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Thread: August 6, 1945

  1. #1
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    Default August 6, 1945

    Happy Aug. 6, 1945 Day, the day which saved the lives of between 500,000 to 750,000 young American lives and probably another 250,000 Allied lives. Glad President Truman made the decision to drop The Two Bombs.

    I've never met a WW II combat vet who was sorry the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan.

    S.M.
    "They that can give up essential liberty to gain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

    - Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790),U.S. statesman, scientist, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759


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    Super Moderator crashdive123's Avatar
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    As horrific as it was, it ended a war and ended it decisively. We go to "war" all to frequently any more because we have lost our will to "win" them. If we would, there would be far fewer of them.
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    Senior Member natertot's Avatar
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    Good remembrance, SM.

    Crash, +1
    ”There's nothing glorious in dying. Anyone can do it.” ~Johnny Rotten

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    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
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    Good point Crash....Thanks SM for the heads up.
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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    Most of the men that had survived the European war had arrived back in the States at this point in 1945 and re-registered with their county in preparation for reactivation to the Pacific. A fact not many today know. Had the war continued, for whatever reason, those men would have been recalled. Those that had survived the Pacific theater thus far had experienced and or seen conditions, brutality and depravity few of us can even imagine. My uncle served in the Pacific and all the other men in my family served in Europe. I'm sure a good many of you can tell the same story. I can't imagine what went through Truman's mind the night before the bombing but, given the choices available, it had to be an easy decision. Add to the fact that the fire bombing of places like Tokyo and Dresden, Germany had killed far more than the atomic bombs would claim. Massive civilian casualties had already been okayed by him even though "Terror Bombing" had been decried by both the American and British public.

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    Senior Member Old GI's Avatar
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    I convinced that I'm here today due in part to the bombing; so you can blame them. My Father was on Okinawa preparing for the invasion of the Japanese mainland. They all knew what would happen if it went that far. You better believe any WW2 vet is glad they did it. Met older gentleman while in FL who had seen a lot of combat in Europe, had returned to the states and was being processed for the Pacific when they were told to stand down.
    When Wealth is Lost, Nothing is Lost;
    When Health is Lost, Something is Lost;
    When Character is Lost, ALL IS LOST!!!!!!!

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    Senior Member WolfVanZandt's Avatar
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    I don't think it's that we've lost the will to win; I don't think the goal in the White House has been to win.

    I have some serious problems with fusion/fission bombs but I do think Truman made the right decision there. My father is another who probably survived the war because of the bomb. Actually, if the war had continued as it was going, I figure Japan would have been annihilated, so we even saved them.

    Before the bombs, though, it was never imaginable that we may choose one day to destroy humanity - to destroy every living thing on a planet which may be the only place where life exists in the universe.

    And, honestly, when even NASA is publishing reports that we may have passed the point where we can save the-world-as-we-know it (that used to be the purview only of the conspiracy theorists and the apocalyptists), I wonder what good it is to save lives when we seem so determined to destroy them. If we are looking down the road at what a lot of knowledgeable people are predicting, what would have happened had we not dropped the bombs on Japan is nothing compared to what is about to happen. Perhaps World War III should be humanity against the corporations and political machines of the world.......
    True enough, my final home is still out there, but this is most certainly my home range and I love it. I love every rock I fall off and tree I trip over. Even when I am close to dying from exhaustion, a beautiful sunset doesn't lose it's power to refresh and inspire me and that, in itself, is enough to save me sometimes.

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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    Did you know....

    The plane that dropped the second atomic bomb was named "Bockscar"? It resides at the Air Force museum at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. The Enola Gay is housed at the Smithsonian.
    The plane intended to drop the second bomb was named "The Great Artiste"? It was in the process of having an additional fuel tank installed when the dates were moved up. It could not be readied in time so Bockscar was chosen to carry the bomb and The Great Artiste became the observation plane. The Enola Gay served as one of the weather planes.
    Nagasaki was not the primary target? Kokura was the primary target that day but it was obscured by smoke. Three bomb runs were made on Kokura but the aim point was never visible. Running low on fuel the planes diverted to Nagasaki.
    That the last surviving crew member of the Enola Gay passed away last month? He was 93 year old Theodore "Dutch" Van Kirk. He served as navigator on the Enola Gay. He passed away on July 28th of this year.
    That different kinds of bombs were used? "Little Boy" dropped on Hiroshima was a "uranium gun-type fission bomb" while "Fat Man", dropped on Nagasaki was a plutonium implosion bomb (hey, don't ask me. It's all rocket science to me)
    That Little Boy was detonated at a height of around 1968 feet and Fat Man was detonated at a height of 1650 feet?

    Now you know.

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