| Commentary on the 60th Anniversary of Hiroshima by Kelly Thomas
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the ground crew of the B-29 'Enola Gay'AP Photo/U.S. Air Force | Saturday, August 6, 2005, was the 60th anniversary of the dropping of the "A" bomb on Hiroshima. The Enola Gay carried and dropped the bomb; the moment of the blast was 8:15 a.m. and an estimated 140,000 people died.
This week I've listened to various debates whether it was necessary or not. I think so! Naturally, politics are all a part of the reasoning. It's hard to know the attitude of those during those dark days of WW II.
What we do know; however, is that the Japanese were unbelievably cruel. I have been overwhelmed in reading various accounts of their cruelty in wonderful reads like the year that tried men's souls: 1942 by Winston Groom. The accounts of Japanese cruelty are legendary. A brief one from the Bataan Death March: "The prisoners quickly learned to help their weaker comrades along since those who dropped out were not allowed to rest but instead were routinely murdered, often in grotesque fashion. The Japanese were fond of using their swords, and the march began to wind past dozens of decapitated American bodies."
President Truman, I think, rightly made "unconditional surrender" a part of the end of the war. Whereas as before, it was somewhat of an idea. From what we know today, President Truman made it the policy and the "A" bomb was part of bringing the Japanese to "unconditional surrender." There are those that say the Japanese were coming to the peace table anyway without the bomb, but I doubt it. It was not in their tradition but maybe to buy time until they could regroup. Harry said No!
There have been some who have said that the Japanese were so cruel to POW's because they saw surrendering as cowardice. Maybe. The Samurai philosophy? I don't know. But, cruelty was the operative word. Ask the Koreans who were humiliated, especially their women who were paraded in the town squares in the nude. Or China and the Rape of Nanking where between December 1937 and March 1938 at least 369,366 Chinese civilians and prisoners of war were slaughtered by the invading Japanese troops. An estimated 80,000 women and girls were raped; many of them were then mutilated or murdered.
So, what about the bomb. I think Harry did the right thing.
Related Article: Iris Chang and The Rape of Nanking
Books: 1942 Rape of Nanking
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| Modern Day Soldiering Among a Disinterested Public by Kelly Thomas
|  Sitting in a modern day airport is a great place to people watch. For me, it is very poignant these days because there are always a few soldiers sitting and waiting. This is quite a big change from soldiering during Vietnam.
For one thing, in the latter days of Vietnam, we were not allowed to travel in uniform, less someone discover we were soldiers. In the early days of the war, when soldiers returned from the Nam, they were proud. Regardless of what anyone else thought, they had been serving their country. The traveling uniform was khakis and bright colored badges and hero medals—Proud Soldiers! But, it didn't take long for that to go the way of the Edsel; soon came the protests, the spitting incidents, and the Vietnam soldier being blamed for the war. Quit wearing the uniform stupid!
At least now, the soldier is mostly ignored. In the airport, in public, in their desert BDUs (battle dress uniforms) they are sticking out, but ignored. In the old days, we would never have worn our jungle fatigues in public under any circumstances: it was a work uniform. But, even though different, I think soldiers wearing their desert uniform is a good thing. The public should be reminded that we are at war. Unfortunately, most are not effected and most don't consider we are at war. Those people sitting in the airport with these soldiers-their lives are the same.
I watched this young couple for about an hour off and on. Her eyes were swollen from crying. I thought: what is their story? How are their finances? Do they live in government housing? What sort of support will she have while her husband is off at war? If he is killed, what about her protection for the future? The questions are endless. They had a small child. She will be without her daddy for a year, maybe forever. It is war.
Combat soldiers, in particular, are trained for war, it is what they do. But, the families have to endure the separation -those times when Daddy or Mommy are gone from special events: birthdays, school plays, the various crises.
These are unbelievably sacrificial times. Hard, hard times. And, the general public doesn't appreciate it enough, mainly, I hope, because they don't understand it. Very few in the public have served in the military, it's not even an option they considered. I think that many in our culture have some pride in knowing that their grandfathers and great grandfathers served, but it is something that is foreign to most. This is indeed very, very sad for our culture.
God bless our soldiers and their families.
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 (photo:AP Photo/U.S Army)
I spent some time for a few months in a little town call Bisbee, Arizona. It is called the Berkeley of Arizona and mainly because there's a whole flock of folks in birkenstocks mostly meaning artisans of various types.
But, there is one area that is very unlike Berkeley: they will not even let a car made in Japan drive in the July 4th parade. KT
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The public should be reminded that we are at war, even if it is only by a young trooper sitting in an airport in his battle dress uniform.
FAMILIES ARE THE ONES WHO REALLY SUFFER | |
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