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Status:
"I don't understand. But I don't care, so it works out."
(set 8 days ago)
35,630 posts, read 17,968,125 times
Reputation: 50654
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sprez33
If you add together the people killed in the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and then double it, you get roughly the number of people killed in the Rape of Nanking.
And the people of Nanking had already surrendered.
There has sure been a hell of a lot of violence perpetrated by humans on humans.
My grandfather on my father's side of the family was in the Navy for the Pacific theater. He too was physicalled for the Invasion of Japan. They decided to drop the bomb and saved lives. Nearly 1 mil Americans wouldn't be here today without the bomb being dropped.
My father, dead aged 84 in 2009, had been in Patton's army in Europe. Indeed, my father's unit was the first the enter the concentration camp "Ohrduf", and witnessed the mayor and his wife being, by force, escorted through the camp to see the horror (they had claimed they weren't aware of what was happening in the camp; they committed suicide that evening). What my father saw long haunted him.
Anyway, my father was mustered out in July, sent back to the east coast of USA, and after a couple of weeks was on a train to the west coast, to take part in the invasion of Japan. During his trip. the bombs were dropped, and then the war ended. I think he was then mustered out of the army, in late August, in Kansas City. I know that he took a train down to Fort Worth, where he arrived on August 31st, and was met by his parents at the train station.
His father greeted him, and said that as soon as the war was over, he had enrolled my father in law school at the University of Texas. My father went to his parents house for a day or two, then the train to Austin to start school.
So, my father always said he was glad for the two bombs. He had seen horrors enough for a lifetime, and he knew that invading Japan would mean tremendous loss of American lives.
Similar story for my father. Also died at age 84, in 2008. Had just participated in the liberation of the Philippines, as part of the Army Corp of Engineers. His unit was being issued colder weather clothing for the anticipated invasion of mainland Japan. But obviated by the atomic bombings.
To be completely accurate, the emperor never used the word "surrender" when announcing the surrender. Instead, he said that "The war situation has developed not necessarily to Japan's advantage." Surely the greatest understatement in human history!
And even then, it was only thanks to some very cool-headed officers that the recording made it to be broadcast. Senior officers were trying to stop it. Loyalty to the emperor was de facto crumbling.
So, my father always said he was glad for the two bombs. He had seen horrors enough for a lifetime, and he knew that invading Japan would mean tremendous loss of American lives.
I spoke to an elderly Japanese woman in the late 80s who had been a girl in Osaka. She said that at the time Japan was preparing for invasion by teaching young girls to entice an American soldier close, then to stab him with a bamboo knife...and then to kill themselves. She also believed the bomb saved her life.
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