Observed 4 B-29s crash on take off, thought it might be a good idea to arm it in the air. Practiced all night in the bomb bay prior to take off getting bloody hands.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Sterling_Parsons
Involved with the development of the proximity fuse.
Was on the Indianapolis and gave McVay his orders:
You will sail at high speed to Tinian where your cargo will be taken off by others. You will not be told what the cargo is, but it is to be guarded even after the life of your vessel. If she goes down, save the cargo at all costs, in a lifeboat if necessary. And every day you save on your voyage will cut the length of the war by just that much.[63]
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It was Parsons and not Tibbetts, the pilot, who was in charge of the mission. He approved the choice of Hiroshima as the target, and gave the final approval for the bomb to be released.
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However, on 4 December 1953, Parsons heard of President Dwight Eisenhower’s “blank wall” directive, blocking Oppenheimer from access to classified material. Parsons became visibly upset, and that night began experiencing severe chest pains.[82] The next morning, he went to Bethesda Naval Hospital, where he died while the doctors were still examining him.[83] He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery
Was on the Indianapolis and gave McVay his orders:
You will sail at high speed to Tinian where your cargo will be taken off by others. You will not be told what the cargo is, but it is to be guarded even after the life of your vessel. If she goes down, save the cargo at all costs, in a lifeboat if necessary. And every day you save on your voyage will cut the length of the war by just that much.[63]