....and a lot of Japanese lives as well.
Bears repeating. Either of the two likely alternatives -- firebombing them into submission, or an invasion of Japan -- would have cost millions of Japanese lives, not to mention widespread destruction of their homeland.
The Battle of Okinawa, where 60,000 to 70,000 Japanese military and 150,000 Japanese civilians lost their lives was a hint of what horrors might have been -- multiplied by ten to fifty the number of casualties -- if not for the capitulation of Japan following the A-Bomb attacks.
Mr. Tibbets probably did sleep well at night, and why not. We WERE at war.
I pray he's resting in the arms of Jesus now.