Movie star handsome Kermit K. Beahan, sporting a rakish Errol Flynn moustache, was the bombardier on Bockscar, the Silverplate B-29 that dropped the plutonium implosion bomb on Nagasaki. Flying alongside was The Great Artiste as an observation plane. The Artiste was named for Beahan himself and his skill in targeting his Norden bombsight with deadly accuracy. It also apparently referenced his suavity with women, which is clearly evident. The date of the Nagasaki mission, August 9th, 1945, was also Beahan's birthday. He was 27.
The Enola Gay has survived many an anti-nuclear protest and rests at the Smithsonian. The Great Artiste continued in service, I suppose being a lesser-known counterpart to those historical missions. It skidded off the runway at Goose Bay, Labrador, in 1949 and was scrapped.
Here he is with his Texan drawl, sexy slouch and goofy smile in all the youthfulness of total victory: KKB
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