25 Comments
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Sika57's avatar

Regardless of what some people think it was the only decision Truman could make. The loss of lives on both sides in an invasion of mainland Japan would have been millions! I may not have been born if not for the bombs being dropped, my father was in the Pacific as part of the future invasion. Thank God it didn't have to happen! Millions are alive today on both sides. Yes the bombs were horrific and thousands suffered but millions lived. Thanks Tara for the history lesson, Japan had a choice but acted foolishly knowing they could win at that time.

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Mark E Johnson's avatar

It was a great and terrible day. Those who want nuclear weapons destroyed refuse to admit that others with evil intent will still build such weapons. Not until that day of Christ's return can we fully lay down arms and say "Lo, this is our God! We have waited for Him and HE will save us."

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Jim's avatar

In a Nutshell Mark 👍

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Scott Rae's avatar

Amen and Amen! Maranatha, Lord, come soon and take us home!

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Baileys dave's avatar

The number of lives saved as a result of a very difficult decision cannot be understated. Any realistic estimate of the death rate in Japanese controlled areas will only confirm the correctness of the decision.

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Johnny Baker Jr. MLA's avatar

Thank God the USS Indianapolis delivered the goods before its own destruction!

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Richard Ritenbaugh's avatar

Not our finest hour, but I can understand the reasoning behind the decision. I would not have wanted to be in President Truman's shoes.

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Will Southcombe's avatar

A very hard decision, and very necessary. For every tragic death from those two bombs, more than 20(!) lives were saved, compared to the total loss of life, American and Japanese, that would have resulted from invading Japan. Thank you, Tara Ross, for reminding us of the tough decisions that are sometimes necessary.

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Irene Saltsgaver's avatar

my Dad was in the Philippians at that time, he came home with a scar on his back

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Charlie Kendall's avatar

I am thankful for leaders who are able to weigh the consequences of calling the shot. Tough calls require firm resolve.

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Wally Firkins's avatar

The first atomic bomb ever used in war destroyed everything at Hiroshima. The alternative was to sacrifice untold people on both sides of the war. The Japanese were not going to surrender easily. We don't know the resulting number of people ultimately saved by the use of the bombs, but it was many. It also hastened the end of the war in Japan. Thank you Tara for remembering this terrible event. PS: Fun fact. My father was serving in the Navy at the conclusion of the war. My twin sister and I were born 10 months after the bombing of Hiroshima. The beginning of the baby boom.

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Jack Miller's avatar

I visited Hiroshima in the late 90s. It was a never forget moment. I feel there wasn't another option for US, UK and the world at that time. Took a second bomb to make the government of Japan understand.

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Tv's avatar

🇺🇸 A hard choice, but the correct one.

The war's outcome is not in question, but the number of lives lost, that was on every heart and mind.

President Truman made the only choice that could end the war, and save countless lives, sooner rather than later. 🇺🇲

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Edward Jones's avatar

A sad day indeed. This the second day that will live into infinity. Sadly it took a second bombing to bring Japan to their knees and surrender. The untold truth of the bombing was the saving of more lives than was never truly told. It also could have meant a total extermination of the Japanese culture and people. Thank God that never happened.

❤️🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

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Robert C Culwell's avatar

Mark Malvasi has a longer article with some of the sobering historical stats 🌐🪖🌊📡⚓ over at "The Imaginative Conservative" blog on 8/5.

Truman made the correct decision. 😖🛑😓

Japan was shocked by the Soviet attacks from the west as much as by the destruction of two cities. Eighty Years ⌛ leaves very few living memories to tell the tale. We are all responsible for what we pass on. Grace and peace to you sister, Semper Fortis! 🇺🇲🇹🇼🇦🇺🇱🇺🇬🇧🇨🇦

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Tom West's avatar

When there was a fanatical resolve and suicidal dedication by the Japanese military and society as a whole, even in the face of certain defeat, there was no other choice.

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Brewmonk's avatar

Prior to this attack on Hiroshima fleets of B-29 bombers had been dropping tons of incendiaries on Japan’s cities and some of these raids were more destructive over wider areas than the atomic weapons.

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Mike's avatar

My dad was on LST 741 running supplies to the Phillipine Islands, Mindanao and a few other places. Thank God he made it home or I wouldn’t be here to write this.

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