Fred J. Olivi Lt. Col  USAF  (Ret.)

During WWII  Lt. Olivi  co-piloted “BOCKSCAR” the Super B29  as it dropped the second atomic bomb on  Nagasaki August 9 1945.

Olivi is the author of “Decision at Nagasaki”

He was 23 years of age on the fateful day that Nagasaki was consumed by the second atomic blast. The events of that day as described by Olivi were harrowing in their many problems that led up to the final dropping of “Fat Man” the 10,000 lb atomic Bomb.

From malfunctions connected with the arming of the bomb to poor visibility that could have scrubbed the mission to the final trip home on fumes, each part of the days activities was a story in itself.

He described the crew donning goggles and looking into the center of the plane as the bomb exploded. “It got 10 times brighter than the sun….a white-blue light” Olivi recalled.

The after mission report of the mushroom cloud stated it rose to 30,000 feet in under two minutes . He described the cloud this way, at the stem it was like a cauldron. Pink, salmon, blues, violets, black, like a churning column of fire and smoke.

His reflections of the event were “I was just glad it was over”

After Japan surrendered, “Bockscar” and the 393rd Bomb Squadron were reassigned to Roswell Field New Mexico. In September of 1961 the plane made one last flight from Davis-Monthan Field where it had been in storage. This flight was to Wright-Patterson AFB to become part of the growing collection of display aircraft at the U.S. Air Force Museum. About a million visitors a year view “Bockscar” the plane that ended the world’s most costly war.