The sad thing is that the men of RAF Bomber Command were treated like shit after the war. A lot of this was because of the Atlee government’s attitudes about bombing cities.
The “guilt” over Dresden and Hamburg was played upon.
Every service got a campaign medal and their chiefs were feted and honored after the war. All except for Bomber Command and their chief, Arthur Harris.
Harris was made into something of a postwar pariah and he eventually retired into obscurity in South Africa......emerging briefly to be interviewed shortly before his death for the late 70’s “World At War” documentary series narrated by Laurence Olivier.
Harris was still unapologetic about what Bomber Command’s tactics had done......and rightly so in my opinion.
I just saw a report on one of the cable channels the other day regarding our bombing of Japan. The report revealed that we bombed something like over 50 cities to the point of at least 50% or more destruction before we used ‘the bomb’. Still Japan did not capitulate.
Those who say Japan would have surrendered without using nukes must be crazy.
Wars suck. You do what you have to do to bring them to an end. I wouldn’t be willing to give up one more service member’s life than I had to.
I agree with your comments. The guy should have been given the respect he was due.