Hiroshima 75th anniversary - August 6

[HFS]

I'm a day early in posting but the big boom in Beirut gave me a reminder.

On August 6, 1945 the crew of the B-29 bomber Enola Gay dropped the atom bomb "Little Boy" on Hiroshima.
That summer the allies had ordered Japan to surrender or face "prompt and utter destruction," and the allies meant it.

According to Wikipedia, the U.S. was considering both chemical and biological weapons against Japan before the atom bomb was proven to work.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_bombings_of_Hiroshima_and_Nagasaki

 

[KOPBET]

Life's a biotch. Can't do the time, don't do the crime.

 

[TwoForFlinching]

Wonder if they do fireworks...

 

[dennishoddy]

I'm a day early in posting but the big boom in Beirut gave me a reminder.

On August 6, 1945 the crew of the B-29 bomber Enola Gay dropped the atom bomb "Little Boy" on Hiroshima.
That summer the allies had ordered Japan to surrender or face "prompt and utter destruction," and the allies meant it.

According to Wikipedia, the U.S. was considering both chemical and biological weapons against Japan before the atom bomb was proven to work.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_bombings_of_Hiroshima_and_Nagasaki

A couple of us were stationed in Korea back in the day and had to do a trip to Japan for a training class.
We rented a cab and went to ground zero. Big area with a lot of residents still showing effects of the radiation poisoning begging for money.
We weren't welcome and left shortly after arriving.

 

[Snattlerake]

Dad was on Okinawa when it happened. He found out later he was one of the nine divisions the U.S. was planning to "sacrifice" in the invasion of Japan, Operation Downfall. The victory over the Germans in the European theater meant nothing to the Japanese. Every civilian was prepared to fight to the death to die for the emperor.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Downfall#/media/File:Operation_Downfall_-_Map.jpg

Dad's division was the 96th Infantry and would have joined MacArthur in Coronet.

 

[druryj]

As an aside, when I was stationed at MCAS Kaneohe Bay back long ago, I used to take Marines to the USS Arizona Memorial in Pear Harbor for their reenlistment ceremony, after which they would receive a flag stating that on the occasion of their reenlistment, their flag was flown over the USS Arizona. It was very cool. What was also cool, was that we frequently saw elderly Japanese tourists laying flowers or wreaths over the Arizona and praying for forgiveness for their elders.

 

[Snattlerake]

As an aside, when I was stationed at MCAS Kaneohe Bay back long ago, I used to take Marines to the USS Arizona Memorial in Pear Harbor for their reenlistment ceremony, after which they would receive a flag stating that on the occasion of their reenlistment, their flag was flown over the USS Arizona. It was very cool. What was also cool, was that we frequently saw elderly Japanese tourists laying flowers or wreaths over the Arizona and praying for forgiveness for their elders.

I saw the same thing on the Missouri. There was a group of Japanese sailors in duty whites both officers and enlisted touring the battleship. They were very reverent while on board.