ENOLA GAY CREW (GEORGE R. CARON) - AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED 10/12/1979 - HFSID 5718

ENOLA GAY CREW: GEORGE CARON
The tail gunner on the Hiroshima mission writes a warm, chatty, 6-page letter to a young English woman, discussing his personal interests and hobbies.
Autograph Letter signed: "Colonel Grandpa/(Bob Caron)", 6 pages (front and verso), 6x9. Denver, Colorado, 1979 October 12. To "Dear Tina", in full: "I'm sorry for taking so long to answer your letter but I've been keeping pretty busy with chores around the house. My letter answering has fallen behind. Our pro football season has started and we have the Denver Bronchos to watch on the telly Sundays and Monday nights. Now the World Series has started. In fact, I've got one eye on game #3 at Pittsburgh. I enjoyed receiving your pictures and you must be a pretty good soccer player to travel around for games. I never played soccer but sure like to watch it. It's really becoming popular here in the colonies. I love sports but never became a star. I did run the quarter mile on the Tech Track Team and played a lot of baseball. I was too light to play much of our football. Played a lot of golf until back surgery put a damper on that. Do you go to the University in Nottingham? Sounds like you hope to be a secretary and I hope to be of some help with your thesis. Looks like you are partial to Western hats & cowboy boots. I have a daughter who has been a Western horse 'nut' since she was about 10 years old. She's had 4 horses over the years and has a ton of ribbons and trophies. She married a Kansas farm boy about 5 years ago. She's a professional artist and teaches in Kansas. They do have wheat land but live in a little town right smack in the middle of no-where. I don't know if I can get you a B-29 cap; they are only for the crew. The CAF does have a nice ladies hat they sell at shows. Sort of a floppy red & white sun hat with CAF printed on it. It looks like so, and sells for $5 or thereabouts. I'll check on it if you like. [He draws the hat here.] I'd also like to thank you for the postcards of Robin Hood country. I'd love to visit England someday. I think I've already told you of my interest in English history. If it would be of interest to you, I'm including a short bio I had to make up for the Confederate Air Force. From your pictures I would guess that you are 17 years old. My oldest granddaughter is almost 16 so I guess you can call me Grandpa. While I'm at it, could I ask a favor. I collect stamps and maybe you could keep your eye out and save some for me. I'd like to get some G. B. stamps but not the common ones which I have. The special issues and commemoratives that have been cancelled. Just tear them off the envelope but don't peel them off. I soak them off and dry them flat. Don't go to any trouble but if you happen to come across some, I'd appreciate it. Well, Tina, guess I've been rambling on long enough so will close. I'm enclosing a couple of pictures for you. Info is on the back of each. [Items not included.] Take care and good luck in your soccer matches - win a lot. With best wishes to you and your family, I remain sincerely". George R. "Bob" Caron (1919-1995) was the tail gunner on the Enola Gay on its historic mission to drop an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan on August 6, 1945. Seated in the rear of the B-29, he was the first to see the mushroom cloud. Caron had been given a camera at the last moment and snapped a roll of photographs as the mushroom cloud ascended. His photographs of the explosion were printed on millions of leaflets that were dropped over Japan the next day. Caron died in 1995. The Confederate Air Force, which changed its name to the Commemorative Air Force in 2002 to avoid confusion about its mission, buys and restores historic combat aircraft to flying condition. At last tally it owned over 140 aircraft, at least 100 of which are in flying condition. Staple holes at top left. Light rust stains at top left. Normal mailing folds. Otherwise, fine condition.