A mushroom cloud towers high above Hiroshima, Japan following detonation of the atom bomb, as seen from the Enola Gay flying over Matsuyama, Shikoku. (Source: Wikimedia Commons) Seventy years ago today, the crew of the Enola Gay B29 bomber, acting on behalf of the citizens of the United States and the Allies of World War II, dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. It was the first time such a weapon had been used against a wartime target. The goal: end the most devastating conflict humankind had ever endured. At 8:15 a.m., the unimaginably violent explosion from the A-bomb killed 80,000 people instantly; another 60,000 died in ensuing months. Even so, Japan did not surrender. It wasn't until a second atomic bomb (of a different design) was detonated over Nagasaki three days later that the Japanese finally capitulated. I thought I would commemorate the anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing with images offering different perspectives on the devastation, as well as a few personal reflections.
A Japanese casualty of the Hiroshima bombing. Her skin was burned in a pattern corresponding to the dark portions of her kimono. (Source: Wikimedia Commons) In addition to the two photos above, I've included a selection of other compelling images below. So please make sure to see those too. But first, those reflections. When I was younger, I sometimes got into debates with my father over the atomic bombings. I argued that the devastation and misery inflicted on the citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was unconscionable. He usually offered thoughtful comments, but in the end, his position was simple: If it had not been for the dropping of the bomb, an invasion of Japan — for which he was actually preparing in 1945 as a soldier — would have resulted in a million American casualties, and many more Japanese. The implication was clear: Had it not been for the bombing, he, and therefore I, might not be around to debate it. As it happened, of course, the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings forced Japan to capitulate and an invasion was not necessary. The million casualty number, however, continues to be debated, as does the question of whether it justified the dropping of the bomb. Each of us has to decide on that moral question for ourselves. But I don't think there is any serious doubt as to how horrific an invasion of Japan would have been. As D. M. Giangreco put it in a paper published in the Journal of Military History:
