Sarah Greene
Type of Document: Memorandum, Report, Possibly Telegram
Describe it as if you were explaining it to someone who can’t see it. Think about: Is it
handwritten or typed? Is it all by the same person? Are there stamps or other marks? What else
do you see on it? This Document is typed out like a telegram. The typing is most likely all the
same person, the stamps on the document were put there by someone else. There is a stamp that
says Top Secret at the top in the middle, and below there's a stamp that says declassified. There
is a marking in the bottom right corner, but I'm not quite sure what it means.
Who read/received it? General Arnold
When is it from? This is from 1945 before the dropping of the Atomic Bombs
What is significant about the date of this letter? The significance about the date is that there were
4 bombs planned, but then a short time later there were only 2 dropped in Japan. The plans
changed in a short period of time.
What is it talking about? This is talking about the dropping of the atomic bombs and what each
city's significance is.
Write one sentence summarizing this document. This document talks about where the atomic
bombs are planning to be dropped, and to let the general know that they are ready to drop them.
Why did the author write it? The author wrote it to inform his general of the plan they have made
for the dropping of the bombs
What was happening at the time in history this document was created? World War II was coming
to a conclusion in the European Theater, but the Pacific War was still going on
To what does the subject of the letter refer? What was the Groves Project? The subject is the
Groves Project which was about the dropping of the bombs also known as the Manhattan Project.
What did you find out from this document that you might not learn anywhere else? I never knew
that there were 4 locations where the bombs were supposed to be dropped. It was interesting to
see the thought process behind each bomb's location and the significance of the city.
What other documents or historical evidence are you going to use to help you understand this
event or topic? I looked up the Manhattan Project summary to help understand the story behind
this telegram.
How could what is contained in this document be used to counter the argument that the bombs
were not a military necessity? All of the cities were militarily useful where the bombs were being
dropped. These cities needed to be abolished to stop Japan's production of resources for their
military.