America, the only country to use nuclear weapons. Did they save lives?

"The first atomic bomb was an unnecessary experiment. It was a mistake to ever drop it, they had this toy and they wanted to try it out, so they dropped it. It killed a lot of Japs, but the Japs had put out a lot of peace feelers through Russia long before."

Admiral William F. Halsey, Jr., speaking in public public in 1946

"Ever since I have been in touch with this program I have had a feeling that before the bomb is actually used against Japan that Japan should have some preliminary warning for say two or three days in advance of use. The position of the United States as a great humanitarian nation and the fair play attitude of our people generally is responsible in the main for this feeling.

During recent weeks I have also had the feeling very definitely that the Japanese government may be searching for some opportunity which they could use as a medium of surrender. Following the three-power conference emissaries from this country could contact representatives from Japan somewhere on the China Coast and make representations with regard to Russia's position and at the same time give them some information regarding the proposed use of atomic power, together with whatever assurances the President might care to make with regard to the Emperor of Japan and the treatment of the Japanese nation following unconditional surrender. It seems quite possible to me that this presents the opportunity which the Japanese are looking for.

I don't see that we have anything in particular to lose in following such a program. The stakes are so tremendous that it is my opinion very real consideration should be given to some plan of this kind. I do not believe under present circumstances existing that there is anyone in the country whose evaluation of the chances of the success of such a program is worth a great deal. The only way to find out is to try it out."

Under-Secretary of the Navy, Ralph Bard, In a June 27, 1945 memorandum

Rear Admiral L. Lewis Strauss, special assistant to the Secretary of the Navy from 1944 to 1945 (and later chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission), replaced Bard on the Interim Committee after he left government on July 1. Subsequently, Strauss repeatedly stated his belief that the use of the atomic bomb "was not necessary to bring the war to a successful conclusion." Strauss recalled:


"I proposed to Secretary Forrestal at that time that the weapon should be demonstrated. Primarily, it was because it was clear to a number of people, myself among them, that the war was very nearly over. The Japanese were nearly ready to capitulate. My proposal to the Secretary was that the weapon should be demonstrated over some area accessible to the Japanese observers, and where its effects would be dramatic. I remember suggesting that a good place--satisfactory place for such a demonstration would be a large forest of cryptomaria [sic] trees not far from Tokyo. The cryptomaria tree is the Japanese version of our redwood. I anticipated that a bomb detonated at a suitable height above such a forest, would have laid the trees out in windrows from the center of the explosion in all directions as though they had been matchsticks, and of course set them afire in the center. It seemed to me that a demonstration of this sort would prove to the Japanese that we could destroy any of their cities, their fortifications at will."

"When the question comes up of whether we use the atomic bomb or not, my view is that the Air Force will not oppose the use of the bomb, and they will deliver it effectively if the Commander in Chief decides to use it. But it is not necessary to use it in order to conquer the Japanese without the necessity of a land invasion. That was the representation I made when I accompanied General Marshall up to the White House" for a discussion with Truman on June 18, 1945."

General Henry Arnold (top officer of the army air force)

"The atomic bomb had nothing to do with the end of the war."

Major General Curtis E. LeMay, Speaking publicly September 20, 1945

Was reading up on it and apparently the Japanese didn't all surrender and in fact they kept fighting even after the 2nd bomb, read a few links just to be sure.

In a 1965 Air Force oral history interview Spaatz stressed: "That was purely a political decision, wasn't a military decision."

Reported for spamming.

I see you choosing what you want to believe. You can find learned opinion supporting any position online these days. cn

abandonconflict said:

In a 1965 Air Force oral history interview Spaatz stressed: "That was purely a political decision, wasn't a military decision."

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It was also stated this is a high debate, which I knew it already was but they still kept fighting, some of the Japs were too proud to admit surrender.

Trolling said:

Reported for spamming.

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The guy is a fucking loser,who no one gives a fuck about.
Plus he is the poster boy for abortion.

"MacArthur once spoke to me very eloquently about it, pacing the floor of his apartment in the Waldorf. He thought it a tragedy that the Bomb was ever exploded. MacArthur believed that the same restrictions ought to apply to atomic weapons as to conventional weapons, that the military objective should always be limited damage to noncombatants. . . . MacArthur, you see, was a soldier. He believed in using force only against military targets, and that is why the nuclear thing turned him off."

former President Richard M. Nixon, on the 40th Anniversary of the bombing

Trolling said:

Reported for spamming.

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Was there a need for that, Trolling? If I'm gonna squeeze an eye shut at UB for multiposting and Chesus for starting borderline spam threads, I can hardly ding abandon for what he did. I respect his sincerity and, with the same breath, lament his profound incorrectness. cn

Mindmelted said:

The guy is a fucking loser,who no one gives a fuck about.
Plus he is the poster boy for abortion.

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I'm actually pro choice so I can't say anything about that lol.

cannabineer said:

Was there a need for that, Trolling? If I'm gonna squeeze an eye shut at UB for multiposting and Chesus for starting borderline spam threads, I can hardly ding abandon for what he did. I respect his sincerity and, with the same breath, lament his profound incorrectness. cn

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Meh, opinions are like assholes, plus I didn't really do it, just wanted him to stop posting quotes that are just opinions.

"Obviously, the atomic bomb neither induced the Emperor's decision to surrender nor had any effect on the ultimate outcome of the war."

Brigadier General Bonner Fellers, 1947

Trolling said:

I'm actually pro choice so I can't say anything about that lol.

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I meant poster boy for abortions that lived by clothes hanger removal.

He buys lots of makeup to cover up the marks on his neck.

abandonconflict said:

"MacArthur once spoke to me very eloquently about it, pacing the floor of his apartment in the Waldorf. He thought it a tragedy that the Bomb was ever exploded. MacArthur believed that the same restrictions ought to apply to atomic weapons as to conventional weapons, that the military objective should always be limited damage to noncombatants. . . . MacArthur, you see, was a soldier. He believed in using force only against military targets, and that is why the nuclear thing turned him off."

former President Richard M. Nixon, on the 40th Anniversary of the bombing

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This is the true revisionism, Abandon. People who knew, who were there, know that his cleaned-up reasons here were emphatically not the ones for not dropping the Bomb back in the day. You are mistaking a political address for an account of deed.

And i will now disengage. I gain nothing from bashing my head against the wall, once I have determined that it is harder than my frontal bone. cn