That morning, military personnel gathered everyone at the base theater.
During the flight, Oscar enjoyed visiting with pilots, seeing familiar landmarks, and spending time with fellow veterans. Yet when asked what stands out most from his journey from age 17 to 101, his answer returns to where it all began. "Lots of memories training to be in the Army Air Corps," he said. "I knew that is what I wanted to do—fly planes."
"They told us at 10 a.m. that they were going to announce at 2 p.m. that afternoon that we dropped the bomb on Hiroshima," he said.
Only then did the pieces begin to fall into place.
Oscar was among the fleet of aircraft involved in preparations surrounding the historic mission. His plane did not drop the atomic bomb, but he witnessed the aftermath and saw the now- famous mushroom cloud rise into the sky. While many people focused on the military significance of the moment, Oscar's thoughts were elsewhere. "For two weeks or better, we sent four planes dropping leaflets," he said. "I often wondered if anyone paid attention to them and got out. We had no way of knowing." More than 80 years later, that remains one of his strongest memories from the experience.
If given the chance to speak to that young man who walked into the recruiting office more than eight decades ago, Oscar would not change a thing. "Join the Army," he said. "It helped me live through the Depression and gave me a college education. I would not change that. They treated me so well." At 101, Oscar Masters is still answering the call— not through military service, but by sharing a story that reminds us of the courage, sacrifice, and determination of a generation that helped shape the world we know today.
Recently, Oscar was recognized through an Honor Flight alongside fellow veterans. The experience offered an opportunity to reflect on a life that has spanned more than a century. "I have been a very fortunate man to be able to survive this long in good health, to still be able to walk and get around good," he said. "It's been a blessing to me, and I appreciate the Lord giving me this ability."
Scan to see Oscar’s Honor Flight experience as featured on Yahoo! News.
Scan to hear Oscar’s firsthand account of training for the atomic bomb missions that helped end World War II.
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