[mustangdriver]

Originally Posted by Aircrafty

I can't see there is a big deal as the the island was apparently called Iwo To before the war. The name change doesn't change the history of the island.

As for Enola Gay, I say put that old girl on exhibit and keep her there. It was a famous aircraft and played an important role in WWII, if the Japanese don't like it that's to bad.

I agree with this all together. The Enola Gay has since been fully restored and placed on display in the new Udvar hazey Facility, but they are still touchy about it.

[SKUNKY]

I believe the actual name of the island is Iwo Jemima. Iwo, of course, being the Japanese word for "Aunt"...The island has long been known for it's maple syrup and pancake industry...Most of the pancake trees were destroyed by U.S. Marines prior to taking Mt. Syrupbachi in March 1945..After the war was over the French helped the Japanese re-plant the trees and repair the mortar-damaged syrup tanks, and production was soon restored to full pre-war capacity..

[mustangdriver]

Funny! I thought you were for real until like the second sentence.

[Shawn 507]

So the Enola Gay is a complete display now, not just part of the aircraft? If so, great!!! It was wrong for the museum to cave into the damn anti-war PC crowd in the first place.
- Shawn

[mustangdriver]

Yeah it is a complete aircraft now. They did a great job with it, but they are not always proud of the aircraft's history. I am! And I am proud of Bockscar in the NMUSAF as well.

[STARMAN 352ND]

Originally Posted by Shawn 507

So the Enola Gay is a complete display now, not just part of the aircraft? If so, great!!! It was wrong for the museum to cave into the damn anti-war PC crowd in the first place.
- Shawn

Hey Shawn,
STWhite took some pictures of Enloa Gay.
http://themodelhangar.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4334

[MoMo]

Originally Posted by Aircrafty


I can't see there is a big deal as the the island was apparently called Iwo To before the war. The name change doesn't change the history of the island.

As for Enola Gay, I say put that old girl on exhibit and keep her there. It was a famous aircraft and played an important role in WWII, if the Japanese don't like it that's to bad.

Yes, keep the Enola Gay It probably saved my father's life, and the lives of hundreds of thousands who were on active service in the Far East.

As Burma was being mopped up, my father's mob were issued with new tropical kit and bush hats because they knew that the next stop was Malaya. It was an open secret. They knew that it would be a hard fight, and that many of them would not be leaving the Malay penisula.

My father's thoughts when he heard all about the bombs going off in Japan:

• A....... Yankee bull----!
• B....... Thank God!
• C....... We can go home now!

He got home. I am here. The rest is history.

[MoMo]

Re: Iwo Jima is now Iwo To

---

There was I thinking my Dad was Hero and it turns out that all he did was swan around the Med and the Italian Riviera enjoying skippering his little landing craft.

He called in at some lovely places, Sicily Salerno Anzio. He liked Anzio so much that he stayed for 4 months, (maybe he gave pleasure trips around the bay) there must have been some nice beaches there.

I must admit he was a little careless, he seemed to keep losing his friends, perhaps they went home early.

JIM

Perhaps your dad got in a little practice at hiring out donkeys on the beach, while he was at it. There was so much fun in them days that I'm surprised any of the dads ever came back to the boring old U.K.

[jim]

Originally Posted by MoMo

Perhaps your dad got in a little practice at hiring out donkeys on the beach, while he was at it. There was so much fun in them days that I'm surprised any of the dads ever came back to the boring old U.K.

You could be correct Mo, maybe his friends went off to sell ice cream to the German tourists.

On a more serious note it is a constant puzzle to me why people want to rewrite history.

A true Historian is dedicated to the truth and not changing it to suite his or her own theories as to how it should have been.
In order for the Human race to prosper and develope it is vital that the lessons of history be learnt and put to good use.
For some one ,anyone, to try to change history is to display arrogance beyond belief.

As to the Enola Gay, this aircraft was a part of the biggest event in Human history.
People may argue as to the rights or wrongs of dropping the bomb but the fact is it was dropped and that was the plane that did it.

CHANGE THAT! It should be displayed, children should be taken to see it and the events that brought about its use should be taught. The reasons behind its use should be explained.
This is how we learn as a people.

Estimated casualties from an invasion of Japanese mainland was one million.
There were more Japanese killed by conventional bombing than by the Atom bomb.
Let us keep things in perspective here, teach the facts.

There is nothing to be ashamed of ,on the contrary , I salute the crew of the Enola Gay and thank them for stopping at a stroke a vicious and inhuman conflict. God bless them.
That is my position on this matter.

[mikeb1958]

Originally Posted by mustangdriver

This is the same group of people that write some very interesting history books. Did you know that between the years of 1938 and 1944 Everyone was on vacation, and nothing happened, and then in August of 1945 we dropped two atomic bombs for no reason. I learned that in a japanese history book.

Well isn't that sweet. Go visit the Pearl Harbor Memorial in Hawaii sometime. You can't even read the plaques as the Japanese tourist are crowded in the way with their cameras. Guess in the Japanese history book also it says that they had to bomb the USA on Dec. 7 because we did not come to terms for their oil needs, etc.
What did they say about their occupation of China for back in the 1930's? It probably says that there wasn't any war with China, it was really 200,000 Japanese tourists with their cameras just visiting China for some of that good food they have and to get bootleg counterfeit LPs of Glenn Miller and the Andrew Sisters.