Morris R. Jeppson
Encyclopedia
Morris Richard Jeppson was born in Logan, Utah
and was a Second Lieutenant in the Army Air Forces
during World War II
. He served as assistant weaponeer on the Enola Gay
, which dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima
, Japan
on August 6, 1945.
. After enlisting in the United States Army Air Corps
in 1942 at the age of 19 and basic training in Florida
, he received electrical engineering training at Yale University
, Harvard University
and MIT
. He then worked on bomb firing mechanisms with Los Alamos
scientists at Windover, Utah
.
of the U.S. Navy were responsible for arming the atomic bomb "Little Boy
" on the Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber during the flight from Tinian
to Japan. The bomb was protected from premature in-flight detonation by inserting three safety plugs into the electrical connection from its internal battery to the firing mechanism. This was designed to prevent a firing voltage from reaching the mechanism. Each plug was about the size and shape of a car cigarette lighter (approximately three inches in length), with a green cap for the safety plug and a red cap for the arming plug. Jeppson's role was to climb into the bomb bay and remove the three green safety plugs from the bomb and to replace them with the three red plugs just before the aircraft climbed to high altitude close the target area, a job that later caused controversy.
in recognition of his service to his country. During the 1950s he worked as a scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
in California
developing hydrogen thermonuclear weapons. Later in his career, he helped develop several key technological breakthroughs including microwave
technology as well as stabilizers used on helicopters. After retiring from his work as a physicist, Jeppson lived in Las Vegas
with his second wife Mollie.
For many years, Jeppson refused to speak publicly about the Hiroshima mission for fear of reprisal against himself and his family. Starting in 1985, he became more willing to speak about it. On the 40th anniversary of the dropping of the bomb, Jeppson granted an interview and recounted his part in the mission.
In June 2002, a controversy over the sale of a set of safety plugs Jeppson had kept since the mission occurred. After the mission Jeppson had kept one of each in his possession. The plugs were offered for sale in an auction, however the United States Government tried to halt the sale, claiming they were classified secret material. US District Court Judge Susan Illston rejected the claim by the government clearing the way for the sale. The plugs were eventually sold to retired physicist Clay Perkins for $167,000.
A reunion for the 60th anniversary in 2005 which was supposed to take place on the island of Guam
had been in the planning stages, but never materialized.TIME Magazine
published an in-depth issue commemorating the 60th anniversary of the dropping of the bombs on Japan. Jeppson and other crew members gave accounts of their experiences. Jeppson also gave an account of his role in the mission in the BBC drama documentary Hiroshima
in 2005 and his removal of the safety plugs was portrayed by an actor.
is the sole surviving Enola Gay crew member.
Logan, Utah
-Layout of the City:Logan's city grid originates from its Main and Center Street block, with Main Street running north and south, and Center east and west. Each block north, east, south, or west of the origin accumulates in additions of 100 , though some streets have non-numeric names...
and was a Second Lieutenant in the Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He served as assistant weaponeer on the Enola Gay
Enola Gay
Enola Gay is a Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber, named after Enola Gay Tibbets, mother of the pilot, then-Colonel Paul Tibbets. On August 6, 1945, during the final stages of World War II, it became the first aircraft to drop an atomic bomb as a weapon of war...
, which dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
on August 6, 1945.
Early life
Jeppson studied physics at the University of Nevada, RenoUniversity of Nevada, Reno
The University of Nevada, Reno , is a teaching and research university established in 1874 and located in Reno, Nevada, USA...
. After enlisting in the United States Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
in 1942 at the age of 19 and basic training in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, he received electrical engineering training at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
and MIT
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
. He then worked on bomb firing mechanisms with Los Alamos
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos National Laboratory is a United States Department of Energy national laboratory, managed and operated by Los Alamos National Security , located in Los Alamos, New Mexico...
scientists at Windover, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
.
The Hiroshima mission
Second Lieutenant Jeppson, along with then Captain William "Deak" ParsonsWilliam Sterling Parsons
Rear Admiral William Sterling "Deak" Parsons was a naval officer who worked as an ordnance expert on the Manhattan Project during World War II...
of the U.S. Navy were responsible for arming the atomic bomb "Little Boy
Little Boy
"Little Boy" was the codename of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 by the Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay, piloted by Colonel Paul Tibbets of the 393rd Bombardment Squadron, Heavy, of the United States Army Air Forces. It was the first atomic bomb to be used as a weapon...
" on the Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber during the flight from Tinian
Tinian
Tinian is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.-Geography:Tinian is about 5 miles southwest of its sister island, Saipan, from which it is separated by the Saipan Channel. It has a land area of 39 sq.mi....
to Japan. The bomb was protected from premature in-flight detonation by inserting three safety plugs into the electrical connection from its internal battery to the firing mechanism. This was designed to prevent a firing voltage from reaching the mechanism. Each plug was about the size and shape of a car cigarette lighter (approximately three inches in length), with a green cap for the safety plug and a red cap for the arming plug. Jeppson's role was to climb into the bomb bay and remove the three green safety plugs from the bomb and to replace them with the three red plugs just before the aircraft climbed to high altitude close the target area, a job that later caused controversy.
Later life and career
In September 1945, Jeppson was awarded the Silver StarSilver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
in recognition of his service to his country. During the 1950s he worked as a scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory , just outside Livermore, California, is a Federally Funded Research and Development Center founded by the University of California in 1952...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
developing hydrogen thermonuclear weapons. Later in his career, he helped develop several key technological breakthroughs including microwave
Microwave
Microwaves, a subset of radio waves, have wavelengths ranging from as long as one meter to as short as one millimeter, or equivalently, with frequencies between 300 MHz and 300 GHz. This broad definition includes both UHF and EHF , and various sources use different boundaries...
technology as well as stabilizers used on helicopters. After retiring from his work as a physicist, Jeppson lived in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
with his second wife Mollie.
For many years, Jeppson refused to speak publicly about the Hiroshima mission for fear of reprisal against himself and his family. Starting in 1985, he became more willing to speak about it. On the 40th anniversary of the dropping of the bomb, Jeppson granted an interview and recounted his part in the mission.
In June 2002, a controversy over the sale of a set of safety plugs Jeppson had kept since the mission occurred. After the mission Jeppson had kept one of each in his possession. The plugs were offered for sale in an auction, however the United States Government tried to halt the sale, claiming they were classified secret material. US District Court Judge Susan Illston rejected the claim by the government clearing the way for the sale. The plugs were eventually sold to retired physicist Clay Perkins for $167,000.
A reunion for the 60th anniversary in 2005 which was supposed to take place on the island of Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
had been in the planning stages, but never materialized.TIME Magazine
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
published an in-depth issue commemorating the 60th anniversary of the dropping of the bombs on Japan. Jeppson and other crew members gave accounts of their experiences. Jeppson also gave an account of his role in the mission in the BBC drama documentary Hiroshima
Hiroshima: BBC History of World War II
Hiroshima is a dramatized BBC television special documentary film that premiered on August 5, 2005, marking the eve of the sixtieth anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. The program was also aired on the Discovery Channel in the United States. The documentary features reenactments using...
in 2005 and his removal of the safety plugs was portrayed by an actor.
Death
Jeppson died on March 30, 2010 in Las Vegas. He is survived by his wife, brother, three children, five grandchildren and three great grandchildren. With Jeppson's death; Theodore Van KirkTheodore Van Kirk
Theodore Van Kirk is a former United States Army Air Force navigator. He is famous as the navigator of the Enola Gay when it dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima...
is the sole surviving Enola Gay crew member.
See also
- Enola GayEnola GayEnola Gay is a Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber, named after Enola Gay Tibbets, mother of the pilot, then-Colonel Paul Tibbets. On August 6, 1945, during the final stages of World War II, it became the first aircraft to drop an atomic bomb as a weapon of war...
- Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and NagasakiAtomic bombings of Hiroshima and NagasakiDuring the final stages of World War II in 1945, the United States conducted two atomic bombings against the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, the first on August 6, 1945, and the second on August 9, 1945. These two events are the only use of nuclear weapons in war to date.For six months...
External links
- Enola Gay crew member Jeppson remembers famed flight, Las Vegas Sun, 25 May 2000
- Local Veteran Has Place in History, KLAS, 11 November 2003
- Eyewitness to Hiroshima, Time, 1 August 2005
- The Day the Bomb Dropped, Pahrump Valley Times, 5 August 2005
- Sapian Tribune, No Regrets, 6 August 2005
- Interview with Enola Gay crew member Morris Jeppson, The Mainichi Daily News, 4 August 2009
- Morris R. Jeppson's obituary