Smithsonian museum plans to show photos of A-bomb aftermath in Japan

Should show the victims if they want to show the story ..... typical Americans.

The aircraft is now on display at the museum's annex in Virginia on the outskirts of the U.S. capital, but historical narratives about the decision to use the weapons remain delicate in the country.

I can tell you not really. For the most part Truman is hailed as a hero for defeating the Soviets in West Berlin, Korea, and yes Japan. The WW2 actions are a part of that. Whether he did that on purpose or was guided by more nefarious instincts is up for debate, but the outcome is what we care about in the US.

It’s a reminder of how devastating the impact of nuclear weapons but japan forgot they attacked USA peal harbors. Let have a museum for that.

It’s illegal in US law.

nosukeToday  05:08 pm JST

It’s a reminder of how devastating the impact of nuclear weapons but japan forgot they attacked USA peal harbors. Let have a museum for that.

Anyone who justifies the dropping of 2 A-bombs on cities filled with civilians, old men, women and children to a military attack on a military naval base is short on intellectual capability.

Anyone who justifies the dropping of 2 A-bombs on cities filled with civilians, old men, women and children to a military attack on a military naval base is short on intellectual capability.

Luckily that didn't happen and instead key munitions factories and civilians training for an invasion were targeted, thereby ending the war and saving over 100,000 allied prisoners lives.

Thank you Truman!

These replies... am I missing the thread? A museum plans to show historical photographs and it becomes news? Are museums only expected to show nice things from history now?

No Dan we shouldn't. Had you read the article. Its not an atomic memorial for the Japanese, It read out in the article.

"World War II in the Air," an exhibition covering developments in military aviation during the era.

Military Avionics. and it's development in the era the bombs were used.

There is a place and time to recognize the suffering of Japanese that endured Nagasaki and Hiroshima.

Wrong venue.

We typical Americans understand very well the consequences of our governments past actions.

Arrogance. Stereotyping is bliss. Not every American sits back in a layboy chair and drinks Schlitz beer eating Hamburger helper and dropped out of high school.

Anyone who justifies the dropping of 2 A-bombs on cities filled with civilians, old men, women and children to a military attack on a military naval base is short on intellectual capability.

The Japanese built some pretty fine warships in Nagasaki.

Some pretty famous Japanese Battleships came from Nagasaki.

While in Hiroshima munitions for the war effort were made.

Not trying to justify the Bombings any Bombings, they could have firebombed the 2 cities as they did Tokyo, but probably more people would have died that way, it's estimated that between 80,000 to 100,000 died in Tokyo.

cuddlyToday  06:46 pm JST

Anyone who justifies the dropping of 2 A-bombs on cities filled with civilians, old men, women and children to a military attack on a military naval base is short on intellectual capability.

Luckily that didn't happen and instead key munitions factories and civilians training for an invasion were targeted, thereby ending the war and saving over 100,000 allied prisoners lives.

Oh it happened. Americans with any education or intelligence know this, including those who defend the use of the bomb like myself. Your comment is nothing but hate mongering trolling.

"The school was the closest school to ground zero of the Hiroshima bombing. They lost about 400 students and more than 10 teachers, and the building took great amounts of damage from the atomic bomb dropped on August 6, 1945."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honkawa_Elementary_School_Peace_Museum

"On August 6, 1945, Shima Hospital was completely destroyed by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima; the atomic bomb detonated directly above the building and the blast was directed downwards.[3] Because the epicenter of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima was over the hospital, the hypocenter, or ground zero, was the hospital itself.[5] All the medical staff and the patients who were in Shima Hospital, about 80, died instantly"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shima_Hospital#Atomic_bombing

"We obtained data on the population distribution in Hiroshima and Nagasaki before the 1945 bombings and quantified the impact of adjustment for population density on radiation risk estimates for mortality (1950–2003) and incident solid cancer (1958–2009). Population density ranged from 4,671 to 14,378 people/km2 in the urban region of Hiroshima and 5,748 to 19,149 people/km2 in the urban region of Nagasaki. Radiation risk estimates for solid cancer mortality were attenuated by 5.1% after adjustment for population density, but those for all-cause"

" Among survivors who were 10–14 years of age in 1945, there was a positive association between population density and risk of all-cause mortality (per 5,000-people/km2 increase, relative risk = 1.053, 95% confidence interval: 1.027, 1.079) and solid cancer mortality (per 5,000-people/km2 increase, relative risk = 1.069, 95% confidence interval: 1.025, 1.115)."

https://academic.oup.com/aje/article/187/8/1623/4956379

Anyone who justifies the dropping of 2 A-bombs on cities filled with civilians, old men, women and children to a military attack on a military naval base is short on intellectual capability.

So you'd have left them to suffer in the hands of the Soviet barbarians would you? Given a choice I'd prefer my demise to be quick.

Anyone who is flippant about one of the worst events in human history is morally reprehensible.

One of the greatest decisions of all time, which saved millions of Japanese lives because a mainland invasion was no longer necessary, and saved hundreds of thousands of lives of Americans.

Sad that so many allied forces members were killed or died in Japanese prison camps unnecessarily as a result of Japanese war crimes against them.

The Smithsonian is following its own exhibition's purpose. If you want to see a museum dedicated to those two A-bombs do what I did - go to Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The world doesn't need a third one.

factcheckerToday  07:13 pm JST

Anyone who justifies the dropping of 2 A-bombs on cities filled with civilians, old men, women and children to a military attack on a military naval base is short on intellectual capability.

So you'd have left them to suffer in the hands of the Soviet barbarians would you? Given a choice I'd prefer my demise to be quick.

People who don't read what someone writes and responds on a false premise are also short on intellectual capability.

"Americans with any education or intelligence know this, including those who defend the use of the bomb like myself. "

＠OssanAmerica

I do not believe that the use of nuclear weapons hastened Japan's surrender, so I view the use of nuclear weapons as a demonstration only.

In the first place, the war against Japan, which was necessary for the United States to enter the war against Germany at the request of Britain, was a war that could have been avoided if the United States wanted to avoid it.

The use of weapons of mass destruction, the use of incendiary bombs against urban areas, and the strafing of civilians are nothing but violations of the Geneva Conventions.

During the wars in Japan, Germany, Vietnam, and Iraq, there have been many cases of abuse and massacres of prisoners of war, and rapes of civilians by the US military, even by the US military.

Germany and Italy had already surrendered just before the end of World War II, and Japan was the only remaining Axis power.

In other words, even without the use of nuclear weapons, the navy had already been destroyed and the army was almost non-existent, leaving Japan with little power to fight. If you wanted to end the war, you should have talked it over.

The reason for Japan's direct surrender was the Soviet Union's intervention in the war against Japan, and it was not until long after the war that the power of nuclear weapons became apparent. Because Japanese infrastructure was destroyed by the US military, and information could not be communicated. Even in modern times, few countries have a system in which the number of casualties can be readily determined in the event of a large-scale disaster.

Claims have also been made that the use of nuclear weapons saved many American soldiers, but there is as yet no evidence that such reports were filed during the war. I think it's nothing more than post-war propaganda.

And the fact that there are reasons to defend the use of weapons of mass destruction is also proof that at least the United States has to make excuses for them being used.

It is nothing more than proof that the United States is a country that does not follow the rules.

what do you think

Claims have also been made that the use of nuclear weapons saved many American soldiers, but there is as yet no evidence that such reports were filed during the war. 

The US would only except full surrender, so if what you believe is true, then the only way for this to reach an end was invasion.

During the wars in Japan, Germany, Vietnam, and Iraq, there have been many cases of abuse and massacres of prisoners of war, and rapes of civilians by the US military, even by the US military.

This is irrelevant to the topic. Though massacres of prisoners is not true, the latter is. But not even close to what Mao and Stalin did to their own citizens.

Follow the rules?

What country did/does?

Follow the rules?

What country did/does?

So none should even try? Very nihilistic of you.

That's very un-American of you to not allow other's to voice their opinions without discrimination.

Recently that sounds exactly American.

Anyone who justifies the dropping of 2 A-bombs on cities filled with civilians, old men, women and children to a military attack on a military naval base is short on intellectual capability.

Anyone who justified the actions of the Japanese Imperial Army and their atrocities against civilians, (including the actions of Unit 731) old men, women and children, against 2 A-bombs to end this is short on intellectual capability.

RodneyAug. 5 05:48 pm JST

It’s illegal in US law.

What's illegal?

Agent_NeoAug. 5 09:40 pm JST

In the first place, the war against Japan, which was necessary for the United States to enter the war against Germany at the request of Britain, was a war that could have been avoided if the United States wanted to avoid it.

Sanctions are not on the level of actual war. Simple as.

The use of weapons of mass destruction, the use of incendiary bombs against urban areas, and the strafing of civilians are nothing but violations of the Geneva Conventions.

Which did not mention civilians at the time.

During the wars in Japan, Germany, Vietnam, and Iraq, there have been many cases of abuse and massacres of prisoners of war, and rapes of civilians by the US military, even by the US military.

10 million dead in the Pacific War. That for the most part wasn't by the US.

Germany and Italy had already surrendered just before the end of World War II, and Japan was the only remaining Axis power.

But still at war.

In other words, even without the use of nuclear weapons, the navy had already been destroyed and the army was almost non-existent, leaving Japan with little power to fight. If you wanted to end the war, you should have talked it over.

And left half the country to the Soviets in the process.

The reason for Japan's direct surrender was the Soviet Union's intervention in the war against Japan, and it was not until long after the war that the power of nuclear weapons became apparent.

Sorry, but the bombs were mentioned in the Emperor's speech and the Soviet Union was not.

Claims have also been made that the use of nuclear weapons saved many American soldiers, but there is as yet no evidence that such reports were filed during the war. I think it's nothing more than post-war propaganda.

The plans are clear and the extrapolations from Okinawa clear. In fact the plans likely underestimated US casualties.

And the fact that there are reasons to defend the use of weapons of mass destruction is also proof that at least the United States has to make excuses for them being used.

Only on a Japan board. The average American thinks we crushed an enemy righteously and goes back to their BBQ.

It is nothing more than proof that the United States is a country that does not follow the rules.

Fair enough but we are in a continual struggle against other rule breakers so what's necessary will continue to be done.

what do you think

I think Japan is free to play the victim card but shouldn't expect much of a response to it.

YamanekoAug. 5 11:24 pm JST

The reason for Japan's direct surrender was the Soviet Union's intervention in the war against Japan,

Absolutely correct yes.

Not mentioned in the Emperor's speech. I suspect losing the naval war and having their islands blockaded also had a role and not 100% the soviet entrance into the war. Also the soviets used US boats.

Japan already had lost the war before America nuked them.

But didn't surrender.

The effects of the nuclear bombs was already well-known at the demise of innocent Americans in the desert.

Cancer is difficult to directly attribute and in any event, didn't kill between July and August 1945.

Nagasaki and Hiroshima were not tests.

It was bullying

War is about bullying. At least the US didn't permanently absorb territory like some of the other "allies" did.

And to keep the Soviets from colonizing Japan.

Implying that wasn't a worthwhile goal. How well do you think Japan would function with half of its territory gone to this day?

And yet its the soviets and the third Reich and Japanese scientists technologies that the USA has used to become that they assume is a superior military and advanced democratic civilization.

Soviets

We had soviet scientists? I believe some proof is in order that there were soviet scientists involved in a non-public capacity with the US in anything.

third Reich

Yes, just like the Soviet Union, we grabbed every scientist we could.

Japanese

The only thing we got from Japan was their Unit 731 research. I suspect you don't consider that research that should have been preserved

USA has used to become that they assume is a superior military and advanced democratic civilization

Still the #1 economy and military of the world. Show me a country that is exercising a proper democracy. At least our flaws are due to mathematical oddities and a stagnant election process rather than something more nefarious.

How about they show the brutal, raping and murderous pictures of the japanese invadors.

I guess it would not make them a victim, good on bombing them.

Anyone who justified the actions of the Japanese Imperial Army and their atrocities against civilians, (including the actions of Unit 731) old men, women and children, against 2 A-bombs to end this is short on intellectual capability.

Nobody's doing that. Your attempt at whataboutism is sad.

As someone who has visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum twice, the first time in 1984, the greatest emotional impact was seeing photos of the innocent victims killed instantly or suffering for days, weeks, or months until eventually succumbing to radiation exposure and burns.

More Americans need to see this evidence and mentally struggle with the dilemma and tragedy that was the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

@deanzaZZR

how about the victims picture of the bomb and the women children raped and murdered!

Classic whataboutism. The theme of the exhibit is "World War II in the Air". I suggest we stay on topic.

how about the victims picture of the bomb and the women children raped and murdered!

I mean

how about the victims of the JAPANESE army picture of the bomb and the women children they raped and murdered!

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As many as 6 million Chinese were killed in World War II. About 2 million Japanese died in that war. Who is responsible for those deaths?