Fred Olivi

Frederick J. Olivi, the copilot of the plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki during World War II, died on April 8. Cause of death was not released. He was 82.
The Chicago native enlisted in the Air Force after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. On Aug. 6, 1945, the Enola Gay dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Three days later, Olivi co-piloted the B-29 bomber “Bock’s Car” over Nagasaki and dropped the atomic bomb that killed 73,800 people.
“While thousands died, I feel sure the bomb had to be dropped because if the Americans had been forced to invade Japan, it would have been a bloodbath,” Olivi told the Chicago Sun-Times in 1995.
Olivi served in the Air Force Reserve out of Chicago’s O’Hare International until 1971 when he retired as a lieutenant colonel. He also worked as a manager of bridge operations and maintenance for the city of Chicago. The final years of his life were spent promoting his self-published book, “Decision at Nagasaki: The Mission That Almost Failed.”