60th Anniversary of Hiroshima A-Bomb

[Wino you know]

Talk about it to these brave men

I don't have to-I already DID. Many times. That was my home AND PLACE OF EMPLOYEMENT for 11 years. I saw that place every day, several times a day. The last day I was there was just as eerie as the first. The last day I was there I shed no fewer tears than I did the first.
Sorry-I hope I'm not over-reacting, but this just strikes a nerve with me, since I lived AT one of those places, and just down the road from the other.

[UAHparrothead]

Talk about it to these brave men

I don't have to-I already DID. Many times. That was my home AND PLACE OF EMPLOYEMENT for 11 years. I saw that place every day, several times a day. The last day I was there was just as eerie as the first. The last day I was there I shed no fewer tears than I did the first.
Sorry-I hope I'm not over-reacting, but this just strikes a nerve with me, since I lived AT one of those places, and just down the road from the other.

Not directed at you, just a general statement to anyone who thinks it might have been the wrong decision, my apologies for the confusion

[Wino you know]

No apologies needed. I didn't think you were addressing me in that way, I just wasn't sure. I guess I should apologize for thinking otherwise.
But yes, the photo you posted should register with EVERYONE that war is indeed hell, and, as I said before, President Truman made the right decision.

[Tailgate-Lady]

No apologies needed. I didn't think you were addressing me in that way, I just wasn't sure. I guess I should apologize for thinking otherwise.
But yes, the photo you posted should register with EVERYONE that war is indeed hell, and, as I said before, President Truman made the right decision.

In May of '97, I had the opportunity to be in HI with 5 of my co-workers. When I indicated that I was getting up the next day at 5:30 AM or so to go to the Arizona (wanted to be the first group on), my 20-something Administrative Assistant looked at me and said, "What's the Arizona?" - I nearly fainted! Needless to say, I then made it MANDATORY for her to join me.

When we arrived, a Japanese Naval unit was just leaving the memorial, having placed a wreath. The whole experience was very moving for me.

When I hear anyone want to apologize for the bomb(s) and/or talking about how "wrong" it was, I think about sweet Melissa and "What's the Arizona." Ignorance sometimes leads to, well, ignorance.

[Sam]

This is for "the apologists" out there that know nothing of what the Japanese did...?

For everyone and anyone, and those same "apologists" that probably have never heard of Japan's Units 731, 516, or 100.... please go here and educate yourself. Warning it is not for the weak stomached individuals.... There are no photos on this page...just stories of what they did to people...live human beings... with no remorse or regard.

Anyone ever hear of the Bataan Death March or The Rape of Nanking or "Comfort Women"???
You can find numerous sites and books on them. Here are just a couple.
*************************************************************
The Bataan Death March: http://history.acusd.edu/gen/st/~ehimch ... march.html

A Survivor's Story
http://www.bataansurvivor.com/content/t ... arch/1.php
*************************************************************
The Rape of Nanking
http://www.tribo.org/nanking/

The History Place Genocide inthe 20th Century

http://www.historyplace.com/worldhistor ... anking.htm
*************************************************************
Comfort Women

http://research.unc.edu/endeavors/win97/comfort.html

http://online.sfsu.edu/~soh/cw-links.htm
*************************************************************

Does it sound like these people wanted peace or would have let everyone else live in peace.......???

[ParrotheadGator]

After reading Sam's articles....would this be insensitive?

[tikitatas]

After reading Sam's articles....would this be insensitive?

Yes.

[ParrotheadGator]

Why so? They were ruthless and set out upon world domination. They brought us into this war. Why should we apologize or feel sorry for what we did? It was necessary to protect losing further lives of our soldiers. They probably should have done it sooner.

[Sam]

After reading Sam's articles....would this be insensitive?

Yes. But he will not object.

Why would I or should I think it would be insentive???

Beecause I would rather see less people die in the long run? Because I know that sometimes one has to fight? Not meaning that they like or want to fight but they have too... The Japanese had an opportunity to end the fight......

Do you believe in Peace so much that you would allow yourself tobecome a comfort woman to the Japanese? Do you believe in Peace at ANY price?
I really do not think that you do....After all no one could possibly want peace any more than the poor S-O-B whose ass and life and blood are out on the line....

[tikitatas]

Why so? They were ruthless and set out upon world domination. They brought us into this war. Why should we apologize or feel sorry for what we did? It was necessary to protect losing further lives of our soldiers. They probably should have done it sooner.

Don't apologize.

There were reasons why it happened.

I started the thread to remember the lives lost.

[tikitatas]

Sam,

We have widely divergent philosophies. I accept that your experiences have brought you to your mindset. I do not argue with what you think, believe or maintain. I believe in a peaceful world.

[Sam]

Why so? They were ruthless and set out upon world domination. They brought us into this war. Why should we apologize or feel sorry for what we did? It was necessary to protect losing further lives of our soldiers. They probably should have done it sooner.

We could not do it soner as the bomb had not been developed.... and "The Gadget" was really not in a deliverable form...It was to big,bulky and heavy....
The first Atomic weapon dropped on Hiroshima was a uranium bomb and developed from from "The Gadget".

The bomb dropped on Nagasaki was a plutonium bomb and was never tested and only thought or known to work in theory.

In reality we did not have the uranium or plutonium to build very many bombs at the time....We were also in race with the Germans and Japanese to develope "THE BOMB" first. Hitler had plans of dropping the bomb on NYC and had a long range bomber developed and made for that mission.....

[Sam]

Sam,

We have widely divergent philosophies. I accept that your experiences have brought you to your mindset. I do not argue with what you think, believe or maintain. I believe in a peaceful world.

I would love to live in a peaceful world...How-so-ever...the world is not peaceful world....

I was part of something that brought about change to the world....and what I did brought an end to an era...and thankfully none of the weapons were ever or had to be used. IT helped bring the U.S.S.R to it's knees and cry uncle and disentegrate. We brought about the fall of the Berlin Wall. All of the weapons and silos, even the building I worked out of at one time, have been destroyed....In the place of where the building stood.....is now a "Peace Park/Garden".

Trust me...no one wants peace more....but accepting peace at any price is never an option....someone will have to fight to maintain it .....no matter if it is the police or the military or an individual....

[UAHparrothead]

Cate I hope you know that I have nothing but the upmost respect for you and nothing is meant as a insult towards you. I want peace also, I think that most people in the world want peace, but peace without security is an illusion it's not real. Although the dropping of the atomic bombs was one of the most horrible events in human history, but it also prevented an invasion of mainland Japan which would have prolonged the war and caused more causualites both US and Japanese. I know for me that I proabably would not be here because my grandfather was on his way to the Pacific and my mother had not yet been born. I also think that looking at the aftermath in Hiroshima and Nagasaki has prevented nuclear weapons from being used again.

[AlbatrossFlyer]

on the night of march 9th, 1945 334 B-29s dropped their payload of incendiary bombs and obliterated 17 sq miles of Tokyo, killing an estimated 200,000 civilians.

yet dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima which killed fewer people, did less damage, and risked 331 fewer B-29 US aircrews is somehow wrong in many people's eyes?

And no we didn't discriminate against the "yellow peril", just ask the German residents of Dresden when the Allied Air Forces bombed and burned their city to the ground.....

After being shot at, his plane distroyed by a japanese kamikaze, and training to drop airborne troops to support the planned invasion of mainland japan, my Dad thanks the atomic bomb everyday....


Downtown Tokyo

[AlbatrossFlyer]

"May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't."

"No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country."

General George Patton Jr

[ParrotheadGator]

"May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't."

"No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country."

General George Patton Jr

Patton ruled

and he had good taste in dogs

[tikitatas]

Why so? They were ruthless and set out upon world domination. They brought us into this war. Why should we apologize or feel sorry for what we did? It was necessary to protect losing further lives of our soldiers. They probably should have done it sooner.

Don't apologize.

There were reasons why it happened.

I started the thread to remember the lives lost.

As I said before . . . I know the reasons. My grandfather and uncles were in the South Pacific. Did I say peace any any price? Never.

You all have good points in your posts.

[tikitatas]

Cate I hope you know that I have nothing but the upmost respect for you and nothing is meant as a insult towards you. I want peace also, I think that most people in the world want peace, but peace without security is an illusion it's not real. Although the dropping of the atomic bombs was one of the most horrible events in human history, but it also prevented an invasion of mainland Japan which would have prolonged the war and caused more causualites both US and Japanese. I know for me that I proabably would not be here because my grandfather was on his way to the Pacific and my mother had not yet been born. I also think that looking at the aftermath in Hiroshima and Nagasaki has prevented nuclear weapons from being used again.

Completed understood, Brad.

[PHBeerman]

Why so? They were ruthless and set out upon world domination. They brought us into this war. Why should we apologize or feel sorry for what we did? It was necessary to protect losing further lives of our soldiers. They probably should have done it sooner.

Don't apologize.

There were reasons why it happened.

I started the thread to remember the lives lost.

As I said before . . . I know the reasons. My grandfather and uncles were in the South Pacific. Did I say peace any any price? Never.

You all have good points in your posts.

Canadians fight?