You can say that again.
My Dad was to turn 18 in November of 1945 and thanks to High School ROTC he was a qualified pilot with four years of experience in gliders and powered flight. If not for the bomb he probably would have been flying in the invasion of Japan.
And probably fighting in the “Japanese War”, when Red “North Japan” invaded “South Japan.”
Ditto
My father was an aviation cadet due to graduate in Sept 1945
He was to pilot a B29.........
My Dad was 21 and on the troop transports that were amassing the invasion force when the bombs were dropped ending the war. He became part of the occupation force in Japan after the war and brought home a Japanese silk parachute which became my Mom’s wedding dress!
My brother was killed on Okinawa in April 1945. In Aug. 1945 I was about 7th in line at the supply warehouse to get my battle gear on Leyte for the invasion of Japan. I can truly say I had mixed emotions when a Lt. came out and told us to go back to our tents as the fighting was over. One thought was that even knowing the likelihood of death as a infantry man I would never get the opportunity to avenge my brothers death; on another thought was that I should be glad that as a 19 year old I would be certain to live some more years to go back to college as my brother expressed for/to me. It took a few more years to reconcile the feelings and I did get my university degree. War is hell even if your just a substitute on the sidelines.