"Now I become Death, Destroyer of Worlds"
- J. Robert Oppenheimer at the instant of the Trinity explosion
Summer 1945 - Allied air and naval forces were systematically destroying Japanese cities. But there was no surrender. Japanese forces were poised to crush the inevitable American invasions of Kyushu and Honshu.
Carl Munz of Monroe, veteran of the Iwo Jima campaign, was training in Hawaii with his 5th Marine Division for the invasion of Kyushu.
Pfc. Wayne Nipple of Albany had crossed the Rhine and with his unit joined Patton's 3rd Army. After surrender of Germany, with two battle stars, he was to be shipped home for a short visit - then to the Pacific for the invasion of Honshu.
Jerry Hastings of Winslow, with the army's 77th infantry division, veteran of Saipan and Okinawa, was training for the invasion of Kyushu.
Lt. Cmdr. Nelson Peach, father of friend and former colleague Prof. Jim Peach of NMSU, was commanding an LST off the coast of Okinawa and would be a target of kamikaze attacks upon invasion.
These are but a few of the million plus soldiers, sailors, and Marines who were slated for invasion of Japan, and high probability of death.
July 14, 1945 - New Mexico, Jornada del Muerto (Journey of Death) in the Alamogordo bombing range, designated the Trinity Site. The top-secret Manhattan Project had developed a nuclear weapon, code-named "Gadget." Its success was uncertain. Gadget was hoisted to the top of a 100-foot test tower, detonators installed and connected.
July 16, 1945 - At 5:29:45 a.m., Gadget was detonated, creating history's first atomic explosion, vaporizing the steel tower. The light could be seen for 60 miles - birth of a new and dangerous age.
President Truman was only three months into his presidency when he was presented with the most awesome weapon ever designed. The decision to use it would be his.
Truman's freedom of action was constrained by several factors not of his making. The first was the American demand for unconditional surrender that had become fixed policy. Churchill and some allied military advisors had earlier urged FDR to modify the unconditional surrender demand if it would shorten the war. Although it is speculation, some historians believe that demand for unconditional surrender prolonged the war.
The second complicating factor was the fate of Emperor Hirohito. As early as 1943, State Department experts had recommended that Hirohito be retained as titular head of state with Japanese surrender. However, hardliners, including some of FDR's closest advisors, urged that Hirohito be treated as a war criminal and be executed or imprisoned. This was doubtlessly echoed the feeling of the American public.
Shortly after the Trinity test, Truman was on his way to the Potsdam Conference with Churchill and Stalin. Could this new untested president filling the shoes of FDR explicitly state that Hirohito be retained as titular head of an imperial system, however modified? Probably not. American language at the Potsdam Conference indicated that the Emperor would not survive.
A third complicating factor was the Soviet Union. Stalin had earlier promised to declare war on Japan after defeat of Nazi Germany, a promise welcomed at the time. Truman was suspicious of Stalin and his post war intentions. It was now in America's interest to end the war quickly - before the Soviets weighed in.
Prior to the Potsdam Conference, Hirohito and Japanese moderates had made several ill-fated attempts to get the Soviets, who were still neutral, to intercede in negotiations for peace. The Soviets, knowing of the bomb, had no such intentions.
Given Japanese resistance to unconditional surrender under which they believed their Emperor would not survive, and American desire to end the war quickly before the Soviets jumped in, Truman's options were limited. Invade, with its horrendous costs in both allied and Japanese casualties, thereby prolonging the war - or use the bomb, causing many Japanese casualties, but avoiding bloody invasion.
August 6, 1945 - The Enola Gay commanded by Col. Paul Tibbets, accompanied by two other B-29s with scientific and military observers, took off from Tinian Island with "Little Boy" aboard. Heeding allied warnings, many civilians left Hiroshima. Many did not. At 0815, the bombardier released "Little Boy." Seconds later it detonated, destroying Hiroshima and taking some 140,000 lives.
Japanese Foreign Minister Togo once again sought Soviet support to negotiate for peace. The Soviets declared war instead, attacking Manchuria, dashing hopes of Japanese moderates that the allies would withdraw their demand for unconditional surrender.
August 9, 1945 - Major Charles Sweeney took off from Tinian in Bock's Car, with "Fat Man" on board - target Kokura that was partially obscured by clouds. The alternative target was Nagasaki. "Fat Man" was released at 1105, destroying the central city and taking another 70,000 lives.
Japanese militants remained violently opposed to unconditional surrender. Premier Suzuki and Foreign Minister Togo, urged Emperor Hirohito to surrender before Japan was totally obliterated. President Truman received the Japanese surrender note on Aug. 10. Secretary of State Byrnes drafted a vague reply leaving open the possibility of Hirohito remaining as Emperor.
August 14, 1945 - Hirohito instructed his government to accept the terms of surrender. Some militarists still urged fighting to the death. Hirohito prevailed and at last the war was over. There would be no invasion.
With use of the bomb, many Japanese died. But many Japanese lived - civilians who would have succumbed during continuous bombardment and urban combat, and soldiers of the Imperial Army who would have died with the American invaders on the beaches of Kyushu and Honshu.
Americans like Carl, Jerry, Wayne, and Lt. Cmdr. Peach would live. One can debate the morality of using the bomb and the many "what ifs." But what is certain is that, with invasion, many readers of this column wouldn't be here - namely World War II vets and their descendants.
The guns were silenced; the war was over. The trail of sorrow and death was not.
To be continued:
- Monroe resident John Waelti can be reached at jjwaelti1@tds.net.
- J. Robert Oppenheimer at the instant of the Trinity explosion
Summer 1945 - Allied air and naval forces were systematically destroying Japanese cities. But there was no surrender. Japanese forces were poised to crush the inevitable American invasions of Kyushu and Honshu.
Carl Munz of Monroe, veteran of the Iwo Jima campaign, was training in Hawaii with his 5th Marine Division for the invasion of Kyushu.
Pfc. Wayne Nipple of Albany had crossed the Rhine and with his unit joined Patton's 3rd Army. After surrender of Germany, with two battle stars, he was to be shipped home for a short visit - then to the Pacific for the invasion of Honshu.
Jerry Hastings of Winslow, with the army's 77th infantry division, veteran of Saipan and Okinawa, was training for the invasion of Kyushu.
Lt. Cmdr. Nelson Peach, father of friend and former colleague Prof. Jim Peach of NMSU, was commanding an LST off the coast of Okinawa and would be a target of kamikaze attacks upon invasion.
These are but a few of the million plus soldiers, sailors, and Marines who were slated for invasion of Japan, and high probability of death.
July 14, 1945 - New Mexico, Jornada del Muerto (Journey of Death) in the Alamogordo bombing range, designated the Trinity Site. The top-secret Manhattan Project had developed a nuclear weapon, code-named "Gadget." Its success was uncertain. Gadget was hoisted to the top of a 100-foot test tower, detonators installed and connected.
July 16, 1945 - At 5:29:45 a.m., Gadget was detonated, creating history's first atomic explosion, vaporizing the steel tower. The light could be seen for 60 miles - birth of a new and dangerous age.
President Truman was only three months into his presidency when he was presented with the most awesome weapon ever designed. The decision to use it would be his.
Truman's freedom of action was constrained by several factors not of his making. The first was the American demand for unconditional surrender that had become fixed policy. Churchill and some allied military advisors had earlier urged FDR to modify the unconditional surrender demand if it would shorten the war. Although it is speculation, some historians believe that demand for unconditional surrender prolonged the war.
The second complicating factor was the fate of Emperor Hirohito. As early as 1943, State Department experts had recommended that Hirohito be retained as titular head of state with Japanese surrender. However, hardliners, including some of FDR's closest advisors, urged that Hirohito be treated as a war criminal and be executed or imprisoned. This was doubtlessly echoed the feeling of the American public.
Shortly after the Trinity test, Truman was on his way to the Potsdam Conference with Churchill and Stalin. Could this new untested president filling the shoes of FDR explicitly state that Hirohito be retained as titular head of an imperial system, however modified? Probably not. American language at the Potsdam Conference indicated that the Emperor would not survive.
A third complicating factor was the Soviet Union. Stalin had earlier promised to declare war on Japan after defeat of Nazi Germany, a promise welcomed at the time. Truman was suspicious of Stalin and his post war intentions. It was now in America's interest to end the war quickly - before the Soviets weighed in.
Prior to the Potsdam Conference, Hirohito and Japanese moderates had made several ill-fated attempts to get the Soviets, who were still neutral, to intercede in negotiations for peace. The Soviets, knowing of the bomb, had no such intentions.
Given Japanese resistance to unconditional surrender under which they believed their Emperor would not survive, and American desire to end the war quickly before the Soviets jumped in, Truman's options were limited. Invade, with its horrendous costs in both allied and Japanese casualties, thereby prolonging the war - or use the bomb, causing many Japanese casualties, but avoiding bloody invasion.
August 6, 1945 - The Enola Gay commanded by Col. Paul Tibbets, accompanied by two other B-29s with scientific and military observers, took off from Tinian Island with "Little Boy" aboard. Heeding allied warnings, many civilians left Hiroshima. Many did not. At 0815, the bombardier released "Little Boy." Seconds later it detonated, destroying Hiroshima and taking some 140,000 lives.
Japanese Foreign Minister Togo once again sought Soviet support to negotiate for peace. The Soviets declared war instead, attacking Manchuria, dashing hopes of Japanese moderates that the allies would withdraw their demand for unconditional surrender.
August 9, 1945 - Major Charles Sweeney took off from Tinian in Bock's Car, with "Fat Man" on board - target Kokura that was partially obscured by clouds. The alternative target was Nagasaki. "Fat Man" was released at 1105, destroying the central city and taking another 70,000 lives.
Japanese militants remained violently opposed to unconditional surrender. Premier Suzuki and Foreign Minister Togo, urged Emperor Hirohito to surrender before Japan was totally obliterated. President Truman received the Japanese surrender note on Aug. 10. Secretary of State Byrnes drafted a vague reply leaving open the possibility of Hirohito remaining as Emperor.
August 14, 1945 - Hirohito instructed his government to accept the terms of surrender. Some militarists still urged fighting to the death. Hirohito prevailed and at last the war was over. There would be no invasion.
With use of the bomb, many Japanese died. But many Japanese lived - civilians who would have succumbed during continuous bombardment and urban combat, and soldiers of the Imperial Army who would have died with the American invaders on the beaches of Kyushu and Honshu.
Americans like Carl, Jerry, Wayne, and Lt. Cmdr. Peach would live. One can debate the morality of using the bomb and the many "what ifs." But what is certain is that, with invasion, many readers of this column wouldn't be here - namely World War II vets and their descendants.
The guns were silenced; the war was over. The trail of sorrow and death was not.
To be continued:
- Monroe resident John Waelti can be reached at jjwaelti1@tds.net.
