Photo: WBZ NewsRadio \ Kim Tunnicliffe
HUDSON, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — One World War II veteran turned 101 years old on Thursday and spent his birthday sharing memories at the American Heritage Museum in Hudson.
Russell Phipps spoke with museum-goers recalling his time as a Sergeant in the Army Air Corp during WWII and sharing some unique memories. He was sent to Tinian, an Pacific Ocean island, where he worked on the Enola Gay, the first aircraft to drop an atomic bomb on Hiroshima in Japan.
"Indianapolis had brought it in in two pieces and delivered the parts there and the pieces they left were reassembled on board the Enola Gay during flight," Phipps said.
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Phipps said he doesn't consider himself a hero, just one of the lucky ones that managed to make it home alive. He remembers his friends and brother-in-law, who weren't as lucky.
Phipps is one of the few surviving WWII Veterans to live beyond 100 years old.
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