Kermit Beahan

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Lt. Col. Kermit Beahan United States Air Force
July 9, 1918(1918-07-09) – March 10, 1989 (aged 70)
Kermit Beahan
Place of birth	Joplin, Missouri
Place of death	Clear Lake, Texas
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Air Force
Rank	Lieutenant Colonel
Unit	509th Bomb Wing
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Silver Star Air Medal

Kermit K. Beahan July 09, 1918 -March 10, 1989 was the bombardier on the American B-29 Superfortress Bockscar, and was the one who, on August 9, 1945, visually targeted Nagasaki, Japan, in order to drop an atomic bomb onto it. It was his twenty-seventh birthday on the same day. He flew on the Hiroshima mission in The Great Artiste which was named after him, purportedly because he could hit a pickle barrel with a bomb from 30,000 feet, or he was "good with the fairer sex". He took part in 40 missions over Europe, including the first B-17 raids in Europe before being recurited for the Atomic Bombing Missons in 1944. In 1985, on the 40th anniversary of the Nagasaki bombing, Mr. Beahan said he would never apologize for the bombing.^[1] Mr. Beahan attneded Rice University on a football scholarship during the 1930's.

[edit] Quotes

" I suppose it was when the clouds opened up over the target at Nagasaki. The target was there, pretty as a picture. I made the run, let the bomb go. That was my greatest thrill." His reply when asked "What was your most outstanding experience on this historic flight?"