World War II Honoree

Louis W. Whittaker

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Cushing, Oklahoma

Honored By

Molly

Relationship

Wife

ASSIGNED DUTY AS A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR FOR B-17 AIRCRAFT IN HOBBS, NEW MEXICO. LATER HE TAUGHT FLYING OF B-29 BOMBERS AT ROSWELL ARMY AIR FIELD, NEW MEXICO. SERVED A TOUR IN GUAM AND TRANSFERRED TO KWAJALEIN ISLAND. HE WAS THE PILOT OF ONE OF THE B-29 BOMBERS WHICH TOOK PART IN THE FIRST NUCLEAR BOMB TESTS ON BIKINI ATOLL. HIS PLANE CARRIED THE NEWS CORRESPONDENTS WHO COVERED THE BLAST. HE SUFFERED FROM RADIATION EXPOSURE BECAUSE OF THAT BOMB RUN, WHICH WAS MADE AT AN ALTITUDE OF 7,000 FEET, AND ANOTHER ONE HE FLEW OVER BIKINI ATOLL THREE WEEKS LATER. HAD SEVERAL SURGERIES TO REMOVE SKIN CANCERS FROM HIS FACE AS A RESULT OF THIS RADIATION.