Nuclear Museum Logo
Nuclear Museum Logo

National Museum of Nuclear Science & History

Captain William Downey served as the Protestant chaplain for the 509th Composite Group and led the crew of the Enola Gay in prayer before they departed for Hiroshima. Throughout his life, Downey maintained a relationship with the members of the group.

William Downey. Courtesy of the Joseph Papalia Collection.

Related Profiles

H. G. Williams

University of California, Berkeley

H. G. Williams worked for Clinton Laboratories at the X-10 Reactor.

James H. Palmer

Hanford, WA

D. E. Purcell

Hanford, WA

Howard Bush

Los Alamos, NM