, Jack (2007).
368:high school and university education.
299:first atomic bomb to be used in combat
606:First Lieutenant, U.S Army Air Forces
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947:Jewish American military personnel
848:Hiroshima & Nagasaki Revisited
754:Hiroshima & Nagasaki Revisited
713:Hiroshima & Nagasaki Revisited
411:Hiroshima & Nagasaki Revisited
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952:Military personnel from Baltimore
756:. Global Press. pp. 177–178.
1002:People from Pikesville, Maryland
612:Date of Action: August 6, 1945
556:Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
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897:Voices of the Manhattan Project
818:. Military Times Hall of Valor
573:Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
532:USAAF Technical Observer Badge
420:, holding the callsign W3NOD.
418:amateur ("ham") radio operator
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992:Recipients of the Silver Star
967:Baltimore City College alumni
850:. Memphis, TN: Global Press.
178:United States Army Air Forces
103:United States Army Air Forces
698:The Daily Record (Baltimore)
378:Sandia National Laboratories
314:, over the Japanese city of
237:The Johns Hopkins University
987:Recipients of the Air Medal
266:, Edward Doll, and General
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1007:20th-century American Jews
583:World War II Victory Medal
546:Distinguished Flying Cross
162:Distinguished Flying Cross
768:"Famous Hams and ex-Hams"
626:393d Bombardment Squadron
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435:His decorations include:
81:Baltimore Hebrew Cemetery
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962:Manhattan Project people
568:American Campaign Medal
297:On August 6, 1945, the
288:Wendover Army Air Field
223:Jacob Beser grew up in
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425:Baltimore City College
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334:time. By the time the
241:attack on Pearl Harbor
233:Baltimore City College
846:Beser, Jacob (1988).
630:509th Composite Group
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413:was written in 1988.
280:509th Composite Group
131:509th Composite Group
109:Years of service
796:. Together We Served
752:Jacob Beser (1988).
711:Jacob Beser (1988).
591:Silver Star citation
431:Military decorations
211:bomb was dropped on
35:Beser in August 1945
717:chapters 5 & 8.
403:Japanese atrocities
83:Baltimore, Maryland
54:Baltimore, Maryland
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322:and 20,000 Korean
303:B-29 Superfortress
250:and worked on the
231:. He attended the
180:who served during
667:Goldfarb, Bruce.
647:Tsutomu Yamaguchi
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736:. Retrieved
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677:. Retrieved
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603:Beser, Jacob
576:with bronze
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264:Enrico Fermi
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182:World War II
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141:World War II
137:Battles/wars
65:(1992-06-17)
51:May 15, 1921
942:1992 deaths
937:1921 births
918:Jacob Beser
871:AuthorHouse
822:January 13,
800:January 13,
783:Famous hams
539:Silver Star
195:atomic bomb
174:Jacob Beser
158:Silver Star
23:Jacob Beser
931:Categories
857:0961520671
778:2010-08-08
738:2007-06-14
679:2007-06-14
561:"V" device
382:New Mexico
372:Later life
320:combatants
260:Niels Bohr
248:Los Alamos
219:Background
192:Little Boy
89:Allegiance
72:, Maryland
70:Pikesville
47:1921-05-15
618:Citation:
551:Air Medal
365:plutonium
336:Enola Gay
316:Hiroshima
311:Enola Gay
225:Baltimore
207:when the
199:Hiroshima
187:Enola Gay
166:Air Medal
112:1942–1945
641:See also
357:Nagasaki
352:Bockscar
340:Iwo Jima
229:Maryland
213:Nagasaki
204:Bockscar
97:Service/
700:. 2003.
361:Fat Man
284:Fat Man
274:Mission
209:Fat Man
909:
877:
854:
363:, the
344:Tinian
332:Tinian
308:, the
306:bomber
292:Tinian
154:Awards
99:branch
77:Buried
654:Notes
559:with
380:, in
359:with
907:IMDb
875:ISBN
852:ISBN
824:2018
802:2018
278:The
127:Unit
117:Rank
60:Died
41:Born
920:at
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197:on
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