Robert A. Lewis
Encyclopedia
Robert A. Lewis was a United States Army Air Forces
Officer
serving in the Pacific Theatre
during World War II
.
Lewis grew up in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey
and attended Ridgefield Park High School
there, graduating in 1937.
Lewis had lived in Smithfield, Virginia
for two years before his death of a heart attack at a hospital in Newport News, Virginia
.
, the B-29 Superfortress
bomber which dropped the atomic bomb Little Boy
on the Japanese city of Hiroshima
. Normally the aircraft commander assigned to the Enola Gay, for this important mission he acted as co-pilot, assisting Enola Gay's new aircraft commander Colonel
Paul Tibbets
.
In 1970, Lewis, an amateur artist, sculpted an unusual mushroom cloud sculpture which he titled "God's Wind at Hiroshima?": http://conelrad.blogspot.com/2010/10/shroom-odyssey-of-robert-lewiss-atomic.html
In 1990, an item described as the log from the Hiroshima mission was offered for auction by Christie's
by Lewis' widow. The validity of the log could not be confirmed, as there were alternate claims for an authentic version of the Enola Gay's log. The log was bought at auction in 1971 for $37,000, and then purchased in 1978 by Malcolm Forbes
for $85,000, for what was then a record price for an American autographed document.
, a Japanese minister who had been living in Hiroshima at the time of the bombing and survived the explosion of 6 August 1945, was the subject of an episode of the American show 'This Is Your Life
.' After meeting various friends, family members and former colleagues and parishioners, Reverend Tanimoto's special guest at the end of the night was Captain Lewis, by now retired, representing the crew of the aircraft that had so dramatically changed his life.
By now Robert Lewis was working as a personnel manager for Heide Candy Company
, a confectionery company (then called "Henry Heide Candy Company"). Lewis described Enola Gay's flight and the dropping of the bomb on Hiroshima. When asked if he remembered his reaction on that fateful day, he remarked:
In John Hersey's book Hiroshima, he writes of the interview and states that on the night, Lewis was drunk and nearly missed the show:
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
Officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
serving in the Pacific Theatre
Pacific Theater of Operations
The Pacific Theater of Operations was the World War II area of military activity in the Pacific Ocean and the countries bordering it, a geographic scope that reflected the operational and administrative command structures of the American forces during that period...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Lewis grew up in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey
Ridgefield Park, New Jersey
Ridgefield Park is a village in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. The population was 12,729 at the 2010 United States Census. Of 566 municipalities statewide, Ridgefield Park is only one of three with a village type of government in New Jersey, along with Loch Arbour and Ridgewood.The...
and attended Ridgefield Park High School
Ridgefield Park High School
Ridgefield Park High School is a six-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in seventh through twelfth grade from Ridgefield Park, in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Ridgefield Park Public Schools...
there, graduating in 1937.
Lewis had lived in Smithfield, Virginia
Smithfield, Virginia
Smithfield is a town in Isle of Wight County, in the South Hampton Roads subregion of the Hampton Roads region of Virginia in the United States. The population was 8,089 at the 2010 census....
for two years before his death of a heart attack at a hospital in Newport News, Virginia
Newport News, Virginia
Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...
.
The Hiroshima Bombing
On 6 August 1945 Captain Lewis was the co-pilot of the Enola GayEnola Gay
Enola Gay is a Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber, named after Enola Gay Tibbets, mother of the pilot, then-Colonel Paul Tibbets. On August 6, 1945, during the final stages of World War II, it became the first aircraft to drop an atomic bomb as a weapon of war...
, the B-29 Superfortress
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
bomber which dropped the atomic bomb Little Boy
Little Boy
"Little Boy" was the codename of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 by the Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay, piloted by Colonel Paul Tibbets of the 393rd Bombardment Squadron, Heavy, of the United States Army Air Forces. It was the first atomic bomb to be used as a weapon...
on the Japanese city of Hiroshima
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
. Normally the aircraft commander assigned to the Enola Gay, for this important mission he acted as co-pilot, assisting Enola Gay's new aircraft commander Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Paul Tibbets
Paul Tibbets
Paul Warfield Tibbets, Jr. was a brigadier general in the United States Air Force, best known for being the pilot of the Enola Gay, the first aircraft to drop an atomic bomb in the history of warfare. The bomb, code-named Little Boy, was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima...
.
In 1970, Lewis, an amateur artist, sculpted an unusual mushroom cloud sculpture which he titled "God's Wind at Hiroshima?": http://conelrad.blogspot.com/2010/10/shroom-odyssey-of-robert-lewiss-atomic.html
In 1990, an item described as the log from the Hiroshima mission was offered for auction by Christie's
Christie's
Christie's is an art business and a fine arts auction house.- History :The official company literature states that founder James Christie conducted the first sale in London, England, on 5 December 1766, and the earliest auction catalogue the company retains is from December 1766...
by Lewis' widow. The validity of the log could not be confirmed, as there were alternate claims for an authentic version of the Enola Gay's log. The log was bought at auction in 1971 for $37,000, and then purchased in 1978 by Malcolm Forbes
Malcolm Forbes
Malcolm Stevenson Forbes was publisher of Forbes magazine, founded by his father B. C. Forbes and today run by his son Steve Forbes.-Life and career:...
for $85,000, for what was then a record price for an American autographed document.
Guest appearance
On May 11, 1955 Kiyoshi TanimotoKiyoshi Tanimoto
was a Methodist minister famous for his work for the Hiroshima Maidens. He was one of the six Hiroshima survivors whose experiences of the bomb and later life are portrayed in John Hersey's book Hiroshima....
, a Japanese minister who had been living in Hiroshima at the time of the bombing and survived the explosion of 6 August 1945, was the subject of an episode of the American show 'This Is Your Life
This Is Your Life
This Is Your Life is an American television documentary series broadcast on NBC, originally hosted by its producer, Ralph Edwards from 1952 to 1961. In the show, the host surprises a guest, and proceeds to take them through their life in front of an audience including friends and family.Edwards...
.' After meeting various friends, family members and former colleagues and parishioners, Reverend Tanimoto's special guest at the end of the night was Captain Lewis, by now retired, representing the crew of the aircraft that had so dramatically changed his life.
By now Robert Lewis was working as a personnel manager for Heide Candy Company
Heide Candy Company
Heide Candy Company is a subsidiary of candy manufacturer Farley's & Sathers Candy Company, Inc.-History:The Henry Heide Candy Company was founded in 1869 by Henry Heide, an immigrant from Obermarsberg, Westphalia, Germany....
, a confectionery company (then called "Henry Heide Candy Company"). Lewis described Enola Gay's flight and the dropping of the bomb on Hiroshima. When asked if he remembered his reaction on that fateful day, he remarked:
(In the official log) I wrote down the words, 'My God, what have we done?'
In John Hersey's book Hiroshima, he writes of the interview and states that on the night, Lewis was drunk and nearly missed the show:
Years later, Marvin Green told a young journalist named Rodney Barker...that Lewis had panicked the show people by failing to turn up that afternoon for the rehearsal of all participants except Tanimoto. It seemed that he had expected to be given a fat check for appearing on the show, and when he learned that he would not, he had gone out bar crawling. Green said he had found the copilot in time to get a cup of coffee in him before the show.