I never met Col.Tibbets, but I was on both Saipan and Tinian a few weeks before he and his crew dropped the big bomb on Hiroshima.
I was a police cadet/midshipman on the SS Adrian Victory, a cargo ship, and we had taken a load of fire bonbs to Siapan. As the ship had
only 5/8� hull, and there were still a lot of Japanese in the caves near the airport on Tinian, they didn't want to risk a stray shell
igniting the fire bombs, so small boats carried the bombs to Tinian, about 3 ½ miles.
Our Chief Mate, Alf Maystad, and Third Mate, Fred Sundt, had invited some of the B-29 officers to dinner on the ship. They then invited
some of our officers to fly with them on a instrument check flight over the Island of Rota. That island had been isolated, not invaded, and
was left by the Japanese because they couldn't supply them. The B-29s used the island as a target spot which kept the Japanese troups left
there busy. Dropping the small bombs tested the planes bomb bays.
As the deck cadet and I were checked out on the 20 millimeter and 50 caliber guns, we were to man two positions on the flight. We were
later invited to dinner at the officer's club at the airfield on Tinian. This was a rare experience.
I have included some pictures in this package and hope that you can put some names on some of the people. I remember the faces, but not
the names.
Enjoyed the ASA Korea newsletter and look forward to more.
Morrie “Major� Bowes
I was a police cadet/midshipman on the SS Adrian Victory, a cargo ship, and we had taken a load of fire bonbs to Siapan. As the ship had
only 5/8� hull, and there were still a lot of Japanese in the caves near the airport on Tinian, they didn't want to risk a stray shell
igniting the fire bombs, so small boats carried the bombs to Tinian, about 3 ½ miles.
Our Chief Mate, Alf Maystad, and Third Mate, Fred Sundt, had invited some of the B-29 officers to dinner on the ship. They then invited
some of our officers to fly with them on a instrument check flight over the Island of Rota. That island had been isolated, not invaded, and
was left by the Japanese because they couldn't supply them. The B-29s used the island as a target spot which kept the Japanese troups left
there busy. Dropping the small bombs tested the planes bomb bays.
As the deck cadet and I were checked out on the 20 millimeter and 50 caliber guns, we were to man two positions on the flight. We were
later invited to dinner at the officer's club at the airfield on Tinian. This was a rare experience.
I have included some pictures in this package and hope that you can put some names on some of the people. I remember the faces, but not
the names.
Enjoyed the ASA Korea newsletter and look forward to more.
Morrie “Major� Bowes
| The following was taken from a letter received from new ASA Korea Member who served in WWII and later in Korea with the 501st. He has provided part of his story, some pictures and some interesting name lists for us to review. He graduated from Signal Corps Training at Camp Gordon, GA in 1949 and provides here the names and orders for his fellow graduates. Interesting very early ASA History. ASA Korea Webmaster |