Hiroshima witness McGlohon to inaugurate new WWII collection

ASHEBORO --

John McGlohon in 1942 with his aerial
reconnaissance camera.

Asheboro native John McGlohon’s B-29 reconnaissance aircraft lifted off on August 6, 1945, for what he expected would be a routine flight.

Something big was brewing, but orders to avoid a particular area of Japan did not reach his squadron. The day ended with photographer McGlohon having snapped the only directly-overhead images in the immediate aftermath of the Hiroshima atomic bomb blast.

McGlohon will talk about the events of that historic day at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, August 11, at the Asheboro library. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library, McGlohon’s visit is free and the public is invited.

The event also inaugurates the Robert C. Taylor, Jr., Memorial World War II Collection, which the library received as part of a bequest from the estate of Mr. Taylor’s wife, Randleman native Margaret Cashatt Taylor. Books and DVDS from the collection will be on display and available for checkout during the program.

McGlohon returned home after the war and operated a photography business (many of the company’s photos are included in the library’s online collection). In 1955, he joined the Asheboro Fire Department, and served as Chief from 1961 to 1985. After retiring,  he served on the city council from 1987 to 2005.