No Apologies for the Bomb: History easily justifies what was done in Hiroshima & Nagasaki

American Thinker ^ | 08/06/2013 | Roger D. Luchs

[SeekAndFind]

August 6, 2013 marks the 68th anniversary of the first use of an atomic bomb, and August 9th the last. Japan did not surrender for five days after Nagasaki was bombed, during which time the Soviet Union declared war and the Americans conducted additional, conventional firebombing raids on a Japanese city. Emperor Hirohito was asked to break a deadlock in the imperial cabinet that had blocked an unconditional surrender up to that point.

To this day, Harry Truman is viewed by ardent critics as a war criminal and the United States is deemed as being stained by a sin as indelible as slavery. In fact, last November, a "documentary" on Hiroshima and its aftermath produced by Oliver Stone was shown on television and, as might be expected, it presented the standard apologist's take on the history surrounding Truman's decision to use nuclear bombs.

To quote Stone from an interview he gave to the Stanford Daily earlier this year, his production was intended to "cause Americans to rethink your history ... because you're not the indispensable, benevolent nation that we pretend to be." He might have gotten his facts straight before making such an arrogant and ignorant comment, but as we know from his past works, facts seem to get in the way of his agenda.

[fwdude]

Without using the bomb, Japan would just be another Iraq and Afghanistan.

[nascarnation]

For sure.
Just finished Gen Curtis LeMay’s book about the B-29s.
Highly recommended.

[dirtboy]

My grandfather survived the kamikaze attack on the Bunker Hill during Okinawa. Hundreds of his shipmates did not. Because of the A-bomb, the Bunker Hill never had to return to combat duty for the invasion of the Japanese Home Islands. In other words, he quite possibly could have been killed otherwise.

Screw the peacenik revisionists.

[AzSteven]

but as we know from his past works, facts seem to get in the way of his agenda.

Incorrect - Oliver Stone has never let a mere fact stand in the way of his agenda. He sidesteps them or bulls them over, ignoring them completely.

[Resolute Conservative]

You win wars by not only destroying your opponents war machine but also its will to fight. That will to fight is just not in its armies but also it population that backs that machine. Too bad we don’t have any leaders that are willing to take that will from our current enemies but wants to take that will from their own people.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

My dad served with Patton’s Third Army. Upon the surrender of the Germans, he was sent back to the US for more training.

Next stop, the INVASION OF JAPAN! He was Not looking forward to it.

When word of the nukes came everyone in his army base were relieved as they knew the war was over and there would be no need for an invasion.

How many US Army personel would have to die in an invasion of Japan to make a Leftist feel good about not using the bombs?

[Eric in the Ozarks]

My dad survived a C-46 crash in the CBI and had mostly recovered from burns on his back and neck. Before information on the bomb was known, he had been notified that his services would be required again for the invasion. Fortunately for me, he didn't have to go.

[sneakers]

My dad’s battalion was set to participate in the invasion of Japan. If not for the bomb, he probably would have been killed. Casualties would have been extremely high - on both sides. I doubt that I would be here today.

Yep, the peaceniks can stick it where the sun don’t shine.

[campaignPete R-CT]

the American way: we were not attempting to militarily defeat Japan, but rather, occupation and overthrow.

I dissent.

[SeekAndFind]

RE: Next stop, the INVASION OF JAPAN! He was Not looking forward to it.

It was estimated that 250,000 people died in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (COMBINED TOLL ).

Question: How may would have died had the war continued?

[bubbacluck]

If I remember my history correctly, the firebombings of Japanese cities killed more people and did more destruction than the A bombs. I could be wrong, though.

War is hell.

[anoldafvet]

I notice Yahoo has made no mention of this event.

[Carriage Hill]

My Dad did, too, in the 26th Infantry ‘Yankee’ Division Combat Engineers, thru all of Europe and The Battle of The Bulge, where he was shot by a nazi sniper while rescuing downed American Troops. He was sent back to UK and then to US to recoup.

[doyle]

Any regret can easily be negated this way: Japan picked a fight with the wrong nation. Period.

[TalonDJ]

My grandfather was slated to be a forward artillery spotter for the invasion. I am very sure I would not exist without the Bomb.

[SeekAndFind]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_of_Tokyo

Approximately 16 square miles (41 km2) of the city of Tokyo ALONE were destroyed and some 100,000 people are estimated to have died in the resulting firestorm, more IMMEDIATE deaths than either of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

[buffaloguy]

Before he made the decision to drop the bombs he was handed a note with the expected casualties for an invasion of Japan:

6,000,000 Japanese
2,000,000 American

The decision was good.

[TalonDJ]

100% correct. A LOT more.

Many of the larger bombing raids in Germany also killed more.

[SeekAndFind]

I’d really hate to have been Truman.

It was the Devil’s Alternative either way. You drop the bomb, hundreds of thousands die. You do nothing, Millions die.