Details:

Paul Tibbets and Charles Sweeney autographed commemorative World War II Atomic Bombs first day cover, signed respectively by the pilots who commanded the missions that delivered the atomic bombs to Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Tibbets has inscribed his signature “Pilot, 6 Aug. 1945, Hiroshima,” while Sweeney has added “Pilot, Nagasaki, 9 Aug. ’45.” The cover incorporates a commemorative atomic bomb stamp and cachet and is accompanied by an unsigned 8 x 10” photograph depicting the two historic aviators shaking hands.

Fine condition.

Paul W. Tibbets (1915–2007) commanded the Boeing B-29 Enola Gay and piloted the mission that dropped the uranium bomb Little Boy on Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945. Three days later, Charles W. Sweeney (1919–2004) piloted the B-29 Bockscar on the mission that delivered the plutonium bomb Fat Man to Nagasaki. The two attacks remain among the most consequential events of the twentieth century, contributing directly to Japan’s surrender and the end of World War II while ushering in the atomic age. Dual-signed items bringing together both Tibbets and Sweeney are highly sought after by collectors of aviation, military, and nuclear history, as they represent the two men most closely associated with the only wartime use of atomic weapons in human history.

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

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Reference sku: 11667 1416106-1