Remembering The End Of W.W. 2

This week marks the 62nd anniversary of dropping two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, thus saving countless lives while incinerating many.

The debate still rages on today over whether or not the two bombs should have been dropped. Many feel the innocent lives that died that day paid too big of a price. At one time I agreed. It wasn’t until later that I learned that Hiroshima was the headquarters of the Japanese 2nd army and that Nagasaki had a major munitions manufacturing center.

It also wasn’t until later that I learned that a planned American invasion was being considered instead of dropping the bombs. This invasion would have resulted in more deaths of the Japanese, as well as American deaths. And it would have certainly prolonged the war.

The awful power of the atomic bombs is still terrifying to think about. But it had to be one of history’s great “necessary evils.” After all, it did save countless lives on both sides. Maybe it was the aftermath of what happened to Hiroshima and Nagasaki that has prevented any country from using such destructive weapons since.

While I have always logically supported the use of the atomic bombs, only in the past few years have there been personal reasons why I support the obliteration of two Japanese cities that happened long before I was born.

I’m sure many science fiction fans are familiar with this popular theory: If you go back in time and kill your grandfather, you will cease to exist.

If President Harry Truman decided to go with the invasion of Japan, there would have been air raids over Tokyo. It probably would have resulted in the death of one or two very special, young children. Or they might have survived but would have never met.

Either case, they wouldn’t have produced a daughter, with whom I’m married to or we wouldn’t have two beautiful children. And I can’t imagine any parent wanting to change history if it meant erasing their children from existence.