| Frederick Lincoln Ashworth | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Nickname | "Dick" |
| Born | 24 January 1912 |
| Died | 3 December 2005 (aged 93) |
| Place of birth | Beverly, Massachusetts |
| Place of death | Phoenix, Arizona |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/branch | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1933-1968 |
| Rank |
 Vice admiral |
| Unit |
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| Battles/wars |
World War II Cold War |
| Awards |
Distinguished Service Medal (2) Silver Star Legion of Merit (2) Bronze Star Medal |
Vice Admiral Frederick Lincoln "Dick" Ashworth (January 24, 1912 – December 3, 2005) was a United States Navy officer who served as the weaponeer on the B-29 Bockscar that dropped the atomic bomb "Fat Man" on Nagasaki, Japan on August 9, 1945, during World War II.
Early life[]
A native of Beverly, Massachusetts, Ashworth graduated from Beverly High School in 1928. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1933.
[]
Holding the rank of commander, he became Director of Operations for Project Alberta, the portion of the Manhattan Project tasked with dropping of the weapons on Japan, and selected Tinian as the location of its operating airbase. The director of Project Alberta, Captain William Parsons, had been weaponeer during the first mission August 6, when Hiroshima had been bombed. Prior to his being named to Project Alberta, Ashworth had been commander of Torpedo Squadron Eleven (VT-11), a Grumman TBF Avenger unit based on Guadalcanal and the USS Hornet. Ashworth remained in the Navy after the war and was Commandant of Midshipmen at the United States Naval Academy in 1958. He was promoted to vice admiral and served as commander of the United States Sixth Fleet from 1966 until his retirement in 1968.
Retirement[]
Frederick L. Ashworth lived for over three decades in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He died in Phoenix, Arizona at the age of 93.
Decorations[]
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| Naval Aviator Badge | |||||||||||||
| 1st Row | Navy Distinguished Service Medal with Gold Star | ||||||||||||
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| 2nd Row | Silver Star | Legion of Merit with Gold Star | Distinguished Flying Cross | ||||||||||
| 3rd Row | Bronze Star Medal with "V" Device | Joint Service Commendation Medal | Navy Unit Commendation | ||||||||||
| 4th Row | American Defense Service Medal | American Campaign Medal | Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with four service stars | ||||||||||
| 5th Row | World War II Victory Medal | China Service Medal | National Defense Service Medal with service star | ||||||||||
References[]
- Brown, Edward R. What Only Two Could Do: Frederick Lincoln Ashworth, a Beverly High School Graduate and the Delivery of the Atomic Bomb. Beverly, Mass.: Beverly Historical Society, 2006.
External links[]
The original article can be found at Frederick Ashworth and the edit history here.