World War II Honoree
World War II Veteran
Richard Hedeen Nelson
Branch of Service
U.S. Army
Hometown
Los Angeles, California
Honored By
Pearl Thomas
He was sent to the Air Corps' radio school in South Dakota and after graduation was sent to the B-29 base in Clovis, New Mexico to await orders. In April 1945, he reported to the 509th Squadron in Wendover, Utah. On June 14, he was sent to Omaha, Nebraska to pick up a B-29, later to be named the Enola Gay, from the factory. Plane and crew were sent to Tinian. They were awakened on August 5 shortly before midnight for a briefing in which they learned they would be dropping a bomb. The plane took off at 2:45 a.m. and at 8:15 a.m. local time dropped the atomic bomb “Little Boy” over Hiroshima. He radioed messages in Morse code to President Truman: "Results excellent". At 20, he was the youngest crew member and later received the Silver Star and Air Medal.