VJ Day: The Forgotten War

newstatesman ^ | Aug 15 | By David Reynolds

[RandFan]

Today marks VICTORY over Japan day Freepers and I've linked a lengthy article if anyone wants to read more

From wiki:

'The surrender of the Empire of Japan in World War II was announced by Emperor Hirohito on 15 August and formally signed on 2 September 1945, ending the war. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) was incapable of conducting major operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent. Together with the United Kingdom and China, the United States called for the unconditional surrender of Japan in the Potsdam Declaration on 26 July 1945—the alternative being "prompt and utter destruction".'

[struggle]

The Japanese certainly haven’t forgotten https://www.youtube.com/live/Jas7iLs0r2o?feature=shared

[BHI2025]

Forgotten? More ridiculous words have seldom been written.

Perhaps the words “President Biden” compare.

[Tudorfly]

Had the Japanese nor surrendered, it is a strong possibility that my B-29 crew member dad would not have lived to sire me, my brother or my sister. Forgotten? Nope.

[dpetty121263]

War in the Pacific was in my opinion the more important war, Germany was already on the rocks as by 1943 the German army was finished as the Battle of Kursk was the turning point. Japan’s Army was mostly intact, what broke the Japanese was the Submarine war and many really bad decisions of the IJ Navy.

[LouAvul]

Our invasion of Japan had already been planned. Operation downfall. Estimates were that an additional 1,000,000 American lives would be lost with many times that Japanese. The link here

[KingLudd]

Lemay said that he could have firebombed them with 5,000 bombers - three attacks per day which would have killed millions and ended the war without the use of the A-bombs or an invasion.

[DesertRhino]

Good. I hope they haven’t forgotten. That video clip you posted started with a advertisement for Subaru. Back then Subaru was Nakajima, and they were building fighter planes to kill people. Since they got that good solid ass kicking we’ve been really nice people. Now they’re all hello kitty, sushi, Ramen noodles, nice cars and electronics.
They aren’t bad people, just took a couple of nukes and a major attitude adjustment. Too bad it didn’t quite take on the Germans.

[Theophilus]

A merciful end from a merciful God!

[DesertRhino]

Yeah, and that would’ve lasted another year, killed far more civilians than the atomic bombs, our boys would’ve had to been away from home for another year. Our Air Force guys in the European theater would’ve had to move over to the pacific and start a whole new war.

And Leemay was somewhat of a lunatic. An air campaign without an invasion would’ve never ended the war. Also, why the big worry and another year of misery just to prevent two a-bombs? The fire bombing of Tokyo was far more devastating and lethal. And his plan was to do that again and again for another year?

Our men needed to get home. They always lost years of their life because of Japan.

[Vermont Lt]

I had two uncles in the Pacific.

They would question the characterization of their time there as a “footnote.”

[Vermont Lt]

There wasn’t much left to firebomb. By the middle of ‘45 more fliers were dying ferrying the planes to the Pacific than were lost over Japan. There was no resistance in the air.

That said, Okinawa proved what an invasion would look like.

Dropping the bomb was the “cleanest dirty shirt” in a drawer full of really dirty shirts.

[dfwgator]

Korea is truly the “Forgotten War”. Many of those soldiers, wound up fighting in Korea a few years later.

[Captain Walker]

By the middle of ‘45 more fliers were dying ferrying the planes to the Pacific than were lost over Japan.

The B-29 was arguably a death trap; there was a disproportionate loss of life among aircrews to engine failures and engine fires.

Had there not been a war raging (that could offer some justification for the incredible risks involved in serving on that plane), the B-29 would never have been allowed off the ground.

[DuncanWaring]

No, he said it might, with emphasis on the "might", end the war without an invasion.

[ABN 505]

My brother lived in Japan for 8 years. He talked often about how wonderful and pleasant the country and people were. As a reader of military history and familiar with Japanese atrocity's and treatment of “others” I finally told him they are nice now because we forced them to be nice, anything wonderful about them now is do to being Americanized. He did not appreciate that.

[ABN 505]

Moosup Ct. will hold it’s 63rd annual Victory over Japan Parade this weekend. We remember.

[oldbill]

80 years ago today I was in Times Square on VJ Day.
I’m one of those little dots next to the copy of the Statue of Liberty in the picture.

[fidelis]

"Now they’re all hello kitty, sushi, Ramen noodles, nice cars and electronics."

And Bluegrass!

Redbull - Fox On the Run

[shotgun]

Question for all of the Freeper historians: Why didn’t the US use the chain of Alaskan islands to set up airbases so they could attack the Japanese mainland, instead of island hopping through the meat grinders in the pacific?