August 6, 2010

The Enola Gay, Bockscar and Grandpa Hoosierboy

My grandpa loved harry Truman. Grandpa Hoosierboy was in the Navy in WWII.  After he graduated from basic training at Great Lakes, he was sent to additional schooling.  There the Marines taught him about land warfare, storming the beaches, etc. Grandpa Hoosierboy was slated to be part of the massive invasion of the home islands of Japan.  Later, unclassified documents would show military experts estimated it would require as many as one million casualties to take Japan.

Chew on that -- 1,000,000 American lives.

Grandpa would claim the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki ended the war and saved lives, both American and Japanese: and most importantly, his own.

Today marks the anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima. In sheer numbers more were killed in the fire bombings of Dresden or Hamburg. More damage was done to Tokyo during the bombing raid of 9-10 of March 1944 when 16 square miles of the city was destroyed and more than 100,000 people lost their lives.

Yet there are some who are appalled that the US used the atomic bomb.  Today marks the first time in 65 years that an American representative will attend the ceremonies at Hiroshima. Some have speculated that Ambassador Roos' visit is a precursor to President Obama's visit to Japan later this year.  Some experts believe Obama will offer a formal apology for using the "bomb" on Japan.

Me, I think my position is more akin to that of President Truman.  He was asked if he was sorry for dropping the bomb. Truman replied he had not yet heard an apology for Pearl Harbor.

The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki resulted in tens of thousands of young men living a full life, raising families, building America into the greatest nation on Earth.

I can live with that.

11 comments:

Rita said...

My very-Libetarian World History Professor years ago was also of the opinion that the bombing of Hiroshima saved millions of lives and stopped a war that would have continued for decades.

There are so many people that cannot see the whole picture, and they never will.

Fuzzy Curmudgeon said...

Stopped the war, didn't they?

That's all I need to know.

Joe said...

As evidence it would be a tough invasion. The Japanese were so stubborn it took TWO bombs to force them to surrender. The Military leadership still wanted to fight.

TheWayfarer said...

Only a fool follows a wolverine into its lair.
There's no denying dropping the bombs ENDED the war and saved the lives of our troops...except by the prog milk-toasts of today stupid enough to feeeeeel instead of think!
I wish I could resurrect Truman, Kennedy and Roosevelt so they could slap the fuck out of these communist wolves in Democrat shepherds clothing (they would, too).

Joe said...

Ted, maybe Truman and Kennedy, but Roosevelt was a commie to the bone -- and his wife was worse.

Anonymous said...

Ya have to admit. It would've been fun watching the old films of the japs jumping off cliffs.

Dick

Joe said...

Yep,

anyone who thinks we should not hav nuke the bastards needs to read up on Iwo Jima, Pelieu and Okinawa.

Dax Montana said...

I can think of a few more places that could use a good nuking.

Just Damn!

Fuzzy Curmudgeon said...

HB,

Anyone who thinks we shouldn't have nuked the bastards should read up on Pearl Harbor.

I still think we should have used nukes in raghead country after 9/11. Make those fuckers glow.

Cappy said...

Why did the liberals wait until most WW2 vets were dead or on the way out to trot out the apologies to Japan?

mts1 said...

My father was in training for the invasion of mainland (?) Japan. Thank you, Mr. Oppenheimer & Co.

Sorry if that sounds cold, but I'm here, and wouldn't be if not for the bomb. As well as millions of others.

Consider everything here that is of original content copyrighted as of March 2005
Powered By Blogger