Hiroshima And Nagasaki

 Today, at 8:15 am, the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, 80 years ago. Three days later, the second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki.

Every summer, these events are marked. August 15th, the day that Japan surrendered, is marked a day to remember the soliders who gave their lives in war.

I have very mixed feelings about these dates of the bombs be memorialized.

Of course, it's important to remember the innocent victims who died on those days, about 80,000 in Hiroshima and 40,000 in Nagasaki. Plus the ones that suffered for many years after with burns, radiation sickness and cancers caused by the bombing. I say a prayer for these people every year.

What I struggle with is the fact that the media always portrays Japan as being the victim. Japan might be the victim of the atomic bomb but it was the aggressor in the war.

One of the reasons Amercia joined the war in the Pacific Thearter was the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.

The Japanese had already expanded it's emipre across a large area of Southeast Asia. Japan was driven by the desire to obtain natural resources. Also national prestiage and military power played a part in the expansion.

These facts aren't really talked about, either in education or in the media. It's all about the suffering of the Japanese people. The atrocities commited by the Imeperial Army (The Rape of Nanking or Comfort Women, for example) are brushed over. Some people believe that all the awful things that happened in the war are conspirecy theories put out by western media.

Was the use of the atomic bomb really necceasary?

I've heard arguments from both sides. But it's hard to judge, I wasn't there and I wasn't the one to make the decision to drop the bombs.

One argument for using the bombs is that it shortend the war. The loss of life was horrendous on those days but a prolonged war would of caused a lot more casualites.

Were both bombs needed?  I don't think so, dropping the one on Hiroshima was enough to scare the Japanese leaders into considering surrender.

There are many lessons to learn from these tradgies. One thing I would like to see is that the children are taught that even countries have to face the consequences of their actions. If Japan hadn't attacked Pearl Harbor, then maybe the bombs wouldn't have been used!

I've visited Nagasaki and toured the area where the bomb was dropped. There is a beautiful Peace Park. I had a look at the museum but had to leave as the photos were very disturbing.

This year Hannah went to Hiroshima. She visited the Peace Dome and meseum, again a very disturbing place to visit.

Some photos from Hiroshima.

A drum that was found in a school

An elementary school, this place was used as a makeshift hospital

The Peace Dome

By the way, I'm sorry for any mistakes, especially spellings. The spell/grammar check AI use isn't working!