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RE: First atomic bomb - 58 years ago today
AS Harry Truman said
"The atom bomb was no 'great decision.' . . . It was merely another powerful
weapon in the arsenal of righteousness."
-President Harry Truman
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu
[mailto:owner-radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu] On Behalf Of NIXON, Grant
(Kanata)
Sent: Thursday, August 07, 2003 10:22 AM
To: 'Borisky, Michael (Civ, ARL/CoS)'; Richard Orthen; NIXON, Grant
(Kanata); Radiation Safety
Subject: RE: First atomic bomb - 58 years ago today
I've read that they decided, in the end, not to, in part out of concern that
American POWs would be used as human shields. There were many other reasons
as well.
-----Original Message-----
From: Borisky, Michael (Civ, ARL/CoS) [mailto:mborisky@arl.army.mil]
Sent: Thursday, August 07, 2003 10:12 AM
To: Richard Orthen; NIXON, Grant (Kanata); Radiation Safety
Subject: RE: First atomic bomb - 58 years ago today
Does any one know if the U.S. dropped leaflets in advance to warn the
Japanease civilians what was coming so they would have a chance to get
out. I've been told the U.S. did.
-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Orthen [mailto:rorthen@EARTHSCIENCES.NET]
Sent: Wednesday, August 06, 2003 3:15 PM
To: NIXON, Grant (Kanata); Radiation Safety
Subject: RE: First atomic bomb - 58 years ago today
Some of the targeting approaches are discussed in a May 10-11, 1945 Los
Alamos Target Committee meeting. You can read the meeting minutes
(declassified in 1974) here:
http://www.childrenofthemanhattanproject.org/HISTORY/H-07d.htm. Pay
particular attention to the meeting attendees. This read should put
most of the speculation to rest.
Rick Orthen
Earth Sciences Consultants, Inc.
Export, PA
rorthen@earthsciences.net
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu
[mailto:owner-radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu] On Behalf Of NIXON, Grant
(Kanata)
Sent: Wednesday, August 06, 2003 2:34 PM
To: Radiation Safety
Subject: RE: First atomic bomb - 58 years ago today
I have received several direct emails in response to my comments, all on
a similar vein. Thank you for these.
It is obvious that Hiroshima, Nagasaki, or any other major city, can be
considered as forming an integral part of the military/industrial
complex. However, I am sure that good arguments to this effect could be
made regardless of the city chosen, so long as the population was large
enough.
I was under the impression that the detonation points were selected
based of incurring the most civilian casualties, not the most damage to
military targets. I think that clarification or correction on that
particular point would be most informative.
Best regards,
Grant
-----Original Message-----
From: Barnett, Marvin [mailto:marvin.barnett@WXSMS.com]
Sent: Wednesday, August 06, 2003 2:15 PM
To: NIXON, Grant (Kanata)
Subject: RE: First atomic bomb - 58 years ago today
The bombing may or may not have been necessary, but the targets weren't
purely civilian.
from http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/abomb/mp06.htm
"Hiroshima was a city of considerable military importance. It contained
the 2nd Army Headquarters, which commanded the defense of all of
southern Japan. The city was a communications center, a storage point,
and an assembly area for troops. "
"The city of Nagasaki had been one of the largest sea ports in southern
Japan and was of great war-time importance because of its many and
varied industries, including the production of ordnance, ships, military
equipment, and other war materials. The narrow long strip attacked was
of particular importance because of its industries."
Marvin Barnett
-----Original Message-----
From: NIXON, Grant (Kanata) [mailto:GNIXON@MDS.Nordion.com]
Sent: Wednesday, August 06, 2003 12:58 PM
To: 'Strickert, Rick'; Radiation Safety
Subject: RE: First atomic bomb - 58 years ago today
Very interesting quotes.
Two comments:
(1) The US only had 2 viable A-bombs following the Trinity test. It took
two drops to force a surrender. Given that, it could be argued that
using one of them in a technical demonstration would have prolonged the
war.
(2) Looking at the quotes below, it is interesting to note that the
bombs were not used on those who waged war, as stated, but on purely
civilian targets and where there were virtually no targets of military
significance.
There is nothing moral or just to be salvaged in the theater of war.
Grant
-----Original Message-----
From: Strickert, Rick [mailto:rstrickert@signaturescience.com]
Sent: Wednesday, August 06, 2003 10:22 AM
To: Radiation Safety
Subject: RE: First atomic bomb - 58 years ago today
While liberal angst continues to rage over the moral use of atomic bombs
in WWII, the following is worth noting.
On June 16, 1945, Arthur Holly Compton, E. O. Lawrence, J. Robert
Oppenheimer, and Enrico Fermi, members of the Scientific Panel of the
Interim Committee on Nuclear Power submitted their "Recommendations on
the Immediate Use of Nuclear Weapons". The Recommendations noted in
part:
"The opinions of our scientific colleagues on the initial use of
these weapons are not unanimous: they range from the proposal of a
purely technical demonstration to that of the military application best
designed to induce surrender. Those who advocate a purely technical
demonstration would wish to outlaw the use of atomic weapons and have
feared that if we use the weapons now our position in future
negotiations will be prejudiced. Others emphasize the opportunity of
saving American lives by immediate military use, and believe that such
use will improve the international prospects, in that they are more
concerned with the prevention of war than the elimination of this
special weapon. We find ourselves closer to these latter views; we can
propose no technical demonstration likely to bring an end to the war; we
can see no alternative to direct military use."
Much has been made of a July 17th petition by Leo Szilard and 69
cosigners at Chicago's Met Lab opposing military use of the atomic bomb.
However a July 18th poll by Compton includes the responses of 150
voluntary participants (more than half the scientists at the Met Lab).
In the results of the poll, 131 (87%) voted for options favoring
eventual military use of the weapon against Japan; the rest voted for
options opposing any military use. On July 24, Compton passed on both
Szilard's petition and the poll results to General Grove's assistant,
Col. Nichols.
On August 10, 1945, after the Nagasaki bombing, President Harry Truman
stated:
"Having found the bomb we have used it. We have used it against
those who attacked us without warning at Pearl Harbor, against those who
have starved and beaten and executed American prisoners of war, against
those who have abandoned all pretense of obeying international laws of
warfare. We have used it in order to shorten the agony of war, in order
to save the lives of thousands and thousands of young Americans.
"We shall continue to use it until we completely destroy Japan's
power to make war. Only a Japanese surrender will stop us."
Japan surrendered on August 15, 1945, 1347 days after its attack on
Pearl Harbor.
Rick Strickert
Austin, TX
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