Atomic veterans visit Ellsworth

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Nathan Gallahan
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  Eight surviving veterans of the 509th Composite Group along with their friends and family visited Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. Sept. 28 as part of the group's annual reunion.

The 509th CG is the World War II unit that dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan in August 1945. During their visit, they were provided an up close tour of a B-1B Lancer, shown displays of the various munitions the bomber is capable of carrying, and viewed Ellsworth's decommissioned training Minuteman missile silo.

"The B-1 is marvelous," said former 2nd Lt. George Cohen, 509th CG B-29 Superfortress flight engineer. "Aircraft like that weren't even imagined when I was in the service."

In addition to touring the sites and seeing the nation's premier bomber, participants had the chance to visit with Airmen from the base.

"The Airmen I saw were also great ... they restored my faith in our youth," Cohen said.

The veterans weren't the only ones left with impressions.

"It was an honor and privilege to show them around our aircraft and hear the stories of the first and only atomic bombing missions firsthand," said Maj. Aaron Mate, 28th Operations Group executive officer.

While the tour lasted only a few hours, it was packed with information on the modern Air Force and history of Ellsworth.

"It's been great seeing the Air Force again," said retired Lt. Col. Ira Weatherly, former B-29 pilot. "There's no better place than the Air Force, and if I could do it all over again I would do it in a heartbeat."