Hiroshima 6 August 1945

brucelewis.com ^ | August 6, 2011 | Bruce Lewis

[Shalmaneser]

“After Biak the enemy withdrew to deep caverns.
Rooting them out became a bloody business which reached its
ultimate horrors in the last months of the war.
You think of the lives which would have been lost in an invasion of Japan’s home islands
– a staggering number of Americans but millions more of Japanese..."

[Twinkie]

FIL’s cousin was on board a troop ship headed for Japan when the bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. Their commanding officer lined them up and said, “now look at the man on your right and on your left; two of you will not make it back, and I am giving you a realistic picture of what you face”. On the way over, they got the word that the Japanese had surrendered. If that had gone forward, my father, already a hardened combat veteran would have probably been sent over there. - Sad to say; but it was a shock that instantly civilized formerly uncivilized people and freed those they held in bondage.

[Ax]

Google "Operation Downfall." That includes "Operation Coronet" and "Operation Olympic." These show the Order of Battle of U.S. forces for the invasion and occupation of Japan. Fortunately for us, the A Bomb intervened and saved a whole lot of lives on both sides.

I was assigned to the Camp Zama complex outside Tokyo in 1965. The war had been over for 20 years and they had pretty much rebuilt the place. I couldn't help but look at some of the Japs who were 40-50 years old and wonder if these guys were among those who had committed some of those horrific atrocities in China and throughout "the greater east Asia co-prosperity sphere."

[tanknetter]

Japan’s Longest Day: there was an actual firefight on the grounds of the Imperial Palance, in an effort to head-off a broadcast of the Emperor’s Voice announcing the end of the war.

All evidence clearly supports the conclusion that Japan would have fought on to the bitter end had it not been for the bombs. And yes, senior members of the Japanese military were completely opposed to surrender even AFTER the bombs had been dropped.

The Weekly Standard's Why Truman Dropped the Bomb article from 2005 is a great reference on the subject.

[tanknetter]

Google "Operation Downfall." That includes "Operation Coronet" and "Operation Olympic." These show the Order of Battle of U.S. forces for the invasion and occupation of Japan. Fortunately for us, the A Bomb intervened and saved a whole lot of lives on both sides.

I've come to believe that Coronet and Olympic would never have happened ... the casualty projections were too high and after Okinawa the American and British leadership knew very well they were accurate. And would be completely unacceptable to the public.

So the real case to be made is that nuking Hiroshima and Nagasaki saved millions of Japanese lives. Those on the islands who would have been killed when the nation was starved into submission courtesy of the naval blockade, and those on the mainland serving in the Kwantung Army who would have been killed by the Soviets.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Links?

[Christian4Bush]

The Hiroshima/Nagasaki scene from “Crimson Tide” (Gene Hackman, Denzel Washington, Viggo Mortensen, James Gandolfini, et. al)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4Yw3qU58w4

[noinfringers3]

I was standing in a line of replacements on Leyte getting battle gear for the invasion of Japan. We had heard bits of info about the big bombs but really were more concerned as to what unit from Okinawa to which we would be assigned. I was about 10th in line when a Lt. came out and told us to go back to the tents becuse the shooting was all over. I can tell that there was very much relief among the G.I.s. With me it was a mixed emotion. I can honestly say an invasion of Japan would have given me a chance to pay back for the death of my brother who was killed on Okinawa and I was very much aware that infantry casualties for an invasion of Japan were expected to be very high. Once the real meaning of the end of shooting was realized apart from the gung ho infantry training attitude the feeling of gratitude for a life certain took over. .

[Shalmaneser]

That is a moving story. I’m sorry for your loss.

Thank you for your service and for sharing your experience of the end of the war.

[dfwgator]

It also saved Japan from a Civil War, because the Soviets would have taken their half of Japan, and it would have been just like Korea.

[dfwgator]

Japan’s Longest Day: there was an actual firefight on the grounds of the Imperial Palance, in an effort to head-off a broadcast of the Emperor’s Voice announcing the end of the war.

Sounds like a great movie, they can call it, "The Emperor's Speech."

[cynwoody]

Anyone who thinks dropping the bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki were war crimes are fools.

And the top guy had a D after his name, to boot, albeit bearing little resemblance to today's specimen). But nevertheless something to cite when they protest the disproportionate response.

[Fresh Wind]

The link I posted provided background on the organization that produced those “utter and absolute lies”, as you put it.

What besides lies would one expect from a nest of Holocaust deniers?

[Roccus]

A late friend was a combat Marine in the Philipines and a “...couple of other God forsaken islands.” This man was a solid Conservative who used to say, “Harry Truman became my hero when he dropped those bombs.”
Wounded several times, he knew what they would be facing had they needed to invade.

[WorkingClassFilth]

Harry Truman was about the last Democrat I could’ve possibly voted for with a clear conscience (though I’ve voted ‘R’ with some troubling concerns). Hell (a Harryism), he was probably the last real Democrat.

[WorkingClassFilth]

My father was on a Martin Mariner in Manila bay when the end of the war came. As he tells it, he was sleeping in the bunk when all kinds of firing started. He thought the Japs were flying in kamikaze attacks and the air was filled with tracers. He couldn't make sense of any target and started the aircraft's generator to tune in the radio. Then he heard the news. He said every weapon on every ship and the shore was up and firing. Must have been quite a scene...

[Zionist Conspirator]

Thank you for that courageous post.

You mean the url to the Holocaust denying, anti-Semitic, pro-Nazi Institute for Historical Review? Is that the "courageous post" you're referring to?

[Forgotten Amendments]

The jackass Douglass MacArthur (dude who got more of our men killed than any field general in WWII)

Where did you get THAT? That's the exact opposite of everything I ever read about MacArthur.

[nkycincinnatikid]

Man YOU are INSANE. Take your Meds, please.

[Zionist Conspirator]

Man YOU are INSANE. Take your Meds, please.

Because I pointed out that the "Institute for Historical Review" is anti-Semitic?

That you, Willis?