Early in the morning of August 6, 1945, the B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay lifted-off from the island of Tinian. It’s ultimate destination: Hiroshima, on the Japanese home island of Honshu.

The top-secret mission was led by then-Col. Paul W. Tibbets, who had been preparing for this flight since September of 1944. With him was then-Captain Theodore “Dutch” Van Kirk, who had served as navigator alongside Tibbets during their earlier service in the European and North African campaigns.

As the Enola Gay approached mainland Japan, few realized just how greatly the world was about to change, as the most awesome weapon ever created was about to be deployed for the very first time. The plane neared its target, and Van Kirk, with the bombardier, Tom Ferebee, worked to confirm the winds and aimpoint. At about 9:15, the 10,000-pound bomb, nicknamed “Little Boy,” was released from the plane. Tibbets immediately took the plane into a sharp turn, and sped away. Less than one-minute later, the first atomic bomb exploded over Hiroshima in a brilliant flash of light.

Upon the Enola Gay’s return to Tinian later that afternoon, Tibbets was immediately awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, and Van Kirk the Air Medal. The deployment of the atomic bombs against Hiroshima, and later Nagasaki, were the deciding factors in Emperor Hirohito’s concession to the Allied demands for Japan’s unconditional surrender. Only weeks before, there had been no indication that Japan was prepared to surrender, and in fact, its leaders had insisted they would fight to the end. In light of the ferocity of the Japanese defense of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, this was a threat that had to be taken seriously. Thus, the proposed invasion of Japan forecasted hundreds of thousands of casualties on the American side, and perhaps millions on the Japanese side. The actions of Paul Tibbets and “Dutch” Van Kirk on August 6, 1945, not only helped to bring World War II to a close, they saved thousands of lives, American and Japanese.