59. Years ago...

[Klaus]

8.15.. local time. The first A-Bomb in the world was used against the City of Hiroshima.

160.000 Men died imediately (1/2 of the Citizens of Hiroshima), up to today this bomb caused 237.062 deaths and many people suffering from the x-ray dosis.

Every year, in Hiroshima, Japan, people float lanterns with prayers, thoughts, and messages of peace down the rivers in commemoration of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

 

[Eirinn]

The Unforgettable Fire...

 

[beli]

hmmm

bloody. awful.

 

[A_Wanderer]

EDITED OUT

 

[Klaus]

Edited bacause..
I don't want spoil that thread which was ment as condolence to the victims of Hiroshima with useless debates about military strategy

 

[A_Wanderer]

Agreed, I shall remove the post

May we remember all the victims of that most terrible event.

 

[Angela Harlem]

 

[Ft. Worth Frog]

One quick question (not meant as an argumentative question) - Where did you find that number of deaths at?

 

[Sheltie]

Agreed, I shall remove the post

May we remember all the victims of that most terrible event.

And may we also remember the victims of Pearl Harbor.

 

[Klaus]

Thanks A_Wanderer

Ft. Worth Frog:
Several sites, http://www.tagesschau.de/ , http://www.sueddeutsche.de/ausland/artikel/678/36642/ , http://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/ On the Japanese site (there is a english version) you'll find a verry political speech about the events 59 years ago. I couldn't find anything on foxnews or cnn - but with babelfish you can translate the german sites if you are interested in

Sheltie:
I'd love to remember all people who are killed, again i could start a discussion here comparing both sides but i'm not in the mood today.

peace,
Klaus

 

[LoveTown]

It was a sad day indeed.

A true weapon of mass destruction. Hopefully this sort of thing never happens again, anywhere.

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

I remember reading stories from people who experienced that in school. Frightening stuff...those poor people .

May all those who lost their lives continue to rest in peace.

 

[kaig]

8.15.. local time. The first A-Bomb in the world was used against the City of Hiroshima.

we should remember about Nagasaki, too...

 

[kaig]

And may we also remember the victims of Pearl Harbor.

yes, absolutely.
but... do you really see these 2 events on the same level?
i'm sorry, i can't.

 

[Sheltie]

Yes.

 

[beli]

Sheltie maybe you can remember the victims of Pearl Harbour in another thread on the anniversary of that event .

 

[pax]

Or maybe we could all just get together and not ARGUE about WHICH dead people we're going to honor...?

 

[indra]

but... do you really see these 2 events on the same level?
i'm sorry, i can't.

No, I cannot either.

Pearl Harbor was a legitimate military target and the deaths were almost exclusively military personnel. That alone makes it different that Hiroshima and Nagasaki. And Pearl Harbor is remembered, and the dead and the survivors are honored.

As US citizens (for those of us who are) we must face the cold, hard fact that we, as a nation, are the only country to ever use atomic bombs in war. No matter what your feeling about the appropriateness of the use of these weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the people in the cities, most civilians, suffered truely horrific consequences. This is the time to look at, and reflect upon, that action and the terrible aftermath.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki were decimated by a single bomb each....

 

[BostonAnne]

 

[kaig]

No, I cannot either.

Pearl Harbor was a legitimate military target and the deaths were almost exclusively military personnel. That alone makes it different that Hiroshima and Nagasaki. And Pearl Harbor is remembered, and the dead and the survivors are honored.

As US citizens (for those of us who are) we must face the cold, hard fact that we, as a nation, are the only country to ever use atomic bombs in war. No matter what your feeling about the appropriateness of the use of these weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the people in the cities, most civilians, suffered truely horrific consequences. This is the time to look at, and reflect upon, that action and the terrible aftermath.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki were decimated by a single bomb each....

i quite agree, this is what i meant to say.
all wars' victims (and all the innocent victims above all) should be never forgotten, but i think that Hiroshima and Nagasaki represent the worst page of human history (worst in one sense than the Jewish holocaust... in one sense i said, please don't misunderstand my words).
Just think about what the Cold War had represented for such a long time...

 

[A_Wanderer]

Considering the millions of Chinese that the Japanese murdered after they invaded and the sickening biological warfare they used against civilians with unit 731 (http://www.aiipowmia.com/731/731mnu.html) I do not think it is fair to condemn the use of such a great weapon of war to finish them off permanently and quickly without the need for an invasion that would have no doubt killed more people.

It is sad that people died in those bombings, it is awful and they should be remembered.

War is bad, but it gets the job done - Imperial Japan was defeated and the Soviet Union was unable to make a move against Western Europe from fear of nuclear reprisal. I do not think that we should be so apologetic today for dropping those bombs 60 years ago, Truman knew the stakes and he made the call, it was right then and it is right today.

 

[pax]

I'm absolutely disgusted that a thread calling for respectful honor of people who died tragically has derailed into an argument over which people deserve it more.