[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 35 (Monday, March 27, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1695-S1696]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          TOM FEREBEE SAW HIS DUTY AND HE DID IT AT HIROSHIMA

  Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, when a remarkable North Carolina native 
died on March 16, a more perfect world would have dictated that his 
death be given far more attention than it received, attention that 
would have invoked memories of a distinguished, decorated war veteran; 
a career Air Force officer; and a conscientious, hard-working real 
estate agent; and most importantly, it would have kindled memories of a 
kind, gentle grandfather who enjoyed bass fishing and tending to his 
beloved roses.
  But, when death came to Thomas Wilson Ferebee, some of the media 
mentioned these fine personal qualities only in passing, but many 
others will remember Tom Ferebee's carrying out his awesome, solemn 
responsibility as

[[Page S1696]]

lead bombardier on the Enola Gay. It was he, on duty that fateful day 
when the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, helping to bring, 
finally, an end to the costly, destructive, most terrible conflict that 
history records as World War II.
  The decision to use the atomic bomb was an extraordinarily difficult 
one. And, too often, revisionist historians have tried to rewrite the 
lessons of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, with unjustified suggestions that 
Harry Truman's decision to use the bomb to end the war was immoral.
  What would have been immoral, of course, would have been to force the 
world into a further, protracted, bloody struggle when the means were 
available to end it--with, in the end, less suffering, destruction, and 
killing.
  The weight of that decision was placed on the shoulders of the crew 
of the Enola Gay, among whom was a farm boy from Davie County, NC. In 
nearby Mocksville, where Tom Ferebee went to school, nobody could have 
predicted that this four-sport star of baseball, football, basketball, 
and track would be remembered one day around the world.
  Throughout his later years, Tom Ferebee was often questioned about 
his Enola Gay role. One journalist after another with their minds made 
up in advance tried to press Tom Ferebee to admit guilt about his 
role--which Tom Ferebee rejected, saying, for example in 1995:

       I'm sorry an awful lot of people died from that bomb, and I 
     hate that something like that had to happen to end the war. 
     But it was war, and we had to do something to end it.
       None of us who were on the Enola Gay ever lost a minute's 
     sleep over it. In fact, I sleep better because I feel a large 
     part of the peace we have had in the last 50 years was what 
     we brought about. If we hadn't forced the surrender, there 
     would have had to be a land invasion of Japan and the 
     estimates are that a million Americans and as many Japanese 
     would have died in it.

  Which is absolutely correct. The fact is, Mr. President, that Tom 
Ferebee and his comrades deserve better than to be symbols of phony 
guilt resulting from an absolute necessity of war. Tom Ferebee knew--as 
we do--that he did the right thing by carrying out his mission.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nevada.

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