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Ashlyn Fox
English II Honors
March 10, 2015
Justification of the of the Dropping of
The Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima
Hiroshima was the first atomic bomb that was ever dropped. In recent years it has been
the subject of much controversy. At the time the bomb was dropped on August sixth of
1945(“The Decision to…”), the war in Europe had finished, Germany unconditionally
surrendered May eighth to USA and Britain (Wilde). At this point the war between America and
Japan was still going. One of the major points that lead up to Hiroshima was Pearl Harbor.
December 7, 1941 the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Japan had 423 fighter planes.
They separated their planes into different “waves” of attacks (Anderson). According to Victor
Davis Hanson, a Stanford university professor of classics and military history, Japan bombed
Pearl Harbor for a few reasons. The main reason was to claim Pacific land before the war in
Germany ended. Japan felt that the American’s naval ships and aircrafts were not as strong as
other aspects of the American military. Japan thought Pearl Harbor was an easy target to take
out (Hanson). Although America had a strong naval force, the attack was successful. Its success
is mainly attributed to the fact that America was not prepared for an attack. Government officials
concluded that the distance between Hawaii and Japan was too great, (4,000 miles) and that an
attack would be extremely unlikely. America also thought that Japan would try to attack the
European colonies in the South Pacific. Due to these reasons, Pearl Harbor was left “relatively
undefended” (“Pearl Harbor”). The attack resulted in the deaths of 2,335 service men and 68
civilians. Another 1,178 people were wounded (Anderson). Many of these deaths could have
been avoided if ammunition had been readily available. Due to the fact that the Americans were
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not expecting an attack, battle stations were left unprepared and unmanned. Out of all the ships
that were hit during the attack, the USS Arizona had the most losses. 1,100 sailors on the USS
Arizona perished.
One man who was on the USS Arizona, lived to tell his story. George Phraner was an
aviation machinists mate on the USS Arizona. It was a Sunday, George Phraner had just finished
his breakfast when he and other men heard a noise coming from outside. This was unusual
because it was usually quiet outside. They rushed outside. They could see and hear airplanes.
George could see large amounts of smoke coming from Ford Island. Once people realized that it
was an attack, sailors were directed to their battle stations. Mr. Phraner went to his station, the 5
inch gun. There was only a small amount of ammunition at each station. All together, they were
very ill prepared for battle. Suddenly the gun captain pointed at George and told him to go down
to the magazines and start bringing up ammo. This action saved George’s life. While in the
magazine, the front of the ship was hit and all the gunpowder in the front magazine exploded,
killing everyone on top. Soon after, the lights went out. Smoke started to fill the ship. George
and the other men managed to open the hatch and began climbing up the burning ladder.
Eventually George reached the top deck. He saw his comrades lying dead. Some badly burned
and cut up. George managed to jump off the burning vessel and swim to safety (Phraner).
George was hailed as a hero, as American service men should be. He truly showed valor and the
ability to survive. This attack was called “one of the deadliest attacks in American history” by
prominent history author Barbara Maranzani (Maranzani). Following the December 7th attack,
the United States and Britain declared war on Japan. President Roosevelt called Pearl Harbor “a
date which will live in infamy” (“The History Place…”). Three years after the horrific bombing
of Pearl Harbor, the use of the atomic bomb was shifted from Germany to Japan. While America
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and Britain had initially decided Germany was the target, they felt that the war was going to end
soon. As government officials looked at reasons to drop the bomb on Japan instead, they saw the
loss of soldiers at Pearl Harbor as a main reason to justify switch.
The Atomic bomb was a big turning point in the war between America and Japan. Many
top scientists worked on the “Manhattan Project”.
(The decision to drop the bomb”).The
scientists included: Dr. Stearns, Dr. Tolman, Dr. Oppenheimer, Dr. C. Lauritsen, Dr. Ramsey,
Dr. Dennison, Dr. Von Neumann, Dr. Wilson, Dr. Penny and Albert Einstein.
(Target
Committee, Los…”). Einstein’s main reason for helping with this project was because he didn’t
want Germany to create the atomic bomb first. Einstein said “But the probability that the
Germans might work on that very same problem [The atomic bomb] with a good chance of
success prompted me to take that step [to help the Americans with the atomic bomb]”(Einstein).
The probability that the Germans would discover the same technology was extremely likely. This
is why it was imperative for America to get ahold of the new type of bomb first.
The dropping of The Atomic Bomb was needed in order to help end the war and justify
the deaths of the many Americans. The decision was left up to Harry Truman. He had to decide
whether or not to use The Atomic Bomb. He weighed the pros and cons. Japan wasn’t giving up
after four years, and only something big could stop them. Truman had decided to drop the bomb.
America asked Japan for an unconditional surrender, but Japan refused. This left America no
choice. The bomb was ordered to be dropped on Hiroshima, a prominent military city of Japan.
So, on August 6th, 1945 the bomb was dropped. Many people believe that the bombing on
Hiroshima helped to end the war. According to Bill Dietrich, Seattle Times staff reporter the
bomb was needed to help end the war. “Only the atomic bomb could jolt Japan’s leadership to
surrender” (Dietrich). The action of dropping the bomb, showed Japan what America was
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capable of. Japan showed “near fanatical resistance” when fighting. They fought by committing
mass suicide. Many Japanese people were prepared to die for their country willingly. In
addition, the severe destruction of their homeland and their people made it difficult tor Japan to
continue. The estimated number of casualties from Hiroshima was 135,000 people (“The Atomic
Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki”). This number of casualties greatly decreased the number
of people that could be recruited for the military. Also, the Japanese had to send help and
supplies to Hiroshima. The bomb hit Hiroshima, one of the more important military bases (“File
Fact: Hiroshima and Nagasaki”). The Atomic Bomb was able to weaken Japan greatly in many
ways. The bomb was able to close down a large military aiding city.
The bomb was justified, not only did the atomic bomb help end the war, but it was also a
response to Pearl Harbor. The Japanese killed many servicemen and civilians. The bomb had to
be dropped to show Japan what happens when they attack America. May Americans were killed
on December 7th. All the deaths were horrid. Some people were completely cut in half
(Phraner). The dropping of the atomic bomb helped to avenge the deaths of those who died the
unfair, horrible death. When the bomb was dropped it showed Americas’ willingness to defend
their own. If the bomb had not been dropped, there is a great possibility many Americans would
have died. America’s effort to prevent more deaths of servicemen was the dropping of the bomb.
While the atomic bomb may have helped to end the war a lot sooner, it really affected
the Japanese people. While Americans believed Hiroshima to be a large military city, Civilians
actually out numbered troops five or six to one. Many Japanese civilians were killed and injured
by the bombing. In the book, Hiroshima, by John Hersey, personal stories were told about
Japanese survivors. One woman in particular, Mrs. Hatsuyo Nakamura. She was a widow with
children. As the bomb hit the center of Hiroshima, she was standing in her kitchen while her
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children were resting. After the bomb her children were trapped underneath wreckage, she
frantically dug them out. Immediately, she and her children suffered no effects from the bomb.
As they walked through the streets of Hiroshima, they saw the horrible condition of the people
they passed. Many were badly burned, some women wearing traditional kimonos had the design
burned into their skin. The burns mixed with the radiation made some people’s skin just slip off
their bodies. Mrs. Nakamura took her children to a park with other survivors. Later on, she and
one of her daughters suffered from severe radiation sickness. For the rest of her life she was
affected from the radiation. She was very weak and needed ample time for rest, yet at the same
time she was trying to provide for her family. She eventually overcame her struggles and was
able to retire, but getting to that point was extremely difficult. Many people after the bomb had a
difficult time. This story proves that civilians were the main sufferers (Hersey).
While Hiroshima had a large death toll, many survivors were able to live out the rest of
their lives. Even after the bomb, the survivors were able to be successful for the duration of their
lives. The Americans who died at Pearl Harbor never had the opportunity to live out their lives as
the Hiroshima survivors did. The fact that people were injured and died from the bombing was
inevitable. Had the war continued further, the death toll could have been far higher (Dietrich).
America had a relatively limited amount of information about Hiroshima and its military
association. Hiroshima was ruled as a military city (“Target Committee, Los Alamos, may 10-11,
1945”). Hiroshima was the second largest Army headquarters. Hiroshima also had factories that
were used to provide goods for the military (“Decision to Drop The Bomb”). The bomb was
needed to shut down the factories and the factory workers to providing for the military that was
killing Americans. This is one of the main reasons that Hiroshima was the main target. Once
Hiroshima was shut down, it would hurt the Japanese military greatly. Hiroshima may not have
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been the largest military city, but it had a large part of providing materials for the military.
Some say America used to the bomb to justify the $2 billion dollar cost to make the bomb
(Dietrich). For all the deaths, the money did not seem worth it. The destruction could have been
saved for a destination more worthy. As the project was top secret, not many people would have
known that it was being saved for another time (“Target Committee, Los Alamos, may 10-11,
1945”).
On the other hand, the cost of the bomb was not the whole reason why it was dropped.
Mostly the bomb was utilized to help force the Japanese government to surrender (“The Decision
to Drop The Bomb”). The bomb was also dropped to avenge the deaths of the servicemen and
civilians who died at Pearl Harbor. The cost was not the largest reason the bomb was used.
While the bomb had great destruction, it needed to be dropped for the humanity of the
World. Lastly, the Atomic bomb had a large effect on the world. The pure destruction it caused
helped to prevent its use in the future that also could have been much worse (Dietrich). Even
scientists that worked on the project realized the destruction could be great. Such as Einstein,
who said in his letter stressing “the necessity of large scale experimentation (Einstein)” The
bomb was used and the results shocked the world. The bomb showed the world that this weapon
should never be used again.
This type of bomb in the wrong hands could mean world
destruction. The effects of not dropping the bomb would have out weighed the destruction that it
caused. Not only did the bomb help to end the war, but it also avenged the deaths of the
Americans who gave their lives for this great country. The use of the bomb prevented its future
use, if the bomb had been used in the wrong hands, the destruction would have been far greater.
In the end the bomb was absolutely justified.
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After the bombing of Hiroshima, the true World powers were revealed. Since the
bombing and the Japanese surrender, USA has been able to rebuild relationships with Japan. The
Japanese people feel that it is important to continue to talk about the bomb. They want to ensure
that something like that can be prevented in the future (Greene). At the same time, Americans
agree that future atomic bombings should be prevented (Cash). In the end, both sides agree that
it’s important to keep that technology from ever being used again. While the bomb was
devastating, it influenced the World for the better.
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Works Cited
Anderson, Erik. "PEARL HARBOR Facts." Web. 12 Feb. 2015.
"The Attack on Pearl Harbor." Web. 12 Feb. 2015.
Bernstein, Barton. “The Atomic Bombings Reconsidered.” Web. 10 March, 2015
Cash, James. “Hiroshima Visit Brings Feelings of Guilt to American Born in Japan.” Web. 10
March, 2015
"The Decision to Drop the Bomb." Ushistory.org. Independence Hall Association, Web. 11 Feb.
2015.
Dietrich, Bill. "PRO AND CON ON DROPPING THE BOMB." Seattle Times. Web. 12 Feb.
2015.
Einstein, Albert. "On My Participation In The Atom Bomb Project." Letter to President
Roosevelt. 1939. Web. 12 Feb. 2015.
Greene, Bria. “Japanese Remembrance of Dropping the Atom Bomb.” Web. 10 March, 2015
Hanson, Victor Davis. "REAL REASON JAPANESE ATTACKED PEARL HARBOR." WND.
13 Sept. 2015. Web. 12 Feb. 2015.
Hersey, John. Hiroshima. New York: Random House, 1989. Print.
"Hiroshima and Nagasaki Death Toll." Hiroshima and Nagasaki Death Toll. Web. 28 Feb. 2015.
"The History Place - World War II in Europe Timeline." The History Place - World War II in
Europe Timeline. Web. 23 Feb. 2015.
Maranzani, Barbara. "5 Facts About Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona." History.com. A&E
Television Networks, 07 Dec. 2011. Web. 20 Feb. 2015.
"Pearl Harbor." History.com. A&E Television Networks, Web. 11 Feb. 2015.
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Phraner, George D. "George Phraner's Brush with Death Aboard the USS Arizona." Web. 12
Feb. 2015.
"Target Committee, Los Alamos, May 10-11, 1945." Web. 12 Feb. 2015.
Wilde, Robert. “When Did World War 2 End?” web. 10 March, 2015