Posted on 07/23/2005 5:58:17 PM PDT by T-Bird45
Sixty years later, the debate still rages. Was America right to drop the atomic bomb - both bombs? Did it truly face the prospect of a full-scale invasion of Japan which some estimated would result in a million casualties? Or was Japan's imperial army, despite its astonishing savagery and unwillingness to surrender, on the brink of capitulation? Can the mass slaughter and irradiation of civilians without warning ever have been justified?
The man who built the A-bombs, scientist Robert Oppenheimer, and the man who used them, President Harry Truman, are both long dead. But the men who were physically close to one of the pivotal moments of the 20th century still live with the consequences.
General Paul Tibbets, who commanded the Enola Gay, the B-29 Superfortress he named after his mother, is now 90 and living in Columbus, Ohio. The Enola Gay's mission over Hiroshima was so secret that Tibbets was given cyanide pills, one for each of the crew, so they could commit suicide if they fell into Japanese hands.
Many of the Japanese children who felt the wrath of the bomb, Little Boy, when it exploded are still alive, too. As might be expected, nearly all of them condemn the use of the A-bomb as unethical. Yet many acknowledge that in 1945 they were ready to fight to the death with bamboo spears, and dreamt of joining Japan's military machine, perhaps as Zero fighter pilots, kamikaze suicide bombers. Whether they would have done the same as Tibbets in his position is a question some cannot, or will not, answer.
The issue will be hard to duck on 6 August when Keijiro Matsushima, 76, a survivor of the Hiroshima bomb, visits Tinian Island, the US base in the Pacific, to commemorate the Enola Gay's flight 60 years before. He is expected to come face to face with US veterans who crewed the warplane that day, though Tibbets himself cannot go due to ill health. Mr Matsushima, a fluent English speaker and frequent visitor to America, was at school in Hiroshima on 6 August 1945: 'I remember thinking, "Did they drop thousands and thousands of fire bombs in a moment?" People's hair was sticking up, or they had lost their hair. Their whole bodies had been smoked to almost charcoal and their clothes were singed or torn. Their skin was peeling off and you could see red muscle.
'Without exception they stretched their arms out in front of them and were walking very slowly, marching like ghosts. I saw many 12- and 13-year-old boys and girls heavily burnt among those victims. When I think of these boys and girls, I can't stop the tears.'
And yet Mr Matsushima, whose brother, Kanngo, was a Zero fighter pilot, said he too had craved the fight against America. 'All Japanese boys wanted to join the military in those days. When I walked out of the city I could see both sides of the river burning phosphorus. Big smoke had covered the whole city, rising up, and I thought, "Hey, the Americans invented a real tough weapon. It's very hard to win this war." At the same time I never believed in surrender either. We were ready for suicide attacks.'
Would he have dropped the A-bomb? 'I tell American people I don't think we can blame you. This was during the war, when people become mad to kill the enemy. If Japan had an A-bomb we might have dropped it into New York. Do we have to thank them for dropping the A-bomb on Hiroshima? I don't think so. I can't say that.'
Pressed on whether he would have done as Tibbets did, Mr Matsushima raised his hands and said: 'This time I will reject that. I know that some of the pilots of the Enola Gay say, "If I was told to carry the A-bomb again I would do it, because that was our job." But I don't think I can welcome this opinion.
'Sixty years ago maybe the pilots of the Enola Gay had to do that because it was their duty but, after all, they killed men and women, young and old, and even children and babies.
'If I see them on Tinian Island, what shall I tell them? "I understand you did your job during the war so I don't blame you. But I just hope you will be able to mourn the victims of Hiroshima and have a drop of tear for the victims. Please co-operate to stop the third use of it in this world".'
As a result of the A-bomb, Akihiro Takahashi, who turns 74 this week, has no ears, suffers chronic liver disease and cannot fully raise his right arm with its claw-like hand, and his body still has shards of window pane embedded.
A couple of years ago he met Paul Tibbets in Washington. 'I told him "I'm not going to complain or hold a grudge against you." I pushed my right hand towards him and he noticed the burns on my hand. He asked, "Is this the effect of the A-bomb?" I said, "Yes". He looked surprised and shocked.
'I told him the sky over Hiroshima that day was so beautiful, so clear. We felt safe because the alarm was called off at the time. I told him I was even pointing at your airplane. He said, "Oh yes, I could see Hiroshima very well."
'Before departing, I told him, "We believe as citizens of Hiroshima that nuclear weapons are an absolute evil, and this tragedy should not be repeated in any country in the world. I hope you will try whatever you can do." He responded, "Mr Takahashi, I understand, but I know I would do the same thing once a war has started and I am ordered to drop the A-bomb." I felt angry and also sad. But he also told me war shouldn't happen again because, once a war breaks out, soldiers can do nothing but follow orders.
'The conversation lasted half an hour and he kept holding my right hand. I believe he felt some pain and remorse in his heart. But when I told a friend, he said, "I doubt it".'
Tibbets was unavailable for comment, but in a 2002 interview he insisted that he had no regrets: 'You're gonna kill innocent people at the same time, but we've never fought a damn war anywhere in the world where they didn't kill innocent people. If the newspapers would just cut out the shit: "You've killed so many civilians." That's their tough luck for being there.'
An associate of Tibbets, Ed Humphreys, of the Enola Gay Remembered website, replied to a written request from The Observer: 'The general recently met a Japanese aviator who was scheduled to fly a kamikaze mission on 17 August. He is planning to translate [Tibbets's memoir] Return of The Enola Gay into Japanese for sale in Japan so they can know more about the truth and wisdom of using the bomb to stop the killing.'
Humphreys added: 'The US picked Hiroshima and Nagasaki because those cities contained over 100 viable military targets. I am not minimising the suffering of the Japanese people. However, if roles were reversed do you think the Japanese would have used the bomb on the United States?
'The general has told me on several occasions he was not at war with the Japanese people, he was at war with the samurai. They were far more ruthless than the terrorists we battle today.
'I thank God our brave solders like General Tibbets rose to the occasion to bring an end to the killing.'
The Japanese of the WW2 era that are still living can never apologize adequately for their actions against American prisoners of war and the atrocities committed against the Chinese-in particular the Rape of Nanking.
They brought retribution on themselves and deserved it.
We wouldn't have done it anyway.
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
This is the mentality of the media. Warn the enemy about where and when they will be attacked.
If I'm not mistaken the fire bombing of Dresden killed more people, but you don't hear a peep about it. Was it a terrible thing to happen? Yes, but that doesn't mean it wasn't the best option. Why that is so hard for some people to grasp I will never understand.
"My Dad was stationed on Okinawa and would most likely have been in the first wave in an invasion. Need I say more?"
My fiancees grandfather was a Marine stationed at Pearl Harbor during the attack, and fought through the Pacific campaign... He died before I could meet him, but I doubt he'd be wringing his hands. The Japanese fought very, very brutally and showed no quarter to military OR civillian.
If you want to hear about brutalized civillains, look into what the Japanese did in Korea and China... and how they cannibalized captured Americans, flaying, cooking, and eating their thighs.
It was a disgusting war, and it had to be won at all costs.
Zackly. In response to some "No more Hiroshima" bumper stickers in California, someone came up with a response: "You first - no more Pearl Harbors."
I saw a very interesting documentary recently about WWII Japan and it seems that a coup was underway. The A-bomb made up the emperor's mind before the coup could get going. If we had waited, there might have been many more problems.
I had almost forgotten that it's coming up on National Pretendwedidntstartthewar Day in Japan.
Konichiwa! Have a happy Pretendwedidntstartthewar Day!
Yep. Glad you're on the same page.
I'm not sure how many people know and/or understand
history anymore.
And you weep for Nanking? How about Pearl Harbor? The prisoners in your camps that you did horrible things to? For developing biological warfare weapons to use against us?
Do you weep for that?
I am sorry that you were so determined to be such a barbarous bunch that such measures were necessary.
I was thinking the same thing. Considering he had a nuclear bomb dropped on him, he's taking it pretty well. Better than some people here in America do.
- ThreeTracks
Yes. A group of junior officers led a force of over 1000 in search of Emperor Hirohito's recorded surrender the night before it was to be broadcast; they ransacked most of the Imperial Palace before they were finally driven off. Had the found them, or killed Hirohito, Operation Olympic would probably have happened, to the tune of millions of dead.
So did several different firebombings in Japan.
My F-I-L was in the Signal Corps in the Pacific Theater and was part of the Occupation after the war. He told us about the abortive raid on the Imperial Palace and how it very nearly succeeded.
His orders were cut for the invasion of mainland Japan when Truman dropped the bombs.
My dad had HIS orders cut to proceed from Italy to the Pacific at the time.
I'm glad they dropped 'em, because I probably wouldn't be here, and my husband DEFINITELY wouldn't be here.
Next time, guys, don't start a war if you don't want to get hit with everything we've got.
Hope it doesn't come to that this time around .. . because with all these whingers and hand-wringers I'm not sure we've still got the nerve to do what needs to be done.
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