BearHunter said:
Have you ever visited Tinian island? I believe it's in your neck of the woods. That's where the U.S. temporarily stored the two atomic bombs before they attacked Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The airfield where the two storage pits are located is still in excellent condition. There are no signs of any major cracks or weeds growing even though the runway hasn't been used for over 80 years. The Army Corps of Engineers had to construct the runway quickly and in such a way that it can safely support the landing of heavy bombers carrying atomic bombs without incident. It's quite an eerie setting, there are no tourists around, no secure fencing, just an open runway with these two pits covered with glass.
Yes, I've been to Tinian a few times, including to the bomb pit memorial. It is a 10 minute flight from Saipan (pay at the counter, cash only) in a 4 seat plane, piloted by an 18 year old from the mainland eager to build up his hours as a commercial pilot. You enter over the wing, with seating arranged to distribute the weight. Whoever sits up front next to the pilot holds the door open through takeoff for the breeze because there is no air con.
The funniest story I've ever heard in my life involves the Enola Gay bomb memorial. Two of my friends went to Tinian for a business meeting regarding a Chinese-backed casino that was then being built on Tinian (or rather slightly offshore) built to look like the Titanic (complete with fake icebergs you could swim with on a tropical island).
My friends are characters. Ben is a older gruff Chamorro guy, Vietnam Vet, businessman, born on Guam but grew up in LA, dresses like he is from Miami (white pants, white shoes, a cane, lots of jewelry and a fedora…) and is a little sketchy, James is Japanese American, a little portly with a very round face, young with a high voice, always in shorts and flip flops, born and raised on Guam (went to USF on a golf scholarship) but his dad and family is from Kaua'i.
They fly into Tinian with Ben's driver, Rolly. They go to get a rent a car and the woman there gives them a minivan. As they are driving out of the lot, the power steering makes a horrible noise, which they bring to the attention of the woman, asking if she has anything else. She says it is fine, so they drive off.
They have time to kill before the meeting so Ben suggests they drive over to the bomb memorial where Fat Boy and Little Boy were loaded into the Enola Gay for the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (pictured above a glass structure over a hole in the ground, like it is the Louvre). Rolly cuts across a huge grass field and at Ben's insistence parks the minivan right next to the memorial ("I'm old").
They sit there for awhile finishing up a phone call. James opens the door and immediately smells smoke.
He looks under the minivan and sees that power steering fluid and oil is dripping and has caught fire in the heat. Moreover, the entire undercarriage of the minivan is covered in grass from their drive across the field. Alarmed, James alerts his companions, his voice getting higher after initially being gruffly rebuffed by Ben. Then Ben smells it too, opens his door, gets out, looks down at the fire and starts running. James gathers some stuff and the three run off to safe distance.
The minivan, mostly plastic, becomes engulfed in flames. When the flames reach the headlights they explode. The smoke is seen at the airport in Saipan and they alert the Tinian fire department who arrive in a fire truck that turns out, has no water. A fireman vainly sprays the contents of a small fire extinguisher on the fire then retreats.
When the flames reach the gas tank there is a loud explosion. The.glass over the bomb pit shatters. The plaque falls into the pit. They have accidentally blown up the bomb memorial!
A tour bus arrives and Japanese tourists pour out, busily taking pictures of the fire and the destroyed memorial.
Ben calls the rental car company and says they need a new car because something is wrong with the minivan. The woman arrives and stares in disbelief as the minivan is now mostly a puddle of aluminum. They hand her the keys and take the keys to her car and drive off to the meeting.
A year later I am on the United flight from Guam to Saipan with about 20 other passengers. Included in that group is top military brass from all four services 4 star (generals, an admiral) and their aids all going to Tinian to investigate it for US military development (which is now ongoing). In the seat behind me is a representative from the Air Force, talking with his counter part from the Navy. "I'm a aviation historian and I really want to see the Enola Gay memorial." "Oh, last year some tourists blew it up. Right now it is a pond with some birds nesting above it." "Oh my God, that is horrible, what a tragedy!" I could barely contain my laughing.
