Since the forum post that began with the USS Arizona elicited interest, I wanted to respond to the continual question about dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
This was questioned at the highest levels of government before droppingnthe bomb. Scientists who worked on the Manhattan project urged Truman not to use it. IMO, Truman was one of the greatest Presidents of the 20th century, if not of our entire history, and ironically was an accidental President.
David McCullogh, perhaps the greatest US biographer covered this topic extensively in his book entitled "Truman". It is a great book.
As stated in the other thread, Japan would not capitulate even as the war was lost. They were the most brutal regime to POWs, as at least 1/3 of American prisoners died in Japanese camps and likely much more since they misreported captures and used prisoners as slave labor, working them to death and starving them. They felt anyone who submitted to capture was no longer worthy of being considered human.
Truman weighed everything and knew if the US didn't use the bomb, other countries were right behind us in development and would. Russian forces were moving eastward and if the war did not end would claim large chunks of China.
Unlike Pearl Harbor, and recent terrorist attacks, the US dropped millions of leaflets in advance on those cities warning of a messive bombing and for civilians to evacuate.
Even after Hiroshima Japan would not surrender. Only after the US delivered on its threat to continue bombing and Nagasaki was bombed did Japan surrender. Likely tens of thousands of US troops were spared as war casualties. The pilot of the Enola Gay was carefully psychologically screened for the possible traumatic impact of delivering such carnage.
After Nagasaki, the US, in a show of military strength, flew thousands of planes over Japan as a show of strength and vuctory, just in case the japanese propaganda machine was saying something different.
Hopefully nuclear weaponry will never be used again, but with dangerous countries developing nuclear weapons that may not be possible.
Certainly a horrific event, no matter what your opinion on using it.
I sometimes think of all the classmates I didn't have because of the thousands of young soldiers who returned home in body bags.
Last night attended a fantastic Christmas parade in FL. I watched with members of a local VFW where my sister is active. The VFW set up a viewing secion with metal bleachers put up for the vets. Forever grateful to anyone who ever served. Each knew they may be called to make the ultimate sacrifice. Courageous Americans.
Hopefully respectful viewpoints can be expressed without acrimony.