Latest news with #B-29
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Aviation history from WWII era relived this weekend at Hagerstown Aviation Museum
HAGERSTOWN, Md. () — With the weekend approaching, it may well be worth your while to take a step back in time to revisit Hagerstown's place in World War II aviation history. The Hagerstown Aviation Museum is showcasing Friday through Sunday, the only two World War II super-bombers remaining. 'That B-29 is a special aircraft,' Mark Novak, chief pilot of the imposing plane, said. 'It's pretty special. Of the 4,000 built, only two are left.' Hagerstown City Council poised to approve tax hike As executive director of the B-29, Josh Wells said the plane has a distinctive attachment to Hagerstown, home to Fairchild Aircraft Manufacturing until 1984. 'Hagerstown has a special place in aviation history and our nation's air power strength,' Wells said. Visitors to the Hagerstown Aviation Museum this weekend can relive the city's glory years as a center for aircraft manufacturing. 'Visitors this weekend will get an up-close and personal touch and feel for the aircraft,' Wells said. 'And take a ride in these historic airplanes, well, it really brings history to life.' Rides on the planes will leave an indelible impression, Novak said. 'You see it and hear it start and watch it fly and take a ride on it and, well, it's quite an experience,' Novak said. And don't forget that museum tour. After pandemic struggles, Hagerstown is upbeat about revived local economy You are going to experience history,' Monica Miller with the museum said. 'It's really special because the aircraft we have on display were made right here. There's aren't too many museums that can say that.' Tours and plane rides are offered this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Visit Hagerstown Aviation Museum for more information. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
India.com
7 days ago
- General
- India.com
Not Nagasaki, but this city was first target of atom bomb, US changed its decision due to....
Not Nagasaki, but this city was first target of atom bomb, US changed its decision due to.... In the final phase of World War II, on 6 and 9 August 1945, US caused the worst destruction in history by dropping atomic bombs on two Japanese cities, 'Hiroshima and Nagasaki'. Bombs named 'Little Boy' were dropped on Hiroshima and 'Fat Man' on Nagasaki, killing millions of people and turning both cities into ashes. But do you know that Nagasaki was not US's first target? The second atomic bomb was actually to be dropped on another city in Japan, but at the last moment America changed its target and Nagasaki was destroyed instead of that city. This city was US' first target During World War II, the US planned to use atomic bombs with the intention of forcing Japan to surrender. After dropping the first bomb on Hiroshima, the second target was decided and that target was the Japanese city of Kokura. Kokura was an important industrial city of Japan at that time, where there were large-scale ammunition and weapons manufacturing factories. The US strategy was to further weaken Japan's military power by attacking Kokura. For this, on 9 August 1945, the B-29 bomber aircraft 'Box Car' was sent to Kokura with the 'Fat Man' bomb. How the target changed On the morning of August 9, when the B-29 plane reached over Kokura, the weather was bad there. The sky was covered with thick clouds and smoke, due to which the pilot Major Charles Sweeney could not see the target clearly. According to the rules of the US Army, the atomic bomb was to be dropped only on the basis of vision, so that the target could be hit accurately. When the attack on Kokura was not possible even after several rounds, the plane started running out of fuel. In such a situation, Sweeney had to choose the second option and that option was Nagasaki. 74,000 people died due to the bombing Nagasaki was an alternate target on the US list at the time. It was a port city and was also industrially important, but was a lower priority target than Kokura. Weather made it impossible to target Kokura, and the 'Fat Man' bomb was finally dropped on Nagasaki at 11:02 am. The attack killed about 74,000 people, and devastated a large part of the city. Kyoto was also a target, but it survived You will be surprised to know that US had initially included Kyoto city of Japan in the target list. Kyoto was the cultural capital of Japan at that time, where there were many universities, industries, and historical heritages. But American War Minister Henry Stimson got Kyoto removed from the list. The reason was his personal attachment. Stimson had celebrated his honeymoon with his wife in Kyoto and he had many memories associated with this city. Due to his insistence, Nagasaki was included in the list instead of Kyoto. In this way, the memory of a honeymoon saved Kyoto from destruction, but Nagasaki had to pay the price for it. The 'Fat Man' bomb dropped on Nagasaki was even more powerful than Hiroshima's 'Little Boy'. The bomb exploded about 500 meters above the ground, causing a huge mushroom ball of fire to rise into the sky. The explosion was so powerful that 70% of the city's industrial area was completely destroyed. However, the mountains around Nagasaki limited the scope of the devastation to some extent, causing less damage than Hiroshima. Still, the attack took the lives of thousands of people and left a deep impact of radiation on future generations. What do historians say? Many historians believe that Japan was already on the verge of defeat at that time, and the use of atomic bombs was probably not necessary. Some argue that the US demonstrated its military power through these attacks and wanted to send a message to the Soviet Union. At the same time, some say that US President Harry Truman wanted to force Japan to surrender as soon as possible, so that the war could be ended. After these attacks, Japan surrendered on August 15, 1945, and World War II came to an end.
The Mainichi
15-05-2025
- General
- The Mainichi
Pacific island eyes 'big' ceremony on 80th atomic bombing anniversary
TINIAN/GUAM (Kyodo) -- The Pacific island of Tinian is planning a "big" commemoration in August to mark the 80th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima, according to the mayor of the island, which served as the launching point for the nuclear attacks on Japan during World War II. Mayor Edwin Aldan said Tuesday that the island, part of the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. territory, has invited senior officials from the U.S. Department of Defense and relatives of war veterans to a ceremony on the morning of Aug. 6 at the airfield where a B-29 bomber took off to drop an atomic bomb on Hiroshima in 1945, to "recognize the significance" of the bombing. He added that a peace memorial is scheduled for the afternoon at another location on the island, primarily involving Japanese participants, including relatives of those who died in the atomic bombing. Tinian will continue to advocate for peace so that "that type of war" never happens again, the mayor said. In Guam on Wednesday, Rear Adm. Gregory Huffman, commander of Joint Task Force Micronesia, said the ceremonies could be "really moving," as they would highlight 80 years of peace and the "strengthening partnership" with U.S. allies. Three days after an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, a second bomber flew from Tinian and detonated another atomic bomb over Nagasaki. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki killed an estimated 140,000 and 74,000 people, respectively, by the end of 1945. Japan surrendered six days after the Nagasaki attack, bringing an end to World War II.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
The Republic of Korea bestows special honor on Idaho veterans
Gene Migneault goes by the flight name 'Magoo.' 'I told my family that when they bury me, they'd better put 'Magoo' on my headstone, or else no one's going to know who is buried there,' Migneault said. The diminutive, sharp-as-a-tack, 91-year-old is a retired Air Force master sergeant who flew 50 night missions as a tail gunner aboard a B-29 high-altitude bomber during the Korean War. Migneault, decked out in an olive drab flight suit, received the Ambassador for Peace medal from the Republic of Korea on Thursday night in a touching ceremony at the Idaho State Veterans Home in Boise. 'I'm here today not only to commemorate your service, but to offer our deepest gratitude on behalf of the Korean people and the Korean government,' said Seo Eunji, consul general of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) in Seattle. 'Korea will always remember you and your sacrifice in securing our freedom.' Migneault flew in 200 missions over his 22-year career in the Air Force, including 150 missions as a refueling technician in Vietnam. He grew up in a small town in Massachusetts, and as a teenager, he was making 10 cents an hour on a turkey farm. He told me he tried joining the Marines when he was 16 years old by using a typewriter to change a number on his driver's license. But his father caught him and agreed to let him join the military when he turned 17, which is what he did. He graduated from gunnery school when he was still 17 and agreed to be a tail gunner because no one else wanted to. We talk a lot about the Greatest Generation and have rushed these past 20 years or so to honor World War II veterans, and we've made great strides in atoning for our national sin of spitting on Vietnam War veterans. The Korean War veterans get even less attention, so much so that the conflict is often called the 'forgotten war.' 'But the truth is, it's not forgotten,' Mark Tschampl, chief administrator for the Idaho Division of Veteran Services, said at Thursday's ceremony. 'It's not forgotten because our allies, the Republic of South Korea, have never forgotten the wonderful deeds that some of you here in America did to help them in their greatest time of need.' Also honored at Thursday's ceremony was Keith Holloway, who was in the Coast Guard during the Korean War and whose son, Rick Holloway, the administrator of the Boise Veterans Home, accepted the medal on his behalf. Two other Idaho veterans were honored Thursday night but were not present: Joseph J. Katancik, who served in the Army Air Corps and the Air Force in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Donald Lee McDowell, who served in the Navy aboard the third USS Los Angeles, a heavy cruiser. Thursday's ceremony also included a musical performance by We-Woori (woori in Korean means 'us' or 'together'), the community service youth group of the Idaho Korean Association. 'To our veterans: Because of your courage and selflessness over 70 years ago, the lives of millions of Koreans, including our parents, our grandparents and now us were forever changed,' said Jaden Kwak, 16, a student at Renaissance High School in Meridian. 'You helped lay the foundation for the peace and opportunities we are blessed with today. As Korean American youth, we understand that our ability to grow up in freedom and to stand here performing tonight is possible because of the path you helped create.' It was a moving speech. And a wonderful way to keep the Korean War from being 'forgotten.' 'I'd do it again in a minute,' Migneault told me before Thursday's ceremony. 'I'm just proud that I was a part of history.' Scott McIntosh is the opinion editor of the Idaho Statesman. You can email him at smcintosh@ or call him at 208-377-6202. Sign up for the free weekly email newsletter The Idaho Way .
Kyodo News
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Kyodo News
Kyodo News Digest: April 24, 2025
KYODO NEWS - 14 minutes ago - 09:00 | All, Japan, World The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News. ---------- Pacific island eyes "big" ceremony on 80th atomic bombing anniversary TINIAN/GUAM - The Pacific island of Tinian is planning a "big" commemoration in August to mark the 80th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima, according to the mayor of the island, which served as the launching point for the nuclear attacks on Japan during World War II. Mayor Edwin Aldan said Tuesday that the island, part of the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. territory, has invited senior officials from the U.S. Department of Defense and relatives of war veterans to a ceremony on the morning of Aug. 6 at the airfield where a B-29 bomber took off to drop an atomic bomb on Hiroshima in 1945, to "recognize the significance" of the bombing. ---------- U.S. Marine suspected of raping woman at Okinawa base NAHA, Japan - A U.S. Marine in his 20s is facing criminal charges including allegedly raping a woman last month in a restroom of an American military base in Japan's Okinawa, investigative sources said Wednesday. The Okinawa prefectural police referred the case to prosecutors on April 7, the sources said, adding the suspect is also accused of injuring another woman who tried to rescue the victim, who was a resident of Okinawa and a civilian worker at the base. ---------- EU mulls imposing trade restrictions on all eels under int'l treaty TOKYO - The European Union is preparing a proposal to impose export restrictions on all eel species under an international agreement regulating trade in endangered species, EU sources said Wednesday -- a move that could affect supplies to Japan, which has relied heavily on imports. The proposal, if approved at the conference of the parties to the Washington Convention to be held in Uzbekistan later this year, would place Japanese eel for consumption, among other species, on the list requiring an export permit issued by the exporting country, the sources said. ---------- Japan mulls sending foreign minister to Pope Francis funeral TOKYO - The Japanese government is considering sending Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya to the Vatican later this week for the funeral of Pope Francis, a government source said Wednesday. After attending the funeral on Saturday, Iwaya will tour the United States, Senegal, Saudi Arabia and France as originally planned, the source said. ---------- Japan junior ruling party head urges China to lift seafood ban BEIJING - Tetsuo Saito, chief of Japan's junior ruling coalition partner, the Komeito party, on Wednesday urged China to lift its blanket ban on Japanese seafood imports during his meeting in Beijing with Wang Huning, who is ranked No. 4 in the Chinese Communist Party's leadership. Saito, who is on a three-day visit to China through Thursday, handed Wang a personal letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping from Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. ---------- Man sent to prosecutors over naked trespassing, suspected in 20 cases TOKYO - A 48-year-old Japanese man was sent to prosecutors Wednesday after breaking into a cram school near Tokyo completely naked, in a case that police believe may be connected to about 20 other incidents in less than two hours, including a hit-and-run that left one man dead. Daisuke Nishimura, who was arrested in Soka, Saitama Prefecture, on Monday, is suspected of committing a range of crimes in the area within approximately 90 minutes -- from hit-and-runs to theft at a convenience store -- injuring about a dozen people during the chaos. ---------- Japan, Britain, Italy defense chiefs to forgo 3-way talks TOKYO - Defense ministers of Japan, Britain and Italy will likely forgo their plan to meet in Italy next month due to a schedule conflict, a Japanese Defense Ministry source said Wednesday. Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and his British and Italian counterparts, John Healey and Guido Crosetto, were expected to discuss their joint project of developing a next-generation fighter jet by 2035. ---------- Baseball: Gu Lin struggles in NPB debut as Eagles beat Fighters KITAHIROSHIMA, Japan - The Rakuten Eagles roughed up Taiwan's 2024 MVP pitcher Gu Lin Ruei-yang on their way to an 8-3 victory over the Nippon Ham Fighters on Wednesday. Rakuten took advantage of a defensive miscue to take a quick 3-0 lead in the first inning. Hideto Asamura's three-run homer off Gu Lin (0-1), who was making his Nippon Professional Baseball debut, capped a four-run sixth that made it 7-0 at Es Con Field Hokkaido. Video: Turkey holds national day event at Osaka Expo
