[RayChuang88]

But yet, it may have saved one million American lives. Given the fanatical resistance on Iwo Jima and Okinawa, there were real fears of a bloodbath on both sides if the invasion had gone through.

[Stingray51]

It is certainly a widespread belief, then and now. There have always been those who disagreed, including Ike, George Marshall, Wm. Leahy, Curtis LeMay and IIRC Nimitz and MacArthur.

[IAGeezer912]

I worked with a guy who was on a troop ship waiting to invade Japan. He said they all knew it was a suicide mission. The bomb saved his life and every Aug 6th he would sit at his desk and cry because there were those that would have preferred the bomb not be dropped.