Description:

Jeppson Morris 1922 - 2010 Enola Gay crew member Morris Jeppson pens a reflective, passionate letter



Single page ALS, 8.5" x 11", scripted in the hand of Morris Jeppson on his personal letterhead. Dated "Sept 1, 08", and signed "Morris Jeppson". Faint creasing, else near fine.

Jeppson, a key figure in detonating the Hiroshima bomb, was tasked with entering the bomb bay, removing the weapon's safety plugs, and replacing them with arming plugs. Here he pens a thoughtful and reflective letter to his recipient "Michael". His letter appears to be a response to Michael's inquiry about his choice, and the country's choice, to drop the bomb on Hiroshima. Jeppson's letter resonates with concern, yet also suggests his confidence of the decision made.

His letter is shown in full below:

"Dear Michael,



Thank you for your letter. Answers to your questions follow:

I think about the Enola Gay - Hiroshima mission only when someone asks about it. One can not be happy or glad about a war mission that caused much loss of life and property. But we realize from historical records that the two atomic bombings quickly put an end to a war that, if continued, would likely have necessitated a very long and costly invasion.

Yes, at the time, I did agree with Truman's decision and, with the benefit of years of historical knowledge, completely agree with President Truman now.

Many people and their children and even their grand children have told me over the years that they would not have been born if the WWII had not "ended' on 6 Aug 1945.

My best to you,

Morris Jeppson"

It is always welcoming to hear that there are no absolutes, and that one can always question one's decision years later. It is even more heartening if years later one can say they still believe in their past actions and their decisions (or in the case of Jeppson, his country's decisions and actions).

A lovely letter, and an important one for a WWII collector.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. Shipping and handling costs are competitive as we maintain discounted contracts with FedEx. If you have any questions, contact University Archives prior to bidding. After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item. We currently ship via FedEx but if your purchase is shipping to a P.O. Box, we ship via USPS. All items are insured. We ship from our offices in Westport, CT. We may opt to use a third party shipper for very fragile, bulky or oversized items. Items requiring third party shipping will be denoted in the item description. Packages shipped internationally will have full value declared on shipping form. International buyers will be responsible for any customs fees incurred.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Westport, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 20% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000