Seems with patriotism-mania you have to preface... that this is not in any way whatsoever any kind of defense of recent terrorist actions, not for that matter, a defense of the Japanese war atrocities of World War Two. More, hopefully, a glimpse of the accomplishments of all the Masters Of War, the real enemies of life on earth, no matter what their flag, including the & one.
Hiroshima - August 6, 1945 - 8:15 AM - 100,000+ residents dead immediately...100,000+ more died later -
(bomb nicknamed "little boy")
Nagasaki, 3 days later, killed 73,000 immediately...thousands more died later -
(bomb nicknamed "fat man")
The attack on Pearl Harbor four years earlier was one of the justifications President Truman gave for his decision.
(Comparison: Pearl Harbor - a military base - 3581 military personnel dead)
(In more recent history information has come out suggesting that there might have been prior knowledge of the coming attack, but that it was ignored because the United States wanted to enter the war. This of course couldn't be true.)
Panoramic view of Hiroshima after the explosion:
panoramic view #1
panoramic view #2
panoramic view #3
Translations of Two Leaflets Dropped on Japanese Cities
Shortly after the First Atomic Bomb was Dropped August 6, 1945 :
"To the Japanese people..."
The debate goes on to this day with the people who support the bombing arguing that it was morally justified because it ended the war.
(My take would be to drop the bomb somewhere where the enemy can witness it's effects, with a warning; if necessary a couple of times. Shoot them in the leg first, not right in the face. We are talking hundreds of thousands of innocent lives!! And certainly not drop a second one, again on a civilian population, just 3 days later.Would we stand for any justification at all including ending the war if it was the population of Manhattan we were talking about? And to put this civilian massacre in the same sentence with the attack on the military base at Pearl Harbor is the worst kind of blind-patriotism driven historical stupidity.)
A few days before the bombing, this memorandumwas written,
by Ralph A. Bard, Undersecretary of the
Navy, to Secretary of War Stimson, June 27, 1945
MEMORANDUM ON THE USE OF S-1 BOMB:
"Ever since I have been in touch with this program I
have had a feeling that before the bomb is actually
used against Japan that Japan should have some
preliminary warning for say two or three days in
advance of use. The position of the United States as a
great humanitarian nation and the fair play
attitude of our people generally is responsible in the
main for this feeling.
During recent weeks I have also had the feeling very
definitely that the Japanese government may be
searching for some opportunity which they could
use as a medium of surrender. Following the
three-power conference emissaries from this country
could contact representatives from Japan
somewhere on the China Coast and make representations
with regard to Russia's position and at the same time
give them some information regarding
the proposed use of atomic power, together with
whatever assurances the President might care to make
with regard to the Emperor of Japan and the
treatment of the Japanese nation following
unconditional surrender. It seems quite possible to me
that this presents the opportunity which the Japanese
are looking for.
I don't see that we have anything in particular to
lose in following such a program. The stakes are so
tremendous that it is my opinion very real
consideration should be given to some plan of this
kind. I do not believe under present circumstances
existing that there is anyone in this country
whose evaluation of the chances of the success of such
a program is worth a great deal. The only way to find
out is to try it out."
For more stories regarding the atomic bomb decision....
bomb or not?
Brief filmclip: The Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima
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