ArtKramr ) wrote:
: ubject: Hiroshima justified? (was Enola Gay: Burnt flesh and other
: magnificent technological achievements)
: From: Merlin Dorfman
: Date: 12/28/03 1:32 PM Pacific Standard Time
: Message-id:
:
: ArtKramr ) wrote:
:
: ...
:
: : The aiming point for the Hiroshima bomb was a bridge in a mainly
: : residential area, not any of the military or industrial assets. By
: : definition
: : the target was civilians since that is where the bomb was aimed.
: :
: :
:
: : As a trained and experienced bombardier I wish I could have been on the
: Enola
: : Gay that day. I would have had the honor of bringing to an end the worst
: war
: : the world has ever seen.But I was busy in Eirope at that time.
:
: I was going to answer a previous question about "What was Art
: doing on that day?" by pointing out that the war in Europe had ended
: three months earlier. But it sounds like many Air Force personnel
: were still in Europe.
:

: We were preparing to go over to Japan when the bomb dropped and we were
: cancelled. I think that saved my life. I don't know if I could have made it
: through both wars.The odds go down with time.

I know the Luftwaffe was pretty well decimated by late 1944, so
fighter opposition was probably light; but if you were doing tactical
ground support missions I expect AA fire was still formidable.
Likewise fighter opposition to flights over Japan was not too
bad by mid-1945, as the Japanese were saving their aircraft, pilots,
and gasoline for Kamikaze attacks on the invasion force. But if you
were to be providing close support for the invasion, you certainly
would have been at risk from ground fire.
We're grateful that the war ended when it did so that ETO veterans
did not have to face a second war, and PTO veterans the ultimate in
suicidal resistance.