Theodore Van Kirk
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Captain Theodore Van Kirk |
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| Nickname(s) | 'Dutch' |
| Born |
February 27, 1921 Northumberland, Pennsylvania |
| Died | July 28, 2014 (aged 93) Stone Mountain, Georgia |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Army Air Forces |
| Years of service | 1941–1946 |
| Rank | Major |
| Unit |
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| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | |
Theodore "Dutch" Van Kirk (February 27, 1921 – July 28, 2014) was a navigator of the United States Army Air Forces, best known as the navigator of the Enola Gay when it dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima. With the death of fellow crewman Morris Jeppson (who died on March 30, 2010), Van Kirk became the last surviving member of the Enola Gay crew. He died four years later on July 28, 2014.
Van Kirk was born in Northumberland, Pennsylvania, and joined the Army Air Force Aviation Cadet Program October 1941. On 1 April 1942, he received both his commission and navigator wings and transferred to the 97th Bomb Group, the first operational B-17 Flying Fortress unit in England. The crew of the "Red Gremlin" also included pilot Paul Tibbets and bombardier Tom Ferebee. Van Kirk would later fly with these men on the Hiroshima mission.
From August to October 1942, the crew flew 11 missions out of England. They were the lead aircraft, responsible for group navigation and bombing. In October 1942, they flew General Mark Clark to Gibraltar for his secret North African rendezvous with the French prior to Operation Torch. In November, they ferried General Eisenhower to Gibraltar to command the North African invasion forces. After German reinforcements began pouring into the port of Bizerte, Tunisia, posing a serious threat to Allied strategy, a new mission emerged. On 16 November 1942, the crew led their group in an attack that took the Germans by surprise at Sidi Ahmed Air Base at Bizerte.
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