Pilot Who Became a Symbol of Antinuclear Protest

The Hiroshima Pilot Who Became a Symbol of Antinuclear Protest

Claude Eatherly spent years punishing himself for his role in the first atomic bombing. His remorse made him an international celebrity.

Maj. Claude Eatherly, the only service member who flew in the atomic bombing missions and later said he felt remorse for what he had done. Credit...Sueddeutsche Zeitung Photo/Alamy

By Anne I. Harrington

• Aug. 6, 2020Updated 9:12 a.m. ET

The latest article from “Beyond the World War II We Know,” a series from The Times that documents lesser-known stories from the war, looks at Claude Eatherly, an American pilot involved in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. After years of being arrested for petty crimes, he became a high-profile antinuclear activist.

The B-29 bomber banked hard to avoid the blast. The explosion lit the plane’s interior with a brilliant flash, so bright that some of the aviators momentarily thought they had been blinded. More than one noted a strange metallic taste in his mouth. A loud clap broke around them as the first of three shock waves hit, causing the plane’s aluminum body to vibrate violently. Looking down, they saw the fireball unfurling.

Further Reading: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/06/magazine/hiroshima-claude-eatherly-antinuclear.html