Adam Interviews: St. John’s Meadows WWII Veteran

Mason Fitch, a member of the St. John’s community since 2014, turned 100 years of age in September.  His memory and knack for storytelling have remained intact. This worked out perfectly for News 8 WROC’s Adam Chodak, who reached out to hear Mason’s perspective as a World War II veteran.

The centenarian now calls the Hawthorne at St. John’s Meadows home with his wife Ginn, of 76 years, who sat by him as he recounted his memories of enlistment, flying 35 dangerous missions for the Army Air Forces, and coming home to start a life after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

One of Fitch’s favorite stories: meeting Paul Tibbets, the man who piloted those two pivotal atomic bomb missions.

“Ginn and I had flown in from England, and we arrived in Rochester,” says Fitch. “Then here is Paul Tibbets in Rochester, and he grabs me and says, ‘Come on out with me, I have a B-29 on the runway, let’s sit in there and talk.'”

Fitch remembers asking Tibbets, “Why the hell did you name that plane the Enola Gay? That is your mother’s name.”

According to Fitch, Tibbets’ response was one that many servicemen could relate to. “He told me that he was a loner,” says Fitch. “He said that he could tell no one, none of the crew, what the U.S. was planning to do. So, he told me to spell Enola backwards.” Alone.

Becoming sentimental, Fitch says that Tibbets felt alone with the knowledge that he would inevitably fly the atomic bomb missions.

Chodak and Fitch spent the afternoon discussing memories of Fitch’s service, which began for him at the age of 19. Following the war, Fitch worked at General Motors as a carburetor engineer. He met Ginn at Asbury Church. They still attend mass every Sunday online with a group of St. John’s Meadows residents. The pair married and had two daughters. One of their daughters, Linda Sutton, told her father before his interview with Chodak, “Dad, it is your responsibility to tell these important stories for the men no longer here.”

Mason and Ginn Fitch take that responsibility very seriously. “We are here today, not speaking German, because of Mason and the men and women who fought,” says Ginn.

Watch the full interview with more stories from Mason Fitch: Adam Interviews: Harrowing tales from local WWII bombardier

Read: “Only light was from the fire on the wing”: Harrowing tales from local WWII bombardier