Kudos for story on a great American

I want to give kudos to the Daily Herald for putting the obituary for Gen. Paul Tibbetts on the front page of your newspaper. Of the other major Chicago dailies, one buried it in the back of the paper; the other put it as a small byline on the bottom of the front page.

Col. Tibbetts (his rank at the time), was a great American. He saved a million American lives and millions of Japanese lives by dropping the bomb.

A lot of people would say, "This guy is crazy for admiring a man who would kill or wound 140,000 human beings," but Paul Tibbetts was a good soldier who knew his duty and was fully aware of the magnitude of what he had done.

He was not ashamed of dropping the bomb. He said himself, "I did my duty, I have no regrets."

It is a shame that he could not be given the patriotic and emotional send-off he deserved. Maybe we could name an airfield or airport after him so that future generations could honor his memory.

Here's to you, Gen. Paul Warfield Tibbetts. American heroes like you come along once in a lifetime. You saved countless lives and ended a long and difficult war. The United States is in your debt.

Rest well, old soldier. God bless you!

Karl A. Johnson

Bensenville