Posted on 08/10/2010 9:48:43 PM PDT by slapshot
Pres Truman Thank you for the hard decisions that allowed my grandpa to live
I second that
Please elaborate.
Nevermind my request for elaboration if you meant his use of the bombs in Japan. He saved the USA from bankruptcy and ended the war by not being bullied by political correctness that haunts us today in our fighting wars.
My Dad turned 18 in January of 1945. Uncle Sam pulled him out of high school.(He never finished)They had him prepping for the invasion of Japan. Thank you Mr. Truman.
“Please elaborate.”
Simple. Each island battle had been very costly in American lives.
More costly in Jap military lives, and native residents, such as Okinawa.
My Dad was healing at a Honolulu hospital, from a wound suffered landing and invading Okinawa.
He would have been among those Marines to land on Japan’s main islands, were it not for the nuclear bombs.
Estimated casualties for Americans numbered in the hundreds of thousands; perhaps topping half a million.
Without the nuclear bombs the Japs would not surrender.
The two bombs saved many human lives—Americans plus Japanese.
And those two bombs may have averted wars that could have followed.
I consider Truman’s tough decision correct, and an act of humanitarianism.
My uncle was in just about that same situation. My mother was 12 and even though he wasn’t there to complete his senior year, they said he had enough credits and she was able to go up on the stage and get his diploma for him. She said she was sad at the time that they didn’t know where he was or if he was ok, but she was so proud. Being 12 she was also a little embarrassed at all of the attention, clapping and cheering she (he) was getting and it is a day she will never forget.
I am not moved by pondering Japanese civilians deaths.
I am not moved by pondering German civilians deaths.
That is the result of war.
We are doing ourselves no favors, fretting over civilian death in our current wars.
Japanese, Germans and radical islam sought to inflict civillians’ deaths.
Nanking, London bombing, Twin Towers.
We are justified to return fire on the enemy, military and civilians, until it is finished.
Japan and Germany have caused no further trouble; proof of the wisdom of winning decisively.
Oh, had Truman not made the decision that he did, the world would look much different, US and Japan would have spend millions in precious blood, and the bad feeling that would never have been healed.
People should take note of lessons history teaches.
Example: What drove Japan, and why would defeating Japan have been so ‘expensive’?
I believe the answer is religious convictions ingrained in the culture.
Now think of Islam, and what we face today? Makes Japan look like a Sunday Picnic. Just an observation.
I agree with everything you said. I know this is just one story, but when I was in high school we had a Japanese exchange student down the road and we became friends. On Dec 7th she came up to me and apologized! I was caught a little off guard, only 15, and being my stupid high school self, I said “Don’t worry we got you back later.” We just kind of left it at that. Later, I told her that wasn’t a very nice thing for me to have said. She said to me “well, it was true. My parents told me we (Japan) would have never surrendered without the Atom bomb. They were being told an invasion was immenant and civilians were also expected to fight.” Her parent’s families were also on the verge of starvation if the war went on, all resources went to the military. We kind of came to an agreement that the carnage left by the atomic bombs was the only possible decision Truman could have made.
My dad was on a ship headed toward mainland Japan for the ground invasion. He would have been one of the first ones off the boat.
I would never have been born.
Thanks Mr. Truman, indeed.
He told me many times over that I would not have been born if not for Truman and nuking the Japs..............
He was in prep for the invasion of Japan, I believed him..............
“Concur completely. My dad was in on the invasion of Guadalcanal, Guam, and Okinawa. He as a Navy Corpsman. That should say it all.
He told me many times over that I would not have been born if not for Truman and nuking the Japs..............
He was in prep for the invasion of Japan, I believed him..............”
My Dad was injured on Okinawa, and didn’t talk much about war. It was my mother who explained that he would be headed to Japan, had an invasion been next.
He drove an amphibious tank, enlisted at age 17 and was out before his 20th birthday. A young WWII purple heart vet.
He talked about how proud he was to be a Marine, but not about war.
that I did
Nuff said
I have a feeling that HST would not approve of today’s Dem party.
HST’s failure to stop Communism is precisely the reason for the makeup of today’s Dem party. At least he had the nerve to drop the bomb.
I was 11 years old, March 25,1945. I learned to like President Truman more and more as I grew to understand those times.
He was born in Missouri, and so was I.
I loved it when, after winning the election, he held up the headlines; “Dewey wins by a landslide.”
We all loved his: “The buck stops here.” He did not pass the buck.
Remember what he said to the pilot of Enola Gay? “If anyone asks who told you to drop the A-bomb?” “Tell them: I did.”
History was made when asked, “Do you thing there should be a nation for Israel?” He answered, yes there should be!”
Yes we should all be thankful that Harry Truman was very decisive!
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