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The atomic bomb, he declared, represented "a harnessing of the basic power of the universe." America had "won the greatest scientific gamble in history." And Japan had now been repaid for Pearl Harbor "manyfold."įrom that moment on, Truman rarely (some would say, never) looked back from a different angle, inevitably responding to questions about ordering two bombs dropped over Japan-from the media or in sometimes hostile letters to him at the White House-by affirming that decision, or even with what we would now call "doubling down." Truman's official announcement, released while he was still at sea, again showed pride in America's achievement. Missing from this account was Truman's burst of triumphalism when the news of the bombing first reached the ship: "This is the greatest thing in history!" "The experiment," he announced, "has been an overwhelming success." An article in the press the day after the first atomic attack depicted Truman, his voice "tense with excitement," personally informing his shipmates about the atomic attack. Truman was on the ocean, returning to Washington from the Potsdam Conference in Germany, where he had secured Joseph Stalin's promise to declare war on Japan around August 10. Truman exulted when he heard the first report that the atomic bomb he had ordered dropped over Hiroshima, Japan, by a B-29 bomber, had exploded as planned and on target, most likely devastating most of the large city. It is a fine adaptation of the book and the preparation of the mission and the top secret nature of the job given to those young men is an important story that sheds light on why the bomb was dropped on human beings.Seventy-five years ago this week, President Harry S. The actors in this mini-series do a fine job in trying to express the attitudes of WWII flyers and ground crew. It was common practice for bomber crews in all the theaters of operation in World War II to name their aircraft after sweet hearts, wives or mothers. It has become urban legend that he went insane because of remorse following Hiroshima.Įnola Gay was the name of Colonel Tibbets’ mother.
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One of the crew members had a depressive personality and suffered an un-related nervous breakdown later in life. How the numbers were arrived at is anybody’s guess. Presidential advisers estimated the cost of invading the Japanese islands in human lives (American lives) would be in the hundreds of thousands. American diplomats were un-aware of these attempts. The Japanese were using back door channels to find a way of surrendering with honor, or at least to surrender and preserve their Emperor.
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What was the attitude of the flight crews who dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki? Where does the name Enola Gay come from? Is it true that one of the crew spent years in an insane asylum after committing this unspeakable act? Was the action justified? The book this is based on answers many of these questions. Enola Gay Hard to believe there are only two comments on this very interesting subject.