Using a $500,000 grant from the federal Save America’s Treasures organization that has been matched by all but $150,000 in private donations, work has been done to stabilize and restore the two buildings on the north and south sides of the Enola Gay hangar that were in danger of collapsing. The past few months have seen some acceleration. Since taking over managing the airfield and forming the nonprofit to find money to preserve and restore some of the remaining buildings in 2001, Petersen has slowly seen progress.
The hangar and much of the base that once consisted of 668 buildings housing 20,000 soldiers fell into disrepair. The famous planes were used to drop those bombs. Crew members of the 509th Composite Group trained here to drop the first atomic bombs on Japan that ended World War II in 1945. The two huge planes were part of a secret mission that started in December of 1944.
Peterson and Wendover Historic Airfield President Jim Petersen are among those trying to protect the hangar built to house the Enola Gay and Bockscar B-29 Superfortresses, honoring the legacy of the “old boys” who trained here.
WENDOVER - When Culp Construction supervisor Jim Peterson comes into the pitch-black Enola Gay hangar to begin work, he says he often hears unusual sounds different from the ubiquitous pigeons that haunt the aging building.
