Atomic Bombing Day

[Bill Greenwood]

Today is the 65 the anniversary of a sad event, the atomic bombing of Nagaaski, 3 days after the Hirohsima bombing.
We went to church yesterday, and the minister mentioned the bombings. I don't have the exact words, but it was to the effect, that he hoped that nuclear weapons were never used again, and that no one ever again has to weigh the lives of hundreds of thousands of Japanese civilians against the lives of American soldiers. That thought struck me.

It is also the day Nixon resigned, and on a better note the day the Civil Rights Bill was signed in '65.

[Steve Nelson]

I was at the NMUSAF on Saturday, and pondered the anniversary while looking at Bock's Car. The waste of lives that culminated with the bombings was sad..but at least they brought the horrible madness to a close.

SN

[The Inspector]

Yes, a sad anniversary of a very serious event. But please keep this little fact in mind, the Purple Heart given to today's wounded in action was originally minted in 1945 to cover Operation Olympus which was to be the land invasion of the home islands.
Do you suppose they were expecting some very high numbers in dead and wounded? Like around a million plus. Among them might have been your dad or my dad, in which case we wouldn't be here reading this would we?

[warbird51]

My Father was on the 3rd Wave to land on Okinawa and he was going to be in the invasion of Japan. if the bomb's hadn't been deployed, I may not be here. I am one of many who are glad to be here because these weapon's were deployed and fianally caused the Japanese people to come to their senses and surrender. I hope that these weapon's never have to be deployed again.

[michaelharadon]

My dad would have been in the invasion fleet. The bombs were dropped and the invasion did not take place. That much we know.

Sometimes I wonder about what we don't know, such as the veracity of all the reports out there that the Japanese Empire had privately revealed to the United States, before the bombs were dropped, its willingness to end the war. If our government's motives were as pure as it would like us to believe, and as pure as we sometimes desperately want to believe, then was Nagasaki really necessary? Could the war have ended without even Hiroshima, if those reports are correct? Did revenge for Pearl Harbor enter into the decision? Were there other factors we'll never know about?

There's enough going on today that makes me unafraid to question even the iconic moments in our past. Will we ever know the real motives for what goes on?

[tom d. friedman]

interesting to note that yesterday's date was 8 / 9 / 10.......... that date sequence won't happen again for a long time!!

[JimH]

not til 9 / 10 / 11 On a serious note, my Grandfather was deployed from Europe directly to the Phillipines for the possible invasion. Although my dad was born in '43, my grandfather always said if they had to go in we would have never met him. Sobering thought

jim

[Bill Greenwood]

Inspector, your story of the Purple Heart being created for possible invasion caualties in Japan does not seem logical to me, so I went on Wikepedia and found that it is older than that. Check for yourself, and give us your source and findings.

I think you, like many people, have accepted without question , one side of the propaganda re the Bomb and invasion.

[The Inspector]

Bill,
Just repeating what's been mentioned numerous times over the years in the news, in print, and in various documentaries about the end period of the Pacific war, so I guess I'm not the only one with fuzzy info?

[mustangdriver]

The dropping of the atomic bomb is an event that I hope never has to happen again. It is a nasty nasty weapon. However so were the barbaric attacks on the Chinese which murdered millions. The attacks on the Phillipines, the attacks on Pear Harbor, Guam, and Manilla. It was a war we were forced into by bullies that preyed on the weak. I have NEVER and will NEVER feel bad about being the country that ended the war we didn't want, and didn't ask for.

[Steve Nelson]

your story of the Purple Heart being created for possible invasion caualties in Japan does not seem logical to me, so I went on Wikepedia and found that it is older than that.

I don't think he meant the award itself, but rather the actual medals currently in inventory.

SN

[airknocker]

I seem to recall from Martin Caidin's book "Torch To The Enemy" that both A-bombs resulted in less than 1% of the total destruction to Japanese cities by aerial bombing.

[Nathan]

I think those two bombs were just little fire crackers compared to the entire war. War has been around since man. This is one of those topics: bomb vs. no bomb and will turn into a fighting match. Of which I was a sucker to add to it. No hard on.

[mlenoch]

But please keep this little fact in mind, the Purple Heart given to today's wounded in action was originally minted in 1945 to cover Operation Olympus which was to be the land invasion of the home islands.

Just to reiterate the above: the purple heart medals being awarded today, are from a production batch made (minted) in 1945 with the expectation of very high casulties from the home island invasion of Japan.
(Clear as mud?)

VL

[wendovertom]

well, I for one feel the use of the bomb was a totally justifiable means about bringing the war to a quick end. Having interviewed a then 16 year old survivor of Hiroshima who stated he was ready to fight with "sticks and stones" for the emperor - I am sure that operation Olympic would have wiped out at least a generation or two of Japanese civillians besides the Allied casualties.

Here is a link to the ceremonies on August 6, 2010 on Tinian - I was there and it was a very fitting way to mark the occasion.

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/8767849

Tom P.