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RareBear
PostPosted: Mon Jul 28, 2014 10:38 pm 
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It appears that the navigator on the Enola Gay, Theodore "Dutch" Van Kirk, passed away today. No details yet.

Walt

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Robbie Stuart
PostPosted: Tue Jul 29, 2014 8:23 am 
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I sure hate to hear this Walt. Dutch was a great man!


Godspeed & thank you for your service Major!

Robbie

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sandiego89
PostPosted: Tue Jul 29, 2014 9:27 am 
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Rest in peace.IIRC he was the last living member of the two strike aircraft (Enola Gay and Bock's Car) end of an era. Saw him at the military aviation museum show in virginia 2 years ago.
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wendovertom
PostPosted: Tue Jul 29, 2014 4:10 pm 
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He is an excellent guy - and always will be! I had the chance to take he and his wife around the base in a jeep here in Wendover in 2001. It would have been soooo much easier to have a smart phone and the ease of video recording to catch all those stories and personel recollections.

Amazing man and an all round good guy who never saw himself as 'special' - just another navigator doing his job to help bring the war to an end.

There must be a heck of a reunion of crew members going on in the hereafter!

Tom P.
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Silverplate
PostPosted: Tue Jul 29, 2014 9:53 pm 
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I never got to meet Dutch but having toured Paul Tibbets and Thomas Ferebee on many promotional tours, they spoke highly of him. Now that's a reunion made in heaven. Mike

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markboss
PostPosted: Wed Jul 30, 2014 1:19 am 
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I watched several interviews he gave, and was very impressed..
Really glad he presented his side of the events of the atomic bomb drop..
Dutch Van Kirk, you will be remembered and missed!
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