Of the many people who have contributed to creating this tribute website we acknowledge first Mr. Shigeaki Mori. In addition to his decades-long research, publications, and outreach, Mr. Mori provides this English translation of his book to all of us without charge to the readers. Added to the unquestionable virtues of hard work, diligence, and unlimited empathy for mankind now—and for what it will become—is Mr. Mori’s generosity. If awareness was a coin of the realm, he would be solely responsible for considerable distributed wealth. With him in all his indefatigable endeavors, his wife, Kayoko Mori, has maintained her support with enviable strength and boundless grace.

Foremost in the mind of one of the Editors (MS) are the generous gifts, too numerous and meaningful to capture here that came from the of friendships of Tom and Carolyn Cartwright. Their patience and willingness to share Tom’s wartime history were generously given, and that is true of their children’s assistance with this project, as well. We acknowledge (son) Tom Cartwright, Susan Prescott, Clarke Abbey, and Dr. Pat Cartwright. We respectfully acknowledge their own cherished memories of Tom and Carolyn, which include considerable respect for their unfailing dedication to family and lifelong achievements that are entirely separate from Tom’s wartime experiences.

The assistance of Lonesome Lady Pilot Lt. Emil Turek, through the sharing of his wartime records and memorabilia by his daughter, Barbara English, and his granddaughter, Laurel Cadiz, cannot be over-emphasized. Mr. Turek led his men in combat, and led them in peacetime to maintain correspondence with each other and to come together to celebrate their families and post-war careers. Laurel and Barbara, and Barbara’s brothers Donald and David, shared their memories of Emil and Rose.

The 7th USAAF 494th Bombardment Group Histories, Volumes 1 (ed., Briton Martin) and 2 (Eds., Dave Rodgers and Charley Wilcox) were also valuable sources of information. These and many National Archive photographs of the 494th in Angaur were made available to us by 494th Group Historian Mr. Jim Leddy, whose father, James, was a decorated veteran of the 494th BG.

Significant contributions to this publication were made by a few of the American men who had a role in its history. Of those directly contributing, 866th Bomb Squadron Taloa Navigator Lt. Rolf Slen of Fargo, ND, has been particularly helpful the past several years in describing his friends and comrades who participated in the Haruna bombing mission, including his close friend Larry Falls who died aboard the Taloa, and men who have died in the 74 years since that mission. Mr. Slen and wife Elizabeth very kindly shared old records, memoirs, and much more. Pilot, Lt. Samuel Maloney, at the Davidson College Pines near Charlottesville, NC, has been generous with his written and stated memories of the men of the 866th. More than 90 years of age and 73 years after being a member of Tom and Carolyn’s Wedding Party, Dr. Maloney has organized briefings and screenings of a documentary about Tom Cartwright and the film Paper Lanterns.

Numerous wartime photographs and records of Joe Dubinsky’s B-24 Crew #49 were provided by the great-nephew of Dubinsky’s co-Pilot Rudolph Flanagin—Michael Flanagin. Michael and Serena learned details of Rudy’s military service and death through this site. They kindly shared with us the personal correspondence between the bereaved mothers of some of the Taloa crewmen.

Amongst the many recognized historians of the beginning of the “atomic age” there are many perspectives and storylines that describe and analyze and judge the atomic bombing of the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Searing perspective comes from very different sources. The Editors gratefully acknowledge a small part of that vast collective body of work, here. Without the willingness of hibakusha to share their experiences and their medical outcomes with us, to speak, write, and draw their histories, humanity would be destined to a poorer future. Mitsuo Kodama in book Hibakusha: A-Bomb Survivor re-lives for us the bombing, the sense of feeling lucky to survive many malignant tumors, he shows his own chromosomal aberrations in his mutated cells. The ABCC and RERF doctors who drew blood and criticism for their work have contributed to this history. Children of the Atomic Bomb, by recently deceased James N. Yamakazi is a memoir and historical record of events that are nearly beyond belief but its reality challenges our notion that we can ignore the past and expect to have a humane future. John Hersey’s Hiroshima and John Swope’s A letter from Japan provided rare early historical perspective of the human tragedies in Japan. Daniel Craig wrote in The Fall of Japan, and POWs who were eyewitnesses spoke of nearly unspeakable atrocities and of valor. Many people would be surprised to learn that after the Japanese Emperor’s surrender speech initiated the ceasefire but before Peace was signed on the deck of the Missouri in Tokyo Bay, men of the Japanese Navy and Army killed each other in armed battle on the ground and in the air over whether or not to stop fighting. These writings give us the chance to know more about the violence that was stopped at the “end of hostilities”. Yet that knowledge sharpens our awareness that we, the people, have not come close to escaping violence against each other.

As this publication is dynamic and content is added over the years, we hope that the contributions of more people will occur and that will certainly be acknowledged.