JAPANESE MOURN OVER AMERICAN ATOMIC BOMBS

IT WAS A HORRIFIC DECISION TO USE ATOMIC BOMBS ON HIROSHIMA AND NAKASAKI.

SOME PEOPLE FEEL IT WAS MILITARILY NECCESSARY TO WIN JAPANESE UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER, OTHERS FEEL IT WAS SIMPLY CRUELTY ON THE PART OF TRUMAN AND THE US WAR MACHINE.

SOME PEOPLE FEEL THAT AMERICA USED THESE WEAPONS TO SOMEHOW PREVENT THE COMMUNISTS FROM TAKING OVER JAPAN AFTER WW2. THEIR THEORY IS THAT IF CONVENTINAL METHODS WERE TO HAVE BEEN USED, THEN THIS WOULD HAVE GIVEN THE SOVIETS TIME TO TAKE PART IN A JAPANESE INVASION, AND THUS GIVE THEM ENOUGH INFLUENCE IN THE COUNTRY TO STEER IT TO SOVIET SOCIALISM.

MIKES VACATION BELIEVES DROPPING THE A-BOMBS ON JAPAN WAS THE CORRECT DECISION. THIS DECISION SAVED AMERICAN AND JAPANESE LIVES.

MIKES VACATION ALSO BELIEVES THAT LEIGONS OF JAPANESE WAR CRIMINALS WENT UNPUNISHED, BECAUSE TO DO SO WOULD HAVE POSTPONED JAPANESE RE-CONSTRUCTION SUFFICIENTLY LONG ENOUGH FOR THE SOVIETS TO GRAPPLE FOR INFLUENCE ON THE ISLAND. EMPEROR HIROHITO SHOULD HAVE BEEN PUBLICLY EXCECUTED. THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN THE CORRECT DECISION. THIS WOULD ALSO HAVE REDUCED AMERICAN INFLUENCE ON THE ISLAND. IT WAS A MISTAKE TO ALLOW SO MANY JAPANESE WAR CRIMINALS TO GO UNPUNISHED FOR THE SAKE OF REGIONAL INFLUENCE.

this link features iris chang, author of "the rape of nanking"
http://youtube.com/watch?v=V8fzbUoQdio
this link is an interview with Aussie harry leslie, pow held by the japanese
http://youtube.com/watch?v=bBsryUaH-ps
this link is of the japanese mourning us atomic bombs
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20190749/

MIKE MILLER
INDIANAPOLIS,
2007