Details:

Paul Tibbets autographed First Day of Issue “World War II Atomic Bombs” Gold Stamp cover, postmarked Washington, D.C., September 3, 1995, and inscribed: “Pilot B-29 ENOLA GAY 6 AUG. 1945.” Accompanied by a glossy 8 x 10” black-and-white photograph signed by Charles Sweeney, depicting the famed B-29 pilot in military attire shaking hands during a wartime gathering. Sweeney has boldly signed the image vertically in blue ink along the left side of the photograph.

Fine condition.

This historically significant pairing brings together the signatures of the two pilots who commanded the only combat atomic bomb missions in history during World War II. Paul Tibbets piloted the B-29 Enola Gay on August 6, 1945, dropping the uranium bomb “Little Boy” over Hiroshima, Japan. Three days later, Charles Sweeney commanded the B-29 Bockscar during the Nagasaki mission, delivering the plutonium bomb “Fat Man.” Together, the two missions played a decisive role in the conclusion of World War II and ushered in the atomic age.

Paul W. Tibbets Jr. (1915–2007) was a brigadier general in the United States Air Force and commander of the 509th Composite Group, the specialized unit tasked with deploying atomic weapons during World War II.

Charles W. Sweeney (1919–2004) was a major general in the United States Air Force and commander of the Nagasaki strike mission aboard Bockscar. Both men remained central historical figures in military aviation and twentieth-century world history for the remainder of their lives.

Authentication:
Includes a full letter of authenticity from JG Autographs, Inc.

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Reference sku: 11667 1415502-1