Burn of the Day
- Donald R. McClarey
Donald R. McClarey
Cradle Catholic. Active in the pro-life movement since 1973. Father of three, one in Heaven, and happily married for 43 years. Small town lawyer and amateur historian. Former president of the board of directors of the local crisis pregnancy center for a decade.
Thank you, Donald McClarey.
If the bomb saved one American soldier, it was worth it.
Don’t start a war and you will not get bombed.
See: World War II in HD by Gary Sinise. The corruption by the Japs was horrific.
“The firebombing raids on Japan, particularly the raid on Tokyo, resulted in an estimated 100,000 deaths in a single night during the March 9-10, 1945 attack, with total casualties from the broader bombing campaign exceeding 300,000 people.“
It’s generally thought that more people died in the firebombing raids, particularly that one raid, but that’s never discussed. Because the point is not adverting death and destruction. If it were there would be no argument.
Soon to be Blessed Fulton J. Sheen offers timeless wisdom. I don’t take him to condemn Pres. Truman as much as to condemn the sinful pride and arrogance of modern man.
God allows war as punishment for sin. Even “good wars” leave a spiritual scar on the victors. Today’s victors can well end up as the vanquished of tomorrow. Unless they are humble and repentant before the Lord our God.
Think the key for the soon to be beatified Archbishop Sheen is the sense of losing something of our moral conscience, which I think is true. Sheen was looking back at something, a decision, and taken with the fire-bombing that happened in both Japan and Germany, something moral was lost.
They were understandable decisions as I don’t think we truly realize how badly people wanted the war just to end and go back to normal. Those were tough decisions that had to be made and I don’t envy those responsible for making them. I remember watching General Eisenhower during an anniversary special on D-Day looking very sad and speaking about those who did not make it back. Tough decisions indeed, and I find it hard to criticize those who made them. I would not want to be in their shoes for any amount of money.
Amen to that, Matthew.
Sheen’s statements on the atomic bombings were despicably absurd and inexcusable.
My dad of blessed memory was on his way back to the US from Europe when it was announced that Japan surrendered, the ship broke into cheers. They were going to have a brief leave in San Diego and then head to Japan, which my dad said everyone knew was a death sentence. He went on to get his college degree with the GI Bill, marry and raise four kids.
WWII was a total conventional war, which was started in the pre-nuclear weapons era. Since the invention of nuclear weapons there have been no total conventional wars. So far nuclear weapons have kept a lid on the size of conventional combat operations.
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WWII was a largely mechanized war. The ability to produce and supply military equipment and supplies was vital to the front line combat troops. There is a series on YouTube about the role of factories during WWII titled “War Factories.” America was fortunate that the lack of intercontinental range weapons protected our cities and factories from military assault. Hitler wanted to bomb New York City. He had an Amerikabomber program. America’s first intercontinental bomber, the B-36 Peacemaker, was started before WWII began but didn’t become operational until after the end of the war.
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I’ve looked into the conventional land invasion of Berlin by the Soviets and it was a brutal and savage operation. Hitler ordered a fight to the death and issued the Nero decrees. He was willing to take Germany down with him. The death toll was up there with Hiroshima and Nagasaki.