Posted on 08/06/2008 7:08:42 AM PDT by PurpleMan
This week marks the 63rd anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and the beginning of the end of World War 2. As is usually the case every year we have the stories of those who attack the incident as a war crime. These historical revisionists miss (or ignore) the fact that they are looking back with hindsight and applying modern attitudes to historical times.
(Excerpt) Read more at themoderatevoice.com ...
Don’t confuse the teaching of the Catholic Church with the actions and statements of a relatively few within it.
My Dad was being trained to fight in the mountains of Japan and was aware that the fighting was going to be extremely brutal. Mr. Truman probably saved his life and mine.
The number of Japanese saved by the bombs was most probably in the tens of millions. Truman’s decision was based partly on the experience we had at Iwo Jima and Okinawa. At Okinawa, many Japanese civilians committed suicide. I do not remember the number but it was stunning.
If I had known that today was the Hiroshima anniversary I would have worn my shirt that displays an Atom Bomb exploding in the background with the words “Made in America - Tested in Japan” printed in bold over the Front. :)
“Lots of responsible voices, including senior members of the US military, regarded the bombings as a war crime at the time. “
Is that so? Can you back that up with quotes and sources from Sr. US Military members?
Well, I’m happy that because of the fortitude of those in charge at the time that hundreds of thousands of US troops and MILLIONS of Japanese citizens didn’t have to be butchered in conventional warfare. That’s something to be happy about, isn’t it?
Also, because of the horrific nature of the use of those weapons as demonstrated on Japan, they have thus far not been used again. That’s something to be happy about, isn’t it?
I understand your sentiment...but in today’s atmosphere of politically correct fascism, I’m not going to apologize for being glad that we did what we did. I’m sick and tired of us being portrayed as the bad guys in WWII. I wish it wasn’t necessary, but Japan brought it on itself. I thank God that we responded the way we did, and I thank God for the results we live today.
I will pray we never have to do that again. In the mean time, I will thank God we are the military power we are, and I will strive to be prepared to use those weapons again if necessary.
I assume that you meant to say that they could "kill" the emperor? Captain, from which part of outer space did you get that idea?
You are correct.
Killing babies was not necessary.
That's why when I visited Okinawa and went to the Japanese Naval Underground Headquarters, it was quite chilling to read the correspondence about Japanese women handing their children over to Japanese soldiers to slit their throats so their cries would not disclose their position to the Americans.
And visiting Peace Prayer Park, it was also rather disturbing to hear about the mothers jumping with their children in their arms from the high cliffs onto the rocks and sea below.
Hard to see that island today and think that war ever visited the place.
Last major battle of World War II and not one thing man-made or otherwise was left that was over 24" in height because of the fighting.
And to think, this small island and its people were looked down upon by their fellow countrymen to the north. And this is how viciously they fought for it.
No wonder the last remaining Purple Heart decorations struck for the invasion of Japan were finally used up less than 10 years ago.
No one who knows the history of the period believes that to be the case.
The Imperial Army had issued orders to resist to the last man, and the entire Japanese main island was being prepared with an intricate defense in depth. Civilians were being trained in suicidal warfare and were, like the army, preparing to fight to the last man, woman and child.
Japan was, in NO WAY, on the verge of surrender.
An invasion of Japan would have cost 500,000 - 800,000 American lives and tens of millions of Japanese lives. Those lives were spared by the use of the terrible weapons dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The "Japan was already on the verge of surrender" nonsense is just the latest propaganda sound byte parroted by the anti-Americans who refuse to believe what history tells them.
Yes, I can.
It’s NICE to share a birthday with such an honorable event.
Name two.
L
Bullshit. Don't start what you cannot finish.
What’d the old broads say back atcha?
Then do it.
QED.
They stayed quiet.
They were warned in writing that they were facing 'utter destruction' if they didn't unconditionally surrender.
The refused outright.
I have no sympathy for the Japanese. They still had an army of 2 million men and several thousand aircraft, most of those kamikaze.
Dropping those bombs was not a 'war crime', and not a single Army, Navy, or Air Force officer used those words in that document. If they had, they would have been duty bound to refuse any order to drop them.
Now I suppose we could have waited for the Russians to help us invade Japan, and then had to share administration of Japan with the Soviets. That would have dramatically altered the history of the late 20th Century.
Truman did the right thing.
Anyone saying anything to the contrary is engaging in the worst sort of revisionist history.
L
And yet great numbers of them were relieved not to have their fingerprints on the decision. Gee, I wonder why.
The rest of your carping is nothing but consequentialism and bluster. A war crime it was and remains -- a dishonor to this country and to all who associate themselves with it; America's fully-paid entrance into the culture of death. Your inability to deal with this much truth is not my problem.
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