The Bombing of Hiroshima

Tomorrow, August 6, marks the 64th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, Japan by United States Armed Forces in World War 2. Due to differences in time zones, this topic has been extensively covered during the past hours, since it is already the 6th in most of the world. But, I wanted to write a little about the event, as it has been on my mind several times during the past year.

I was married to a US Soldier for twelve years and I worked for the US Army for two years, so I have a very clear view of our nation's military policies and strategies. I have spoken in many venues on behalf of the Army, mostly in reference to services provided to Army families. None of that seems very unusual until you find out that I am not a big fan of our nation's militaristic actions. I have no gripes against most of our servicemen and women; they do their jobs as trained and directed, just as any military does. But I do take issue with a number of decisions by our nation's leadership, this one in particular.

The bombing of Hiroshima, and the subsequent bombing of Nagasaki, was wrong. Some accounts indicate that President Truman believed Hiroshima to be a military base only, and not a city. If that is true, then he was profanely negligent in his duties as president and as a military leader for not obtaining comprehensive knowledge of his target. If it is not true, then our nation knowingly engaged in a terrorist attack unlike any other in history.

When studying history, we have the benefit of hindsight. We can see and understand what the outcomes of an event were and review all of the information at hand. But when in the midst of an event, those facts are not always clear. Still, I believe quite strongly that President Truman had enough information to make his decision, and he made the wrong decision. It was known then and it is surely known now.

Many, if not most, Americans applauded the horrific destruction in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, congratulated the president, and patted themselves on the back. If I had been an adult in 1945, would I have supported the bombing? I can't possibly know. I would have been the product of a different time, of a more homogeneous culture, of a completely different upbringing. But, I am an adult now and I absolutely loathe the horror that was wrought on those two cities. Hindsight is nice perspective to have. Indignation is easy; no attendant responsibility to worry about.