60th Anniversary

August 6, 2005, marks the 60th Anniversary of what could be considered the biggest favor any president has ever done for this country. On August 6, 1945, under orders from President Truman, the Enola Gay dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, thereby setting into motion a quick end to World War II.
Today, there is some controversy about that decision. Without getting into a long protracted essay about the subject, suffice it to say that Truman saved lives with that decision. Yes, there was a great loss of life in Hiroshima, and Nagasaki. However, the loss of life, based on our experiences in Okinawa and Iwo Jima, would have been enormous.
For details regarding the estimates, I would suggest reading "What If? 2", a book of historical essays that look at what might have happened in a number of situations in history. One is what would have happened if Truman had not dropped the bomb. It is fascinating reading.
The lesson learned there is this: Sometimes, when you are dealing with fanatics, it becomes necessary to use an absolutely overwhelming amount of force to convince the enemy to cease their operations. Is this applicable to our current situation? Maybe. Only time will tell.