What will you be playing to celebrate?

Slappy, that's exactly how my Dad looks at it.

It would be hard for many Americans to believe anyone could have such a viewpoint, especially the way we're taught history in school, but there is another side to WWII.

As an American of Japanese decent I'm deeply ashamed at what happened in Nanking for three terrible months, and events like the Bataan death march. We also can't forget the inhumane biological experiments performed by the Japanese on unwilling Chinese prisoners. What gets my goat is that the German and Japanese scientists that committed these heinous crimes were allowed to avoid war crimes trials and immigrate to the US in secret in order to work for us!

On the flip side, my aunt was one of the young victims at Hiroshima. My Dad remembers returning from the war and seeing all the skin on his kid sister's arms hanging from her finger tips. For many years my Dad was afraid of what might happen if my aunt had children. Luckily they turned out fine.

Interesting thing about the TWO bombs. It seems Truman as well as most of the high ranking military commanders knew the Japanese were beaten, and that they were actually trying a face-saving surrender through the Russians. Although Truman seems to have been reluctant, it was Secretary of State James Byrnes who gave the Manhattan Project top priority and convinced him to go through with it. The decision to drop the bomb was made to end the war, but more probably to send a message to the Russians that we don't mess around. Can you imagine that, the obliteration of almost two hundred thousand people just to make a statement to Stalin?

Wouldn't it be nice if one day Iraq and the whole Middle East could become close US allies the way Germany and Japan have? If that ever happened, who would our enemies be then?

Probably canada.

hehehehe

I spent a couple years in japan, nobody ever really talked about it. I think it was a pretty brutal thing to do. I really enjoyed Japan, loved the culture and the lifestyle. It is a great place. I took a trip to Hiroshima while i was there. It has healed nicely, but there is definatly a scar beneath

lets just hope that everyone learned from it, especially the U.S.A.

One countries terrorist is another countries hero.Its in the way you want to look at it.Americans DO NOT understand the middle eastern cultures,nor do they wish to understand it,its irrational to think the Iraq people welcome a foreign force inside their nation,they are just glad Saddam is gone,heck Mickey Mouse would be a welcome change compared to Saddam's regime.If Bush makes another comment about the "axis of evil" Im going to choke my on Wheaties.There will be two consequences now that the "leader"(Saddam) of the attacks against the american soldiers is captured...Power struggle between the actual insurgents inwhich who can kill more americans...or other "axis's of evils countries" will use the USA prosecution trails against Saddam as a focal point to entice more radicals to feed their causes.Maybe Bush will wear his airforce jumpsuit and announced the war is over...again........

Ya know, this is what really bugs me about everything.

You can go to any country in the world and live there and make plenty of friends. Any country. They might be your friends but they will still hate your country.

It boils down to this, there are upwards of 6 billion people on the planet, and the wars that kill millions are because of the actions of probably far less than 1 million.

Every country has its dark period, every country becomes a monster at one point. No country is immune.Even the high and mighty USA, took a dark step when they nuked japan.

I was in the military, and i knew there was a possibility that i would have to kill for my country, and sometimes i wondered about that, about how different i am from my enemys. Im just some joe, joined the service to to get hot meals and a warm bed. How much different is my enemy?
My enemy probably joined for the same reason. We are pawns who pay the ultimate sacrifice because world leaders cannot get along.
Instead of me killing him, and him killing me, what would happen if we had talked without somone we know of but never met stating we are enemys?
We would probably get along. Probably become friends.

It is very easy to assume that a county is the sum of its leaders. Unfortunatly, that is not usually the case.

Too bad the young have to die when the old start the wars.

I think the children of politicians should join the military. Maybe they wouldnt be so hesitant to start wars.

Im still glad we got that sonofabitch saddam. He had to go.