Atomic bomb returns to Air Force Museum

  • Published
  • By Chris McGee
  • U.S. Air Force Museum Public Affairs
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFPN) --  A poignant symbol of World War II history returned to the Air Force Museum here July 15 after a yearlong restoration project.

The museum received its “Little Boy” atomic bomb following restoration at the Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, N.M. It is the same type as the one the dropped Aug. 6, 1945, over Hiroshima, Japan. Denotation occurred at an altitude of 1,800 feet.

A Little Boy bomb was the first nuclear weapon used in warfare.

Sandia workers painted the Little Boy and added parts to the bomb to make it more reflective of its World War II-era configuration. The process of shipping, restoring and returning the bomb involved a coordinated effort among officials at the museum, the Air Force Nuclear Weapons and Counterproliferation Agency, Sandia and the 4th Airlift Squadron at McChord Air Force Base, Wash.

Agency officials served as project coordinators, facilitating actions between the museum and Sandia. A 4th AS crew returned the bomb here in a C-17 Globemaster III.

The bomb will return to display in the museum’s Air Power Gallery, which features aircraft, exhibits and items dedicated to the U.S. Army Air Forces in World War II.

“By putting a much-improved Little Boy bomb back on display, we upgrade our collection and storyline,” said retired Maj. Gen. Charles D. Metcalf, museum director. “But more than that, we demonstrate a key characteristic of today’s Air Force, which is the integration of disparate units and capabilities to accomplish a common mission.”

Lt. Col. Don Robbins, agency commander, viewed the efforts of his organization and that of others involved as essential to preserving and presenting a prominent part of history.

“It is critical to preserve this important historical artifact for future generations,” Colonel Robbins said. “It’s gratifying to know that various units cooperated in lending their capabilities to provide the American people with a restored, improved item of particular historical significance.”

The 4th AS is the sole operator of Air Mobility Command’s prime nuclear airlift force and routinely handles the nation’s most sensitive cargo. It is the Air Force’s oldest active airlift squadron.