Greg Mitchell is the author of a dozen books, including “Hiroshima in America,” “Atomic Cover-up” (on sale now for $1.99 as an ebook) and the recent award-winning “The Beginning or the End: How Hollywood—and America—Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.” He has directed three documentary films since 2021 for PBS (including “
Like many in my generation was raised in both fear of the bomb and a shared vindictiveness that excused its use in punishing (because let’s face it that’s so often the impetus for going to war - to make them hurt and to proudly stand over someone who you’ve just punched in the throat for hurting you or worse your sister brother mother father your home). Even now I take solace in the fact that American young men weren’t put through a meat grinder on the Japanese mainland defended by soldiers and citizens clasping the bushido requirement of Japanese soldiers to die taking as many of your enemies with you.
So we’re left with this tragedy we inflicted. Horrified and fascinated, like spying a car wreck from the back of your family’s station wagon on a highway travelling to visit a favorite uncle. Do we reject it wholly though? I don’t believe we do, like a condemned killer awaiting execution in a jail cell telling himself “I would do it again...”
I know. The history of Russia coveting Japan is a long one. Given what was going on and the Soviet war machine by then did it stop another war I don’t know.
Like many in my generation was raised in both fear of the bomb and a shared vindictiveness that excused its use in punishing (because let’s face it that’s so often the impetus for going to war - to make them hurt and to proudly stand over someone who you’ve just punched in the throat for hurting you or worse your sister brother mother father your home). Even now I take solace in the fact that American young men weren’t put through a meat grinder on the Japanese mainland defended by soldiers and citizens clasping the bushido requirement of Japanese soldiers to die taking as many of your enemies with you.
So we’re left with this tragedy we inflicted. Horrified and fascinated, like spying a car wreck from the back of your family’s station wagon on a highway travelling to visit a favorite uncle. Do we reject it wholly though? I don’t believe we do, like a condemned killer awaiting execution in a jail cell telling himself “I would do it again...”
There is deeper tragedy to Japan's surrender than saving Our Forefathers.
Surrender was in process but Truman's advisers wanted to stop Stalin's invading Japan, and Stalin's threat to USA.
I know. The history of Russia coveting Japan is a long one. Given what was going on and the Soviet war machine by then did it stop another war I don’t know.