I was wondering today about the crew that manned the Enola Gay and what they thought after they bombed Hiroshima with the atomic bomb.
Hiroshima was a city of 300,000 people and it was thought 43,000 military people were located there.
Some 70,000 people probably died as a result of initial blast, heat, and radiation effects. This included about twenty American airmen being held as prisoners in the city. By the end of 1945, because of the lingering effects of radioactive fallout and other after effects, the Hiroshima death toll was probably over 100,000. The five-year death total may have reached or even exceeded 200,000, as cancer and other long-term effects took hold….source www.cfo.doe.gov.
I would have wondered, “Do we really need to do this?”.
“How many people are down there who do not have anything to do with this war?”
“Aren’t we supposed to be fighting those who are fighting us?”
I don’t know what I would have done but there is a likelihood I would have refused to go. I’m not sure as I am only a mortal. Fear and justification can carry a lot of weight.
Now that it is done, did the crew members lose sleep, have nightmares or did they continue as usual.
Is there a time when you have to say no to the “Orders” which come from the top?
Those in power will rarely admit there was a mistake or human tragedy as a result of their decisions.
Meanwhile who has to live with it?
Who are you accusing of lacking conscience and remorse? This is an accusation you can comfortably make 50 years hence on your personal computer. Suffice to say those involved at the time were not in such a comfortable situation.
Who is accusing?
I was wondering what went through their minds.
Would you drop a weapon of mass destruction knowing innocents will be killed or injured?
Who is accusing?
The title of this post: ‘Without Conscience or Remorse’. Who is that meant to be a description of? Or just words?
You are correct. I will add a question mark at the end of the title as it gives the wrong impression.
Thanks as we are not always aware of how words may be received by another and for that my apologies.
No problem.
I think it’s just difficult to imagine what the people at the time were going through. When one tries, it’s important to try to keep in mind all factors that may have been weighing on them. For example, the likelihood that without the bombs, an invasion would have been necessary that (everyone seems to have believed) would have killed far more people than the bombs did, a toll that would have included tens of thousands (more) Americans.
Best,
I agree with your comment, it is difficult and I am familiar with the belief that the bombs actually saved lives in the long run.
The thing is we don’t and will never know for sure.
From that perspective dropping the bombs made sense.
I agree, it is not a position I would want to be in, to be forced into making that decision. Yet when the time comes, you make the decision anyway, if you don’t, someone else will.