Today I learned of the death of Paul Tibbets, the hero who piloted the Enola Gay and dropped the first atomic bomb during World War II.  I understand that there are many people who disagree that such drastic actions were necessary.  I, however, do not share that view:  the tens, even hundreds, of thousands that died as a direct consequence of the use of nuclear weapons are but a shadow of the dead that would have resulted from a full-scale invasion of Japan.  Nobody seems willing to talk about how many lives this man SAVED as a result of his single historic mission.  Paul Tibbets died November 1, 2007 at the age of 92 at his home in Columbus, Ohio.