Piloted Aircraft That Destroyed Nagasaki

Charles Sweeney was convinced he did the right thing. On August 9th, 1945, the 25-year old Sweeney piloted a B-29 he called "Bock's Car" on the second and last atomic bombing mission of World War II. The bomb his crew dropped over Nagasaki killed 70,000 people and hastened the end of the war.

Sweeney died Thursday in Boston at the age of 84.

A staunch defender of the atomic missions, Sweeney told Quincy (MA) Patriot Ledger in 1995, "I looked upon it as a duty. I just wanted the war to be over, so we could get back home to our loved ones. I hope my missions were the last ones of their kind that will ever be flown."

Sweeney was also a participant in the only other atomic mission of the war three days earlier. He piloted an instrumentation aircraft along with Paul Tibbets over Hiroshima, recording the effects of the bomb on a populated target.

His flight to Nagasaki was tension-filled. Bock's Car suffered fuel problems almost from the start. Its primary target, Kokura, was obscured by overcast. After several high-risk passes over the city, he opted to hit the back-up target, Nagasaki.

Retired USAF Brigadier General Charles Sweeney has gone west, where there are no war clouds -- only smooth air and CAVU skies. Happy landings, General.

FMI: www.childrenofthemanhattanproject.org/CG/CG_09C2.htm