RE: 68th anniversery of the Hiroshima bombing

Amazing photos. *sigh* :frown: Years ago I met Col. Tibbets. We only spoke for a minute or two. He appeared to me to be a man who was comfortable in his own skin. He spoke confidently and direct. While I can't put words in Col. Tibbets mouth to me he seemed to be saying 'I was given my mission and I flew it to the best of my abilities.' Nasty business, wars. :frown:

Brian
 
The Bataan death march,Rape of Nanking, Pearl Harbor,our kids in horror at Japanese Prison camps,and the many thousands of boys littering the islands ,and ocean the of South Pacific.The Battle of Guadalcanal 7 August 1942 and 9 February 1943 now some 71 yrs ago...Were it not for Pres.Truman and the decision to go nuclear,Millions more would have been killed...many still remember..War is Hell they say...Gen,Douglas Mc Arthur in a short time revitalized Japan...Today Most Americans drive their cars,and the Japanese are our strongest friends.
 
I visited the "Peace Museum" at Hiroshima in 1995. I was TAD to the USMC base at Iwakuni, and it was a short train ride to Hiroshima. The theme of the museum is the prevention of any more nuclear wars. Interestingly, however, is that the museum displays make very little mention of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, which brought the U.S. into war with Japan. NC
 
Bushpounder said:
Your car and my car are both from Hiroshima, Chief. Look at the door jamb. :)

Don
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Havent looked, but I don't doubt it. Actually, if I can get the trade-in amount I want, I may be trading my Miata for a Toyota Rav4 this evening. Can't take my Miata to Costa Rica next year; the roads would tear it up......NC
 
Navy Chief said:
I visited the "Peace Museum" at Hiroshima in 1995. I was TAD to the USMC base at Iwakuni, and it was a short train ride to Hiroshima. The theme of the museum is the prevention of any more nuclear wars. Interestingly, however, is that the museum displays make very little mention of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, which brought the U.S. into war with Japan. NC
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You're right Navy Chief about the Japanese giving little acknowledgement to Pearl Harbor....or to other atrocities mentioned by beana. They're (Japan) still stonewalling on the charges of the many 'comfort' women, mostly enslaved Korean women,.....that were used as sexual partners for the Imperial Army. Germany on the other hand,...has made various financial restitution over the years for their black deeds.
I've always wondered what the inside of a typical Japanese high school history books reads like,....from the mid-1930's to August of 1945.
 
This is not an easy subject...There are today men and women ,both sides still morning the carnage of that dam war. With the Japanese its a culture thing,and for us it also a culture thing...We ,America apologized profusely for the America Japanese Interments...It was America Japanese who fought bravely in that war on this side.We still have this national guilt complex,as to how we ended that War..It was the only way it could end....There is no doubt for many Japanese the very work "KAMIKAZE" exicts them...part of their history. I rember years ago ,then Old Men,Americans and Japanese ,on Iwo Jima in a memorial service ,extend acknowledgments to each other in their mutual grief..however The Government of Japan, ,as far as I know has not really said "I'Sorry..I would not expect that....Its not their honorable Thing to Do!

ONLY THE DEAD HAVE SEEN THE END OF WAR!/Plato!
 
beana51 said:
I rember years ago ,then Old Men,Americans and Japanese ,on Iwo Jima in a memorial service ,extend acknowledgments to each other in their mutual grief...
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One of the more unusual types of U.S. military duty stations were the numerous Coast Guard Loran Stations (in the olden days before GPS and while the Loran Stations were still manned by CG personnel) located in some very interesting places around the world. One such was Iwo Jima, which also featured a small Japanese duty station. It wasn't unusual for off duty personnel from both detachments to meet and explore the island.

There is still a manned Loran Station on Attu Island. Although the numbers are growing smaller each year, annually a special flight(s) comes in from Japan bearing family of some of the Japanese who died there. Their visit is quite moving as the interior of the island is generally so eerily quiet; surrounded by mountains and normally capped off with a low cloud base.
 
brad kaste said:
You're right Navy Chief about the Japanese giving little acknowledgement to Pearl Harbor....or to other atrocities mentioned by beana. They're (Japan) still stonewalling on the charges of the many 'comfort' women, mostly enslaved Korean women,.....that were used as sexual partners for the Imperial Army. Germany on the other hand,...has made various financial restitution over the years for their black deeds.
I've always wondered what the inside of a typical Japanese high school history books reads like,....from the mid-1930's to August of 1945.
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I bet it gose early 1930s right to 1946.
 
I believe Japanese school books cover the China occupation and Pacific war in a very broad and abstract manner, not denying their aggressive actions but not taking a whole lot of responsibility for them either. I remember reading an article on some former "comfort women" attempting to recover damages from the Japanese government, and a government spokesperson referred to that time period as "a tragic and unfortunate period in our nation's history". I think the citizens of Nanking, surviving Allied POW's, and a few milion other folks in Asia would consider that a bit of an understatement.
 
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