Yes, and it’s almost always ignored that Truman’s action saved tons of Japanese lives, too, probably at least a couple of million lives. Not to mention countless lives of various Asian populations and our Allies, etc. Also, although Truman may not have known this, Japanese prison camp commanders were under orders to execute all their prisoners upon the invasion of Japan.
Sure, Truman was thinking primarily of ending the war for Americans, but the atomic bombings were also moral in averting vast carnage for the Japanese, too.
Probably several millions of Japanese lives were saved, it’s difficult to make a firm estimate but judging from Okinawa where 120,000 Japanese lost their lives, the bloodshed on the home islands with both military and civilians fighting to the death would have been astronomical.
Coincidentally, when I was in my first Navy fleet squadron, VF-111 Sundowners, our CV hosted a Japanese-American friendship day aboard the ship when in port Yokuska. Some of our visitors asked why the sunbursts were painted on the tails of our aircraft. The real reason is the squadron (then designated VF-11) waxed the Japs during the Marianas Turkey Shoot. We told them it was in honor of friendship day ;)
