Thursday, August 09, 2012

Bockscar

I am reminded that today in 1945, a US B-29 bomber by the name of Bockscar flew over Nagasaki and delivered a package that hastened the end of the 2nd World War.  We can debate until eternity whether we should even have atomic devices, but I have one uncle who was on a ship headed for Japan and he was heartily glad when they were told that the war was over.

That one flight and that one bomb saved countless hundreds of thousands of American soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines.

Hoist a glass for the crew of Bockscar.

5 comments:

Rich Jordan said...

I met Lt. Colonel Fred Olivi at a local gun show some years ago. He was the copilot of Bockscar. A true gentleman who I was happy to thank for his service. I have a picture of Bockscar and his book, signed, as a remembrance.

I wish I'd had the chance to meet the others from Bockscar and the Enola Gay to thank them too.

Gerry N. said...

Those two bombs also saved the lives of millions of Japanese. Many if not most of The people protesting would not have been born at all had we not dropped those bombs and stopped the war. And how many of the people of the countries overrun by the Empire of Japan would have died had the war gone on? The Japanese military did not exactly behave like ol' uncle Fred toward captured and defeated people. Just look at the Rape of Nankng for an example, or the Bataan death march.

The only major military power in the history of the World that has not wrung defeated opponents dry as a matter of policy is...........wait for it...........US!

Ownerus said...

No debate in my mind. Dad had survived the southern Philippines and was in Hiroshima about 30 days after the bomb. Unopposed. Without it, I likely wouldn't be writing this.

Anonymous said...

My father was in the 33rd Infantry Division at Luzon, they were to be part of the invasion. I have a newspaper printed on the ship which says the first two waves could expect 90 percent casualties. I also thank Harry for dropping the Big One

Deacon

James Nelson said...

It also saved the lives of millions of Japanese who would have died defending their home islands. Look at how many Japanese civilians died on Iwo and Okinawa.
I guess killing by conventional means is far more moral than killing by unconventional means. Even if the conventional means total is orders of magnitude higher.