Letters to the Editor 08-17-2004
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
- V-J Day - Necessary Bombing - Parade Marshal
V-J Day
Editor, Times-Union:On Saturday, Aug. 14, we observed V-J Day, that momentous period in 1945 when Emperor Hirohito of Japan told his people that Japan lost the war, thus Japan surrendered, bringing to an end one of the greatest and most horrendous conflicts in the history of mankind, World War II.
How well I remember that significant Tuesday evening, Aug. 14, 1945. A little before 6 p.m., I decided to lie down in my upstairs apartment in downtown Leesburg. While reclining there on my bed, I thought about the war and the possibility that it might soon be over. On Aug. 6, the U.S. had dropped a devastating atom bomb on Hiroshima, and on the 9th, another on Nagasaki; so, in recent days, according to the reports from Potsdam conference, there was a strong belief among the press and among the people that the war would soon terminate. It was past 6 p.m. on V-J Day when I heard the fire siren across the street blast long and loud, and I thought, "Dear God! The war must be over!" I jumped up from the bed and darted down the stairs, where I found the street crowded with happy, overjoyed citizens. They were jumping up and down, yelling, "The war's over! The war's over!"
Some friends and I were curious to see what was going on in Warsaw; therefore, we drove over to the county seat, where we soon found out what was going on.
Warsaw was a madhouse. In the center of twon, people were literally dancing in the streets. And they were all hugging one another, and - well, everybody just loved everybody else in their attempt to show how hysterically happy and delighted they were all over the realization that the war had ended. Upon arriving in downtown Warsaw, one of the first things I took particular note of was the alley next to Breading's, which happened to be all aglow from a big bonfire. A group of V-J merrymakers were burning a huge pile of ration books - ration books for gasoline. The Strand Theatre was right in line with the great celebration. Ralph Boice was showing the film, "Diamond Horseshoe," starring none other than the sensational Betty Grable, who was the favorite movie star and pin-up girl of millions of GIs.
Well, here it is 59 years later, and we are now again in war, a war which none of us can actually put finger on it when it comes to coping with the enemy we face today; furthermore, as regards those scheming, conniving, unpredictable terrorists, we don't know whether ot not they will strike again, or when they will strike or who their next victims might be. Let's just hope for the best. Let's hope that we can soon celebrate a V-I Day, (Victory over Iraq).
Don Kaiser
Warsaw
Necessary Bombing
Editor, Times-Union:Every year about this time, the liberals break out their sack cloth and ashes to lament the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Only America could be so evil, they lament. Japan was beaten, ready to surrender, and America nuked Japan for racist or political reasons. But is this accurate?
First of all, the world's major powers were all working on nuclear weapons, including Japan. In fact, Japan was ahead of Nazi Germany in atomic research and planning to use nuclear weapons in conflict, from nuking invading troops to exploding atomic bombs in the midst of enemy bomber squadrons and naval fleets (Robert Wilcox, "Japan's Secret War," 47).
Secondly, jJapan was not ready to surrender. The Allies agreed to defeat Germany first so most Allied efforts were concentrated in Europe. According to the History Channel, Japan had thousands of aircraft available and an army of 2 million men. Even after the emperor agreed to end the war, some military leaders planned to overthrow him and keep the war going.
Thirdly, liberals claim that America nuked Japan for racist reasons. However, the A-bomb was developed originally to be used on Nazi Germany. Also, they like to ignore Japan's racist attitudes toward Koreans, Chinese and Filipinos (believe it or not, whites are not the only bigots on Earth). As well, liberals like to ignore Japan's racist crimes against Allied POWs in WW II. Forty percent of our Allied POWs died in Japanese confinement camps compared to 1 percent in Nazi confinement. I guess liberals believe that racism is wrong only when whites are guilty. Koreans, Chinese and Filipinos wonder why we stopped at two A-bombs.
Fourth, liberals claim another reason for the nuking of Japan was atomic diplomacy to intimidate the USSR. But Stalinists at the time praised the bombing. Atomic diplomacy was first promoted after the war by peace activist Bertrand Russell, who proposed nuking Russia (Paul Boller, "Not So!" 152, 153).
Finally, liberals like to suggest that Japan was an innocent victim of America. Whatever its other crimes, Japan was not guilty of developing atomic weapons and thus to send a submarine-based sea plane to drop a dirty bomb (a conventional weapon packed in radioactive waste) on our west coast in August 1945. Would the liberals repent in sack cloth and ashes if Japan had dirty-bombed California? I am sorry we had to nuke Japan, but I believe we had to.
William Michael Kelly
Warsaw
Parade Marshal
Editor, Times-Union:What a memorable experience I was treated to Saturday afternoon, Aug. 7, as Grand Marshal of the Pierceton Parade. Thank you, Kim and Judy.
And congratulations to all the others that they recruited to help. I know that many hours and much effort went into both the planning and the actual work needed to have such a successful festival.
Doris Kubacki
Pierceton
[[In-content Ad]]
- V-J Day - Necessary Bombing - Parade Marshal
V-J Day
Editor, Times-Union:On Saturday, Aug. 14, we observed V-J Day, that momentous period in 1945 when Emperor Hirohito of Japan told his people that Japan lost the war, thus Japan surrendered, bringing to an end one of the greatest and most horrendous conflicts in the history of mankind, World War II.
How well I remember that significant Tuesday evening, Aug. 14, 1945. A little before 6 p.m., I decided to lie down in my upstairs apartment in downtown Leesburg. While reclining there on my bed, I thought about the war and the possibility that it might soon be over. On Aug. 6, the U.S. had dropped a devastating atom bomb on Hiroshima, and on the 9th, another on Nagasaki; so, in recent days, according to the reports from Potsdam conference, there was a strong belief among the press and among the people that the war would soon terminate. It was past 6 p.m. on V-J Day when I heard the fire siren across the street blast long and loud, and I thought, "Dear God! The war must be over!" I jumped up from the bed and darted down the stairs, where I found the street crowded with happy, overjoyed citizens. They were jumping up and down, yelling, "The war's over! The war's over!"
Some friends and I were curious to see what was going on in Warsaw; therefore, we drove over to the county seat, where we soon found out what was going on.
Warsaw was a madhouse. In the center of twon, people were literally dancing in the streets. And they were all hugging one another, and - well, everybody just loved everybody else in their attempt to show how hysterically happy and delighted they were all over the realization that the war had ended. Upon arriving in downtown Warsaw, one of the first things I took particular note of was the alley next to Breading's, which happened to be all aglow from a big bonfire. A group of V-J merrymakers were burning a huge pile of ration books - ration books for gasoline. The Strand Theatre was right in line with the great celebration. Ralph Boice was showing the film, "Diamond Horseshoe," starring none other than the sensational Betty Grable, who was the favorite movie star and pin-up girl of millions of GIs.
Well, here it is 59 years later, and we are now again in war, a war which none of us can actually put finger on it when it comes to coping with the enemy we face today; furthermore, as regards those scheming, conniving, unpredictable terrorists, we don't know whether ot not they will strike again, or when they will strike or who their next victims might be. Let's just hope for the best. Let's hope that we can soon celebrate a V-I Day, (Victory over Iraq).
Don Kaiser
Warsaw
Necessary Bombing
Editor, Times-Union:Every year about this time, the liberals break out their sack cloth and ashes to lament the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Only America could be so evil, they lament. Japan was beaten, ready to surrender, and America nuked Japan for racist or political reasons. But is this accurate?
First of all, the world's major powers were all working on nuclear weapons, including Japan. In fact, Japan was ahead of Nazi Germany in atomic research and planning to use nuclear weapons in conflict, from nuking invading troops to exploding atomic bombs in the midst of enemy bomber squadrons and naval fleets (Robert Wilcox, "Japan's Secret War," 47).
Secondly, jJapan was not ready to surrender. The Allies agreed to defeat Germany first so most Allied efforts were concentrated in Europe. According to the History Channel, Japan had thousands of aircraft available and an army of 2 million men. Even after the emperor agreed to end the war, some military leaders planned to overthrow him and keep the war going.
Thirdly, liberals claim that America nuked Japan for racist reasons. However, the A-bomb was developed originally to be used on Nazi Germany. Also, they like to ignore Japan's racist attitudes toward Koreans, Chinese and Filipinos (believe it or not, whites are not the only bigots on Earth). As well, liberals like to ignore Japan's racist crimes against Allied POWs in WW II. Forty percent of our Allied POWs died in Japanese confinement camps compared to 1 percent in Nazi confinement. I guess liberals believe that racism is wrong only when whites are guilty. Koreans, Chinese and Filipinos wonder why we stopped at two A-bombs.
Fourth, liberals claim another reason for the nuking of Japan was atomic diplomacy to intimidate the USSR. But Stalinists at the time praised the bombing. Atomic diplomacy was first promoted after the war by peace activist Bertrand Russell, who proposed nuking Russia (Paul Boller, "Not So!" 152, 153).
Finally, liberals like to suggest that Japan was an innocent victim of America. Whatever its other crimes, Japan was not guilty of developing atomic weapons and thus to send a submarine-based sea plane to drop a dirty bomb (a conventional weapon packed in radioactive waste) on our west coast in August 1945. Would the liberals repent in sack cloth and ashes if Japan had dirty-bombed California? I am sorry we had to nuke Japan, but I believe we had to.
William Michael Kelly
Warsaw
Parade Marshal
Editor, Times-Union:What a memorable experience I was treated to Saturday afternoon, Aug. 7, as Grand Marshal of the Pierceton Parade. Thank you, Kim and Judy.
And congratulations to all the others that they recruited to help. I know that many hours and much effort went into both the planning and the actual work needed to have such a successful festival.
Doris Kubacki
Pierceton
[[In-content Ad]]
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092