Some here had Father’s, Uncles, and other relatives who fought, and some died fighting the sometimes savage Japanese in the South Pacific, at sea, the Aleutian Islands,and other places. No apology.
My Dad was in a Philippine staging area waiting for invasion orders for Japan. Thanks to Harry Truman for ordering the A bombing of Japan. No apology.
“My Dad was in a Philippine staging area waiting for invasion orders for Japan. Thanks to Harry Truman for ordering the A bombing of Japan. No apology.”
My father was in Honolulu, healing from serious injuries on Okinawa after 45 days of combat. He was ready to go back to full duty, when they dropped the bombs.
Folks raised me with idea the bombs probably saved his life.
My mother spent the war years in suburban Lost Angeles, working on planes, with blackouts, etc. fearing invasion from the sea by those dastardly, diabolic japs.
No apologies warranted.
My dad’s airborne regiment (511PIR/11thAB) was the first
of the occupation forces in Japan in Aug 45. My dad
received a serious head wound during the battle for Manila
so he was head was already back in the states. I
had the privilege of interviewing Gen Henry “Butch” Muller
in 2001 about his part as the chief planner (G2) for the
Los Banos Raid, the most successful prisoner rescue of WWll.
By the end of the war he was Asst G2 of the US 8th Army.
He told me that his main job was to collect data and
evaluate how many casualties the 8th Army might incur in
an invasion of Japan. He indicated about 90K for the
8th Army alone when I asked him.