| Major Gen. Charles Sweeney
United States Air Force |
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|---|---|
| December 27, 1919 – July 15, 2004 (aged 84) | |
 USAF Photo |
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| Place of birth | Lowell, Massachusetts |
| Place of death | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service/branch |  United States Air ForceUnited States Army Air Corps |
| Years of service | 1941–1979 |
| Rank |  Major General |
| Commands held | 393rd Bombardment Squadron 102nd Tactical Fighter Wing |
| Battles/wars | World War II Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima Atomic Bombing of Nagasaki |
| Awards | Silver Star Air Medal |
Major General Charles W. Events 537 - The Hagia Sophia is completed 1512 - The Spanish Crown issues the Laws of Burgos, governing the Year 1919 ( MCMXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1099 - First Crusade: Christian soldiers take the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after the final "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Lowell is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. As of the 2000 census the city had a total population of 105167 The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC was the predecessor of the U In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star General officer World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were nuclear attacks near the end of World War II against the Empire of Japan by the United States at The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were nuclear attacks near the end of World War II against the Empire of Japan by the United States at The Silver Star is the third highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States Armed Forces. The Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States which was established by Executive Order 9158 signed by Franklin D Sweeney (1919 - July 15, 2004) was an officer in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II and the pilot who flew the "Fat Man" atomic bomb to Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Christian soldiers take the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after the final "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The United States Army Air Forces ( USAAF) was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including "Fat Man" is the codename for the Atomic bomb that was detonated over Nagasaki, Japan, by the United States on August 9 The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were nuclear attacks near the end of World War II against the Empire of Japan by the United States at Events 48 BC - Caesar's civil war: Battle of Pharsalus - Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey at Pharsalus Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar
Contents |
Biography
He was born in Lowell, Massachusetts the son of a plumber[1] and began flying while attending North Quincy High School. Lowell is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. As of the 2000 census the city had a total population of 105167 After graduation in 1937, he attended classes at Boston University and Purdue University, then joined the U.S. Army Air Corps on April 28, 1941, as an aviation cadet. For similarly-named academic institutions see Education in Boston MA. The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC was the predecessor of the U Events 1192 - Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. After receiving his pilot wings and a commission as a second lieutenant, Sweeney trained for two years at the Jefferson Proving Ground in Indiana. Second Lieutenant is the lowest commissioned officer Military rank in many Armed forces. The Jefferson Proving Ground (or JPG) located in Madison, Indiana, was principally a munitions testing facility of Test and Evaluation Command The State of Indiana ( was the 19th US state admitted into the union
Sweeney served as an operations officer and a test pilot at Eglin Field, Florida. Eglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located southwest of Valparaiso in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the In 1944 he was promoted to major and assigned as a B-29 Superfortress pilot instructor at Grand Island, Nebraska. Major is a Military rank the use of which varies according to country Grand Island may refer to Places In Canada: Grand Island (Balsam Lake in Balsam Lake (Ontario In the Nebraska ( is a state located on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States and
509th Composite Group
Sweeney then became an instructor in the atomic missions training project, Project Alberta, at Wendover Army Airfield, Utah. Project Alberta was a section of the Manhattan Project which developed the means of delivering the first atomic bombs, used by the United States Army Wendover Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base in Utah now known as Wendover Airport. The State of Utah (ˈjuːtɔː or) is a western state of the United States. Selected to be part of the 509th Composite Group, he was named commander of the 320th Troop Carrier Squadron on January 6, 1945. The 509th Composite Group was an air combat unit of the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War and as the 509th Operations Group, is Events 1066 - Harold Godwinson is crowned King of England. 1205 - Philip of Swabia becomes King Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Initially his squadron used C-47 Skytrain and C-46 Commando transports on hand to conduct the top secret operations to supply the 509th, but in April 1945 it acquired five C-54 Skymasters, which had the range to deliver personnel and materiel to the western Pacific area. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout
On May 4, 1945, Sweeney became commander of the 393d Bombardment Squadron, Heavy, the combat element of the 509th, in charge of 15 Silverplate B-29s and their flight and ground crews, 535 men in all. Events 1256 - The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar The 393d Bomb Squadron ( 393 BS) is part of the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri. Silverplate was the code reference for the United States Army Air Forces participation in the Manhattan Project during World War II. In June and July Sweeney moved his unit to North Field on the island of Tinian in the Marianas. Tinian (ˈtɪniən /ˌtiːniˈɑːn/ is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands (14°59’51”N 145°37’39”E The Mariana Islands (also the Marianas; up to the early 20th century sometimes called Ladrones Islands, from Spanish Islas de los Ladrones meaning
In addition to supervising the intensive training of his flight crews during July 1945, Sweeney was slated to command the second atomic bomb mission. He trained with the crew of Captain (Charles D. ) Don Albury aboard their B-29 The Great Artiste, and was aircraft commander on the training mission of July 11. The Great Artiste was a US Army Air Forces B-29 Bomber (B-29-40-MO 44-27353 victor number 89 assigned to the 393rd Bomb Squadron He and the crew flew five of the nine rehearsal test drops of inert Little Boy and Fat Man bomb assemblies in preparation for the missions. Little Boy was the Codename of the Atomic bomb, developed via the "Manhattan Project" which was dropped on Hiroshima, on August 6 1945 by the "Fat Man" is the codename for the Atomic bomb that was detonated over Nagasaki, Japan, by the United States on August 9
On August 6, 1945, Sweeney and Albury piloted The Great Artiste as the instrumentation support aircraft for the atomic bomb attack on Hiroshima. Events 1538 - Bogotá, Colombia, is founded by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were nuclear attacks near the end of World War II against the Empire of Japan by the United States at
Three days later, on August 9, 1945, Major Sweeney commanded Bockscar, the B-29 that dropped Fat Man on Nagasaki. Events 48 BC - Caesar's civil war: Battle of Pharsalus - Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey at Pharsalus Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Bockscar, sometimes called Bock's Car or Bocks Car, is the name of the United States Army Air Forces B-29 Bomber that "Fat Man" is the codename for the Atomic bomb that was detonated over Nagasaki, Japan, by the United States on August 9 Having diverted from the primary target, Kokura, because of weather conditions, Bockscar dropped a plutonium weapon with a blast yield equivalent to 21 kilotons of TNT. is an ancient Castle town and the center of Kitakyūshū, Japan, guarding via its suburb Moji, the Straits of Shimonoseki between Honshū Trinitrotoluene ( TNT) is a Chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO23CH3 Approximately 70,000 people were killed in the initial explosion and 60% of Nagasaki was destroyed. Japan surrendered six days after the bombing. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics.
In November 1945, Sweeney returned with the 509th Composite Group to Roswell Army Air Base in New Mexico to train aircrews for the atomic testing mission, Operation Crossroads. Walker Air Force Base was the largest Strategic Air Command base of the United States Air Force at the time of its closure in 1967 New Mexico ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States of America. Operation Crossroads was a series of Nuclear weapon tests conducted by the United States in the summer of 1946
Post-war activities
Sweeney left active duty with the rank of lieutenant colonel on June 28, 1946, but remained active with the Massachusetts Air National Guard. Events 1098 - Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul. Year 1946 ( MCMXLVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. The Air National Guard ( ANG), often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the several states and On February 21, 1956, Col. Events 362 - Athanasius returns to Alexandria. 1245 - Thomas, the first known Bishop of Finland Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Sweeney was named commander of its 102nd Air Defense Wing and shortly after, on April 6, was promoted to Brigadier General. Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato in the Battle of Thapsus In the United States Army, the United States Marine Corps and the United States Air Force, brigadier general is a one-star General He retired in 1976 as a Major General in the Air National Guard. In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star General officer [1]
Throughout his life Sweeney remained convinced of the appropriateness and necessity of the bombing, and wrote War's End: An Eyewitness Account of America's Last Atomic Mission to defend the action in light of subsequent historical questioning. He also appeared in the 1970s television series "World At War" and was seen explaining the buildup to the mission raids. The World at War is a 26-episode television documentary series on World War II, including the events leading up to it and following in its wake
In his later years Charles Sweeney performed in various air shows doing many maneuvers to awe crowds. Sweeney died at age 84 on July 15, 2004 at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Christian soldiers take the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after the final "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Massachusetts General Hospital ( Mass General or MGH) is a Teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School and a Biomedical research
A short documentary featuring an audio recording of Sweeney describing the Nagasaki mission preparation and execution called "Nagasaki: The Commander's Voice" was made in 2005. The audio recording, from 2002, was the last one made before his death.
Notes
External links
References
- Official USAF biography BG Charles W. Sweeney
- Reflections from above: an American pilot's perspective on the mission which dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki
- Eyewitness account of atomic bombing over Nagasaki, by William Laurence, New York Times
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