Qualla: Wendover: Where the Atomic Bomb Crew Trained in Secret https://qualla.com/wendover-enola-gay en-us © 2026 Bendyline Mon, 20 Jul 2026 10:21:05 GMT Qualla serial false Qualla support@bendyline.com yes https://qualla.com/_m/9/r/n/z/wendover-utah-nevada-wk/montego-bay-casino.jpg Qualla: Wendover: Where the Atomic Bomb Crew Trained in Secret https://qualla.com/wendover-enola-gay Wendover: Where the Atomic Bomb Crew Trained in Secret: Introduction https://qualla.com/wendover-enola-gay/ Photo credit Wandering Geographer, Public domain. In 1944, the U.S. Army needed somewhere to train pilots to drop a weapon that didn't officially exist. They chose Wendover, Utah - a speck on the salt flats so remote that even the security-obsessed Manhattan Project deemed it sufficiently invisible. Here, Colonel Paul Tibbets assembled the 509th Composite Group, the unit that would deliver atomic weapons to Japan. For eighteen months, crews practiced specialized maneuvers, dropped dummy bombs called 'pumpkins,' and wondered what they were training for. The answer came on August 6, 1945, when the Enola Gay released Little Boy over Hiroshima. The atomic age began with training runs over Utah salt flats, where the only witnesses were jackrabbits and the occasional bewildered local.

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]]> Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/9/r/n/z/wendover-enola-gay-wk/9rnz-wendover-where-the-atomic-bomb-crew-trained-in-sec-intro.mp3 0:06 1 full Wendover: Where the Atomic Bomb Crew Trained in Secret: The Selection https://qualla.com/wendover-enola-gay/ Photo credit Ray the Rat, CC BY-SA 3.0. Wendover offered what the Manhattan Project required: isolation, good weather, and existing infrastructure. The Army Air Forces had established the base in 1940 for bombing practice; the salt flats provided unlimited clear visibility. When the 509th needed somewhere to practice, ...

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Image: Ray the Rat | CC BY-SA 3.0

]]> Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/9/r/n/z/wendover-enola-gay-wk/9rnz-wendover-where-the-atomic-bomb-crew-trained-in-sec-the-selection.mp3 0:06 2 full Wendover: Where the Atomic Bomb Crew Trained in Secret: The Training https://qualla.com/wendover-enola-gay/ Photo credit Thatotherperson, CC BY-SA 3.0. The 509th practiced what seemed like absurd maneuvers. After releasing their payload, crews executed a 155-degree diving turn, racing away from their own bomb at maximum speed. The reason - escaping the blast radius of a nuclear weapon - wasn't explained. They dropped 'pumpkins,'...

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]]> Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/9/r/n/z/wendover-enola-gay-wk/9rnz-wendover-where-the-atomic-bomb-crew-trained-in-sec-the-training.mp3 0:06 3 full Wendover: Where the Atomic Bomb Crew Trained in Secret: The Men https://qualla.com/wendover-enola-gay/ Photo credit Thatotherperson, CC BY-SA 3.0. Colonel Paul Tibbets handpicked his crews, selecting the best precision bombardiers and pilots available. Many were veterans of European combat; all were subjected to intense security vetting. They trained in B-29 Superfortresses modified for their unique mission - lighter, faste...

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]]> Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/9/r/n/z/wendover-enola-gay-wk/9rnz-wendover-where-the-atomic-bomb-crew-trained-in-sec-the-men.mp3 0:06 4 full Wendover: Where the Atomic Bomb Crew Trained in Secret: The Aftermath https://qualla.com/wendover-enola-gay/ Photo credit Thatotherperson, CC BY-SA 3.0. After the 509th departed for Tinian, Wendover returned to conventional training. The base remained active through the Cold War, hosting various units and test programs. As military needs shifted, Wendover contracted. Today, the Utah side is the Wendover Historic Airfield, preserv...

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]]> Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/9/r/n/z/wendover-enola-gay-wk/9rnz-wendover-where-the-atomic-bomb-crew-trained-in-sec-the-aftermath.mp3 0:06 5 full Wendover: Where the Atomic Bomb Crew Trained in Secret: Visiting Wendover https://qualla.com/wendover-enola-gay/ Photo credit Thatotherperson, CC BY-SA 3.0. Historic Wendover Airfield is located in Wendover, Utah, on Interstate 80 approximately 120 miles west of Salt Lake City. The site includes the original Enola Gay hangar, now housing the 509th Operations Building Museum. Self-guided walking tours cover 56 structures from the WWII...

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]]> Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/9/r/n/z/wendover-enola-gay-wk/9rnz-wendover-where-the-atomic-bomb-crew-trained-in-sec-visiting-wendover.mp3 0:06 6 full