Truman's Decision To Drop The A-Bombs On Japan

Above, the Nagasaki hypocenter monument. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The new Christopher Nolan movie, Oppenheimer, is igniting debate over atomic and nuclear bombs. As well it should. 

This month marks 78 years since the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan.

From the Harry S Truman Library & Museum website:

After President Roosevelt died on April 12th, 1945, it became Harry Truman’s job to decide how to end the war. The thought of invading Japan gave Truman and his advisors pause. The war had shown that the Japanese were fighting for the Emperor who convinced them that it was better to die than surrender. Women and children had been taught how to kill with basic weapons. Japanese kamikaze pilots could turn planes into guided missiles. The cost of invasion, they knew, would be high.

Upon becoming president, Harry Truman learned of the Manhattan Project, a secret scientific effort to create an atomic bomb. After a successful test of the weapon, Truman issued the Potsdam Declaration demanding the unconditional surrender of the Japanese government, warning of “prompt and utter destruction.” Eleven days later, on August 6, 1945, having received no reply, an American bomber called the Enola Gay left the Tinian Island in route toward Japan. In the belly of the bomber was “Little Boy,” an atomic bomb. At 8:15 am Hiroshima time, “Little Boy” was dropped. The result was approximately 80,000 deaths in just the first few minutes. Thousands died later from radiation sickness. On August 9, 1945, another bomber was in route to Japan, only this time they were heading for Nagasaki with “Fat Man,” another atomic bomb. After the first minute of dropping “Fat Man,” 39,000 men, women and children were killed. 25,000 more were injured. Both cities were leveled from the bombs and this, in turn, forced Japan to surrender to the United States. The war was finally over.

Today, historians continue to debate this decision. Was there another way to end the war?

Above, the Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima in 2004. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I have been to both Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. Looking at those cities today, one would never suspect that both were obliterated instantly in 1945. 

Film of Truman Meeting Atomic Bomb Survivors Surfaces

Above, a screen shot from the film.

A film of a meeting of former President Harry S. Truman and atomic bomb survivors (hibakusha) has surfaced at a U.S. library, the Mainichi Shimbun reported.

Truman, while president, ordered the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. The video was shot in 1964 at the Truman Library in Independence, Missouri.

According to the article.

INDEPENDENCE, Missouri -- A video showing a meeting in 1964 between former U.S. President Harry S. Truman, who had ordered the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, and a group of atomic bombing survivors has been found preserved at a U.S. library, it's been learned. 

While justifying the atomic bombing, which he said was necessary to end the war, Truman, who served as president from 1945 to 1953, expressed hope that nuclear weapons would never be used again, the video shows. This was the only occasion when former President Truman met with atomic bombing survivors, or hibakusha. The video was aired on TV only in a limited area at the time and the meeting had not been widely known.

To read more, go here. 

Ryfle's "Whitewashing Godzilla"

Above, Godzilla in 1954 was a by-product of the
H-bomb. The new Godzilla is a by-product of what?

Steve Ryfle (Japan's Favorite Mon-Star) wrote an article for World Cinema Paradise on the new Legendary Pictures/Warner Bros. (i.e., American) Godzilla.

Here, he takes America (instead of the movie's writers, where it rightfully belongs) to task for being "incapable of making an honest Godzilla."

What's Ryfle's problem with the movie? It is something that has also bothered me, but not to the extent where I felt compelled to write an article on. Namely, the movie states that the H-bomb detonations of the 1950s in the South Pacific weren't tests, the intent of the detonations were to kill Godzilla. Thereby taking away the true meaning of Godzilla's origin as conceived in Japan.

Ryfle makes a good point in asking why other nuclear nations detonated their bombs there as well. Did they have their own Godzillas to deal with? Good one!

Godzilla was conceived as a metaphor (or allegory) of the atomic bomb (or Hiroshima and Nagasaki) and as an anti-nuclear statement by the only nation to sustain a nuclear attack. The scenario by Legendary Pictures/ Warner Bros. does away with Godzilla's nuclear connection origin (I am going by what I've seen and read about the movie as I haven't seen it yet). It transfers the nuclear connection to the M.U.T.O.s.

On this, Ryfle wrote:

Perhaps it’s debatable whether Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. have an obligation to honor Godzilla’s origins after paying untold millions for rights to the character. But given Gojira‘s basis in actual events of the war and its aftermath, the brazen mendacity of the new film’s revisionism is rather astounding. It is not only an affront to the legacy of Honda’s Gojira, but it relies on the audience’s ignorance of and apathy toward history.

Welcome to the age of "low-information" voters, etc.

Where Ryfle loses me is when he gets into the revisionist contention that the a-bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki weren't necessary. This contention is currently in vogue by the Left in this country. It is being put forward by people who weren't there and did not take part in the decision-making process. It is curious that President Harry Truman, a Democrat, was so revered 40 years ago (along with the James Whitmore "Give 'Em Hell, Harry!"), but now the revisionists are practically making him a war criminal over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. If Truman were around today, he'd give them hell!

Other than that, and some other passages that show Ryfle's leftie political bias (suffice to say, he is entitled to his opinions, so I needn't go into them here), I generally agree with his view that the new Godzilla "whitewashes" our nuclear history and takes away the true meaning of Godzilla. Perhaps the world that Godzilla takes place is in an alternate universe?

To read the full article, go here.

Truman Grandson To Visit A-Bomb Cities In Japan

Above, the Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Three years from August will mark 70 years since President Harry S. Truman gave the go-ahead to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki thus ending World War II.

The Japan Times is reporting that a grandson of Truman will be visting both cities for research on a book he is writing.

According to the article:

WASHINGTON — A grandson of the late U.S. President Harry Truman plans to visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki, both devastated by U.S. atomic bombings in 1945, as "a good starting point" for writing a book about the bomb sites.

Clifton Truman Daniel, who revealed his plan in a recent interview, will visit the cities in August with his wife and two sons to attend the annul peace memorial ceremonies.

This will be the first time for a relative of Truman, who gave the go-ahead to use the atomic bombs, to visit the cities.

Asked whether the decision to drop the atomic bombs was right or wrong, Daniel, 55, said that is a "very hard question."

I've visited both cities (Hiroshima in 2004 and Nagasaki in 2007) and found the museums and memorial parks in each to be quite sobering.

Above, the Hypocenter Memorial in Nagasaki.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

However, as the bombings were an inspiration to the Godzilla character, both cities' peace parks are included in The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan. The Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Dome was briefly seen in 1991's Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah. I recommend visiting either (or both) to anyone planning to visit Japan.

To read the full article, go here.

When Eugene McCarthy Endorsed Ronald Reagan For President

Above, Eugene McCarthy during his 1968 presidential campaign.

I was thumbing through former Ronald Reagan aide Michael K. Deaver's book A Different Drummer yesterday and found a little tidbit of political trivia. The book is about Deaver's thirty years of working for Ronald Reagan.

During the 1980 presidential campaign against President Jimmy Carter, Reagan was barnstorming the Midwest. Reagan, at this point, was slightly behind Carter in the polls. Deaver was receiving messages that former Minnesota U.S. Senator Eugene McCarthy (March 29, 1916 – December 10, 2005), one of the most respected liberal Democrats, wanted a private meeting with Reagan.

Deaver "couldn't understand why this icon of the left would want to meet with the new Mr. Conservative." It was Eugene McCarty's surprise showing in the 1968 New Hampshire Primary that caused President Lyndon Johnson to withdraw from the 1968 presidential campaign.

When the Reagan party arrived at their hotel, there was Eugene McCarthy sitting by himself in the lobby.

McCarthy approached Reagan and said, "Governor, I'd like to talk to you in private if that's okay." Reagan nodded and shook his hand and they went into Reagan's room. Deaver "instinctively" followed them in. McCarthy didn't seem to mind. Deaver stayed long enough to hear McCarthy tell Reagan that he wanted to formally endorse him for president. McCarthy gave his reasons for wanting to support Reagan and ditch Carter.

Above, Ronald and Nancy Reagan at Los Angeles International Airport following the 1980 Republican National Convention. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Reagan was appreciative and after some small talk, McCarthy departed with Deaver escorting him to his car. During the walk to the car, Deaver said to him, "What you said in there makes some sense, Senator. But what's the real reason you're endorsing Ronald Reagan?"

At the car, McCarthy looked Deaver in the eye and said, "I'll tell you why. It's because he is the only man since Harry Truman who won't confuse the job with the man."

Retracing Dad's Footsteps In Japan

by Armand Vaquer

As Father's Day is just around the corner this month, I thought I'd post an article on a visit to where my dad was once stationed in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. My dad passed away of cancer on December 15, 1999.

In the early 1950s, my dad was in the 40th Division of the U.S. National Guard in Los Angeles, California. Harry S Truman was president at the time.

When the Korean War broke out in June 1950, under the auspices of the United Nations, my dad's national guard division was called up to active duty and was sent to South Korea.

From Wikipedia:

The conflict arose from the attempts of the two Korean powers to re-unify Korea under their respective governments. The period immediately before the war was marked by escalating border conflicts at the 38th Parallel and attempts to negotiate elections for the entirety of Korea. These negotiations ended when the North Korean Army invaded the South on June 25, 1950. Under the aegis of the United Nations, nations allied with the United States intervened on behalf of South Korea. After rapid advances in a South Korean counterattack, North-allied Chinese forces intervened on behalf of North Korea, shifting the balance of the war and ultimately leading to an armistice that approximately restored the original boundaries between North and South Korea.

My dad, as an activated member of the U.S. Army, was a military policeman (MP) (he had wanted a career as a policeman, but he didn't meet the height requirements of the day). He was first sent to Sendai, Japan. Japan was still an occupied nation at the time of the start of the Korean War, and the U.S. had a big military base in Sendai.

The coastal town of Matsushima is only minutes away from Sendai by train. While stationed in Sendai, he and his army buddies visited surrounding areas, includng Matsushima. The photo below is of my dad in his MP uniform in front of the 400-year-old Godaido temple while on duty. [See note at bottom.]



In April 2006, I took a vacation trip to Japan and some of the places I wanted to see were Sendai and Matsushima. Sendai is a beautiful city whose avenues are tree-lined. I took a Shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo to Sendai. Sendai is about 200 miles north of Tokyo and it took about an hour and a half to get there.

I arrived at Sendai Station (below) and took a taxi to my ryokan (Japanese inn). Sendai's subway system is not as extensive as Tokyo's, so it made a taxi ride necessary.

Above, Sendai Station was featured in "Gamera 2: Advent of Legion."

After settling into my room at the ryokan, I explored around the city of Sendai, which included a visit to the site of Sendai Castle. The next day, I returned to Sendai Station to catch a local commuter train to Matsushima. It took about 25 minutes to get to the station at Matsushima.

Matsushima is a beautiful seaside town with many tiny offshore islands. Visitors can take tour boats to see the islands. Before doing so, I located the Godaido temple that my dad had his photo taken in front of. I had one of the locals take one of me at almost the same spot as the one of my dad (below) fifty-five years earlier.



After this, I took one of the tour boats to see the offshore islands. Immediately after departing the dock, hundreds of seagulls flocked around the boat begging for food (below).

Above, the Matsushima seagulls knew where they can get food.

The tour boat took a meandering tour around the many islands (below). We also passed areas where oysters were being caught. The boat tour was about an hour or so long.



After we got back to the dock, I headed up toward the Zuigan-ji temple. The walkway (below) was beautifully lined with trees.



After returning to my ryokan after the day's excursion, I treated myself to a onsen bath and a sumptious meal that was prepared by the ryokan staff. The next day, I returned to Tokyo for more fun, which included the premiere of Gamera The Brave. I'll write on that in another post in the future.

It was a moving, personal experience to visit a place where my dad was once located about 55 years previously and retrace some of his footsteps. While all my trips to Japan have been enjoyable, this trip has to rank at the top for me.

NOTE (6/4/09): I pulled out the original photo of my dad at Matsushima and he wrote a note on the back that reads:

10/6/51

Took this picture while on duty in Matsushima. The temple in the background is supposed to be 1,000 years old. You can rent the boats for 50 cents, two hours.

The present Godaido temple (in both photos) was built around 1604 as a reconstruction ordered by the Date clan. Prior structures date back to 807 A.D.

Obama Measuring The Drapes

Senator Barack Obama seems to think that he has this election in the bag. He's already planned a big election night bash in Chicago (hopefully, it'll turn into a wake). John Podesta supposedly is writing a draft inaugural address. He is denying it.

Governor Sarah Palin told a raucus crowd of 5,000 at the Tampa, Florida convention center today, "Barack Obama and I both have spent quite some time on the basketball court. But where I come from, you have to win the game before you start cutting down the net."

"You kinda get the feeling that the Obama campaign thinks this whole election process is just a formality," she said. "They've overlooked, though, the minor detail of earning your confidence and your trust and winning your vote.

"And judging from the media coverage, it does seem the coronation is already set," said Gov. Palin.

Elizabeth Holmes, in the Wall Street Journal, writes:

John McCain slammed Barack Obama Saturday for being overconfident about his lead in the polls and predicted election night would feature a Dewey-Truman scenario.

“What America needs now is someone who will finish the race before starting the victory lap,” McCain said to the crowd of several thousand at a rally here. “Someone who will fight to the end, not for himself but for his country.”

In remarks dripping with sarcasm and disdain, the Republican presidential candidate said brought up a story from the New York Times that said former White House Chief of Staff John Podesta has already penned a copy of Obama’s inaugural address.

“I’m not making it up,” McCain said. “An awful lot of voters are still undecided but he’s decided for them that well, why wait, it’s time to move forward with his first inaugural address.”

Obama spokesman Bill Burton quickly refuted the attack. “While this charge is completely false and there is no draft of an inaugural address for Senator Obama, the last thing we need is a candidate like John McCain who just plans on re-reading George Bush’s,” he said.

But McCain had more zingers, fresh off the presses—with his own kind of startling confidence: “When I pull this thing off, I have a request for my opponent, I want him to save that manuscript of his inaugural address and donate it to the Smithsonian so they can put it right next to the Chicago paper that says ‘ Dewey defeats Truman’!”

The reference was to the 1948 presidential race, where Thomas Dewey ran against Harry Truman. The Chicago Daily Tribune–now known as the Chicago Tribune–ran a banner headline proclaiming Dewey’s victory. Several hundred copies were printed before the mistake was realized.

Over-confidence is now becoming a real concern for Obama campaign aides. The Los Angeles Times reports:

The Obama camp has a different problem: trying to stave off overconfidence. Memories of 2004 -- when Democrat John F. Kerry entered election day leading in several key states -- have a chastening effect. "It wasn't too long ago that people thought McCain was on a pathway to sure victory," said David Plouffe, Obama's campaign chief. "As an organization, we don't get too high or too low."

I concede that McCain has an uphill climb, but this race is still winnable.