Dropping Atomic Bombs on Japan Was Imperative

Self | August 6, 2014 | Self

[353FMG]

>In support of dropping the atomic bombs, historians often cite the inevitability of horrifying casualties if troops had landed on the home islands.<

.
Little is being said about all the POWs and European civilians in Japanese prisoner camps in Indonesia and Philippines who were targeted for execution if the Japanese Army had to leave to defend the homeland.

God Bless Paul Tibbets and the Enola Gay!!

[pikachu]

My father was an officer in the Merchant Marine. When the bombs were dropped, he was preparing a ship for the invasion of the Japanese mainland. His orders were 1) run a ship packed with troops hard aground, 2) help troops disembark, 3) find his own way back to San Francisco to repeat steps 1 and 2. I asked if there would be anyway to re float the grounded ship after the troops were off and he said it would be nearly impossible the way there were going to place the ships. Very glad the bombs were dropped.

[MasterGunner01]

One of my friends was a Navy vet from WW2. He was a motor machinist 2nd class assigned to an LCVP aboard an Attack Transport (APA). His ship was designated for the invasion of Japan in November of 1945. All of the crew and Marines aboard ship felt they were under a certain death sentence. The ship's company had gone through the kamikaze attacks off Okinawa and knew the Japanese were just itching to send these human controlled suicide planes against them during the invasion. The Marines understood that they would have to kill the Japanese soldiers because they would die rather than surrender. Even worse, the Marines would have to kill propagandized civilians who were trying to kill them.

After the second A-bomb was dropped, the Emperor of Japan announced that Japan would surrender. On confirmation, the entire ship's company and Marines felt as if their death sentence had been commuted. They were positively delirious in their joy.

[kidd]

Revisionists claim Japan was seeking surrender...

Japan didn't surrender AFTER the first bomb was dropped. It seems very clear to me that Japan had no intentions of surrendering BEFORE the first bomb was dropped.

How do revisionists address the fact that Japan's irresponsible stubbornness (to not surrender) was a direct contributor of the Nagasaki bomb?

[dfwgator]

You know that would be the subject of a great movie, in the vein of Valkyrie.

[trisham]

"Those who say that we're in a time when there are no heroes,
they just don't know where to look."

~Ronald Reagan

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[kidd]

Furthermore, how could anyone claim that Japan was about to surrender after 200,000-900,000 Japanese lost their lives from firebombing raids conducted before the atomic bombs were dropped?

[Fresh Wind]

I’ve heard liberals say that we should have staged a demonstration of the power of the atomic bomb at some uninhabited location. And had we done so, the Japanese would have been shocked and awed by the demonstration, and would have surrendered, without seeing Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombed.

If we had had more bombs, that might have a worth a try. But we only had two, and we had to make them count. Thank God that two were enough.

[Bill W was a conservative]

My dad (1991-2003), an officer in the Signal Corps was at the time of surrender in Manila and like everyone else was consumed with preparations for the invasion of the Japanese home islands. He recalled the elation and relief with which the news was received. Up till that moment the prevailing mood was one of dread and depression at the thought of the upcoming ordeal.

In 1998 at a book signing in Fairfield, CT I was privileged to deliver a hand written letter from my dad to Gen. Tibbets, expressing his deep, deep gratitude for the important mission he carried out.

[Leaning Right]

I’ve heard liberals say that we should have staged a demonstration of the power of the atomic bomb at some uninhabited location. And had we done so, the Japanese would have been shocked and awed by the demonstration, and would have surrendered, without seeing Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombed.

I've read that argument, and I actually agree with it. Would Japan have surrendered after seeing an uninhabited island nuked? Almost certainly not, but it would have given the USA the moral high ground, and perhaps set an example of how nations should behave.

I also understand the arguments against it. There were only a limited number of A-bombs. And a dud A-bomb would have done nothing but strengthen Japanese resolve. And lastly, 1945 was not an ideal time to be concerned about any moral high ground.

[Hebrews 11:6]

My father was in the 20th Armored Division, which was scheduled to be in the first wave invading Tokyo. 100% casualties were expected. Instead, he lived to 75.

I was born in 1949, and I expect I wouldn't be here today without the A-bombs.

[alexander_busek]

Bottom line we burned more with “conventional” firebombs that with fusion than with fission.

The "Little Boy" and "Fat Man" atomic bombs were fission bombs. Thermonuclear bombs (aka fusion bombs) didn't come until later.

Regards,

[cloudmountain]

I can see that you are really not much of a golfer or you WOULD say "Let's play golf" instead of "Let's go golfing."
Just listen to the announcers at a golf tournament. They NEVER say "golfing" no matter WHAT the grammar books say.

[Radagast the Fool]

Wonderful story! I’m so glad you were able to deliver the letter to General Tibbets. I’m sure he read it, and treasured it.
And thanks to your Father for his Service.

[Fiji Hill]

The only golf I have ever played is miniature golf, and I haven’t gone golfing at a miniature golf course since I was a teenager.

Incidentally, I have heard sports announcers use the term “golfing”—at baseball games, when describing a style of swinging the bat.

[Bill W was a conservative]

When Gen. Tibbets finished reading the (brief) letter, he looked up from the signing table and thanked me for the letter. The look in his eyes was so penetrating, it was almost as if he was trying to make out some connection with my father. Darn near spiritual it was.

[Bill W was a conservative]

Correction . . . My dad (1911-2003) . . .

[Sam Gamgee]

Until now, in the war on Islamists, we have never faced a foe like the Japanese. They were ruthless and despised failure or surrender - which is why they treated American POWs that surrendered in the Philippines so harshly. Their commitment to the Emperor and to victory was so maniacal as to be a religious compulsion. We were dealing with a nation that completely ignored Geneva conventions on warfare. If we invaded the island, with every temporary victory by the Japanese, they would believe the propaganda that they still have a chance to reclaim their empire.

[cloudmountain]

The only golf I have ever played is miniature golf, and I haven’t gone golfing at a miniature golf course since I was a teenager.

My husband got me into golf. He tried to teach me. By the third hole he was screaming and I was crying. About five seconds AFTER THAT he got the teaching pro to instruct me. I've LOVED the game since then.
My husband had a handicap of about EIGHT, which is fabulous. When we lived in Saudi Arabia there was VERY LITTLE to do, so he played A LOT of golf...and got down to SCRATCH!! Wow.

The golf club over there in our little town gave out CRYSTAL decanters and bowls for prizes. I LOVED going to the awards dinners.
That was a long time ago. He's gone now and I give away those lovely pieces of crystal to very special friends for very special events. He would have thought that was a GOOD use of his crystal prizes.

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Incidentally, I have heard sports announcers use the term “golfing”—at baseball games, when describing a style of swinging the bat.

That tells me that those baseball announcers are NOT golfers. :o)

[ex-snook]

"There are many other stories I overheard and could relate, but one consistently repeated theme was how their unit or ship was scheduled for the Japan invasion. They always thanked God they didn’t have to become fodder for that killing machine."

Indeed we did not even celebrate VE day. The Nazis had pretty much folded on our front a week earlier when Hitler killed himself but were active against the Russians. The Japanese awaited us then the bombs sent us home. Yes, we thanked God but also Truman who made the decision to save American lives.