My late father was then a member of the US Marine Corps, on Okinawa. His life was almost certainly saved by the two weapons dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. We would have lost well over two million soldiers, sailors and Marines in the invasion of Japan. The Japanese would have lost 10 or 20 times that many people. If you don’t know what you’re talking about, don’t post a thread here about it, because you’ll get shredded like cole slaw.
My father was also on Okinawa. In the army, not the marines. Part of the invasion force.
This looks interesting. I just found it.
http://www.secondworldwar.org.uk/downfall.html
I second that. My late father had been through the Battle of the Bulge, and he would have definitely been part of the invasion of Japan. He, and so many, many other Allied troops avoided death because of the bomb.
It makes some folks feel good to present themselves as tolerant and progressive. They really get off on the idea that foreigners would approve of them for their “open” minds. I suggest their loyalty be redirected to the men and women who fought and died for THIS country.
and you are right...it was the a-bombs that ultimately saved millions of lives.
Semper Fi to your dad and Semper Fi to a Marine family.
I didn’t mention that my dad served in the Navy and one of the things he wound up having to do on numerous occasions was to fish the dead bodies of American pilots out of the Pacific Ocean. He was a tough guy, but his eyes would water a bit remembering all that he saw there.
Let me be clear to all the other commenters. I, in no way meant to minimize the despicable actions of the Japanese military and government - nor am I in the least suggesting that we had any other option than to drop those bombs.
The responsibility for the deaths of civilians lay with the Japanese government and the Imperial Army and Navy. Period.