These past few weeks. We have broadcast a series of special programs in reports marking the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II was a special emphasis these past few days on how the war ended 50 years ago last Sunday Hiroshima. Japan was destroyed by an atomic bomb 50 years ago today Nagasaki. Japan was the target of a second atomic bomb the first and only time in history One Nation the United States use nuclear weapons against another Nation the warded and just five days after Nagasaki but critics continue to argue that using Atomic weapons was not only immoral but unnecessary.Last weekend National Public Radio weekend edition program broadcast a special segment on how the war ended and why it ended that way do they were going to rebroadcast that segment. It's hosted by national public radio Scott Simon Captain Robert Lewis Ave, Brooklyn, New York the co-pilot of the airplane called Enola Gay watch the first atomic bomb in history burst below and then block out the mid-morning son with fire in the black boiling clout the begin to blister and blow over the airplane sitter cam Captain Lewis. Shout it out to his crewmates my God. Look at the son of a bitch go. But in this small Personal Diary the war souvenir, he would pass on to his son. Robert Lewis wrote out his single sentence my god, what have we done?For most Americans then and now the atom bomb was the righteous lightning of a terrible Swift sword Justified Vengeance against the nation that invaded Manchuria ravage Nanking and launched a sneak attack at Pearl Harbor, but although the man who dropped the bomb receive medals for their mission. They don't rank in Legend alongside the Marine to raise the flag on Iwo, Jima The Desert Rats to run a drama or the Rangers who climbed the Cliffs of Pointe du hoc the pictures wouldn't permit it the photographs when they came back of those the bomb vanquished not Stormtroopers or Samurai, but women children old people the bomb delivered Victory, but also proclaimed vanity who were men to invent a weapon to rival God was this bomb made and used by American hands and Earth with American blessings the fire next time the Bible.What would make men fighting for World Liberation accept and even cheer the city's obliteration? We're going to try to see the world our fathers and grandfathers confronted 50 years ago. You had what it took down your gave it and eat when you have the hunk of rainbow around your helmet seems like three men have done it again. The world seemed one early May of 1945 when Norman Four Winds on a note of Triumph was broadcast the night Germany surrendered actually it was half of world in the spring of 1945. Japan still controlled about as much territory as Nazi Germany had ever conquered 4 million square miles for million, Japanese soldiers occupied not only their own Nation but Manchurian Malaysia Singapore Vietnam Korea from OSHA another slices of China and Burma Britain the Soviet Union the restored France were battered and broke from defeating Germany. The United States was richer its territory intact, but Americans to wear weary of fighting and suffering. 55 million human beings were killed in this war and from the American perspective. What was so frustrating and enraging in 1945 with the Japanese unwillingness to surrender Richard Road is author of the book The Making of the atomic bomb, even though their Navy was destroyed their Islands were blockaded such that there was no food. They were down to under 1500 calories per person. They had no Air Force so that Curtis lemay's b-29s were able to firebomb the entire country as it were essentially without much damage to to his Planes despite all these circumstances it seemed as if the Japanese were going to fight on to the last living Soul Randy Rosso day is a professor of political science at Jose University in Tokyo in 1945. He was a 13 year old boy last Stitch. Fight it all in all we got any weapons and gear Yankees Yankees. We had been dropping 6 lb jellied gasoline incendiary bombs and some high explosives carpet bombing city after Japanese City since March of 1945 with a death toll that is estimated to be well above 1 million civilians more Japanese civilians, then we kill Japanese combatants in the second world war the single most devastating a result of the entire war was probably the Firestorm General Curtis. LeMay is 21st bomber command rained on Tokyo the Knights of March 9th and 10th 20 square miles of wooden houses School stores and Shinto temples caught fire like a dry field at least eighty-five thousand people were killed perhaps Couple thousand Were Soldiers because the Japanese had so few fighter planes to challenge the bombers. The may have the tail guns on his Planes removed so they could carry more bombs than a maid. Japan City strategic targets because of their War Industries this section from his Memoirs is read by an actor. All you had to do was visit one of those targets after we eat roasted it and see the ruins of a multitude of tiny houses with a drill press sticking up through the wreckage of every home the entire population got into the act and wait to make those airplanes on Munitions of war men women children. We knew we were going to kill a lot of women and kids had to be done. I suppose if I lost the wall. I've been tried as a war criminal. Fortunately, we were on the winning side only the invention of the atom bomb made the incendiaries Conventional Weapons. The US Air Force argued that bombing could bring Japan to surrender the u.s. Navy thought a blockade. This is story and Thomas Allan Coe author of the book codename downfall the plan to invade. Japan says no American Service really knew the Japanese field manual which we had numerous copies of said don't surrender. There was no recorded case of a Japanese surrender of a unit to Americans during the entire Pacific War. The only Japanese who were captured were ones who have been somehow cut off from their officers were captured so quickly or I'll have been wounded and unable to kill themselves the war in Okinawa wait from April to June of 1945 did much to convince the American Military their enemy was not only brave but crazy as many as a hundred thousand Japanese died in the Battle for Okinawa, they didn't surrender, but we're overrun. Japanese Commanding General mitsurugi should G Moran himself through with a sword 1900 suicide dive bombers the kamikazes were thrown against American ships. I mean, it's decided by the Japanese general staff that was special attack forces. They were called that was a euphemism for them would become strategic elements in the war wasn't just individual men decided to go out in a burst of Glory 7700 US Marines and sailors died on Okinawa 67,000 were wounded the losses on both sides were so huge the fighting so vicious us Planters grieve that an invasion of Japan would be open now in a larger killing ground house by house rather than cave by cave. The invasion they planned for November of 1945 would be a mostly American Enterprise Britain was back rebuilding short of ships. They could contribute only about a hundred thousand troops. Mostly Canadians Australians Indians in New Zealand, France and Holland law specific positions in the war. But after Nazi occupation could not spare soldiers to send against Japan historian Thomas. Allen says a million soldiers of the army set the storm. Japan Southern Home Island would have been America most of them veterans survivors of Iwo, Jima Okinawa Guam at Guadalcanal, but then like the Allied soldiers who won the Europe trips in the Pacific could not be relieved there weren't enough ships to move them around. So once you're in the Pacific you were there forever. So you have troops coming back from your being demobilized then getting discharged from the United States Army and going back to the civilian jobs going back to their girlfriends all the guys in the Pacific Now find out that they're there forever. There will be no demobilization of the army or the Marines or the Navy in the Pacific and they are not only not going to get out of the war. They're going to go into another Invasion. So the American Military plan for Invasion while praying for surrender and fire bombing Japan cities Richard Rhodes asked, where do you begin to trace the savagery of the war Hitler death camps, of course for their own obscenity, but did The Descent begin when Spanish matches drop bombs and Barcelona 1936 on the Japanese Savage Nanking in 1937, when the Germans Blitz London to Rotterdam or besiege Stalingrad all before the Allies blasted Berlin to Dresden or Tokyo. It's in that context. I think the question of why did we drop the bomb or whether we should have dropped the bomb needs to Beyond? Building the bomb made America a superpower written in Canada working together probably had the academic talent and physical isolation in Canada to split the atom and make a bomb but not the well British scientist doing the American Bond program Germany have the academic resources but Nazism drove many of Europe's best scientist to the West Einstein fermi's a large-bore. Dr. Edward Teller who fled Germany and what ultimately designed the bomb go to conference this year that Werner Heisenberg his old teacher and the leader of the German bomb program. When slow on developing a bomb Brattle Isaac I have Good everything. Guesses but evidence. If Heisenberg was sabotaging better. You do not want to succeed and indeed. He did not. Chivas and excellence He wasn't plugged physicist. You never made any mistake except in Brockton on this particular ticket and the 1943 British intelligence dropped in Norwegian Commandos to blow up the German heavy water facility in southern Norway setting the German Bombeck buy a year America have the academic talent in Berkeley Chicago and Columbia to split the atom and the isolated Security in Tennessee, Washington State to New Mexico to build a bomb undetected United States also had the money to billion dollars. But even if they labored to strikefire out of atoms many of the bomb scientists had misgivings Leo's a large told his diary what he confided to a co-worker's in Chicago. The excerpt is read by an actor. First of all, let me say I have no hope of clearing my conscience. The things that we're working on our so terrible that no amount of protesting or fiddling with politics will save our souls that is a large was a hungarian-born refugee from Germany many of the scientists and fled Hitler's persecution and work to give Roosevelt and Churchill the bomb before Hitler had won. Dr. John Simpson was an assistant to Leo szilard. I think what we were thinking of that time was it we must have a counter capability mutually assured destruction. Harry Truman was President July of 1945 a committee chaired by Secretary of War Henry Stimson that already recommended that if an atom bomb test work a working bomb be dropped as soon as possible to shock Japan surrender rather than wait for an invasion with Japanese militarists thought Americans were too sick of War to withstand Truman didn't then seemed the assertive fighting Bantam would later fire General MacArthur core integrated the military. But in the letter back home recorded here by an actor, he described his shotgun seeing the ruins of Berlin what some of the human touch Americans would find a peeling never did. I see a more sorrowful site my witness retribution to the nth degree. I hope for some sort of Peace, but I feel that machines are I had a models by some centuries and when Morrow's ketchup, perhaps they'll be no reason for any of it. I hope not but we are only termites on a planet and maybe when we're bored too deeply into the planet, they'll be a reckoning who knows Truman was meeting Joseph Stalin Winston Churchill in Potsdam, July 16th. When the first atomic test Rumble the Earth of New Mexico alarming and bewildering the locals. Today residents of southern New Mexico Arizona and Western Texas say that the explosion was felt like an earthquake in parts of those three states x-radiation broken the blast scientist underestimated the amount of radiation in the explosion, which led them to miscalculate the casualties. It could cause an actor read what general Dwight Eisenhower wrote in his memoirs about being dinner in Berlin with Henry Stimson when the signal Corps officer ran in with a note the cable was in cold, you know, the way they do it is boring or some damn thing like that. Lenny told me they were going to drop it on the Japanese. Well I listened And I didn't volunteer anything because after all my war was over in Europe, it wasn't up to me. But I was getting more and more depressed. Just thinking about it. Let me ask for my opinion. I told him I was against it on two counts first. The Japanese were ready to surrender and it wasn't necessary to hit them with that awful thing. I hated to see our country be the first to use such a weapon now other soldiers of eminence American Admiral William Leahy Britain's Lord Louis mountbatten was supreme commander of Allied Forces in Southeast. Asia also recollected deposing the bomb, but there's no documented record that their reservations were ever passed on to Truman or that they made their doubts directly known in time to matter in Chicago. We the undersigned side is have been working in the field of atomic power. Until recently we had to fear that the United States might be attacked by atomic bombs during a letter to President Truman urging him to try alternatives to provoke Japan surrender before using the bomb. They had created John Simpson recalls that Enrico Fermi suggested the Japanese be given what he called of measurable demonstration. Well, we all decided that what would be measurable would be if we could find an island of just the right size and then drop it on that island and when the cloud disappeared Divino Island, and so everybody was running around looking at the maps in the military shot this down very quickly. Hey you guys what is the bomb doesn't work boy, you know, we got mud on her face. We really in trouble President Truman was in Potsdam and never saw that letter. Dr. Simpson has come to believe that a demonstration was Impractical the doctor Edward Teller who opposed to demonstration in 1945 now says that would have been wisest. Simply believe the bomb of a Tokyo bay and Bee explode at 30000 feet altitude. It would have hurt me over except possibly people who look straight at that point. If you have her that I have it and Men the song and particularly in the evening. a tremendous visual effect it isn't clear how that would have impressed them author Richard Road to believe the Japanese military would have been unmoved. They were clearly willing to fight on anyway and in and and most of all if you have a destructive weapon and you demonstrate to your enemy your tenacious and courageous enemy that you don't intend to use it are are concerned that you shouldn't what is the message that you send to the generals of the opposing Army. The situation is what I call an atrocity producing situation Robert Jay lifton of City University of New York wrote the first study of the survivors at the Hiroshima bombing. He's co-author of the new book Hiroshima in America 50 years of denial and says he sees in the histories of the bomb a pattern of men except being advised to avoid accepting personal responsibility. That is a situation so structured psychologically that an ordinary person a good person walking into it is capable of engaging in atrocity. In Potsdam Truman tells Joseph Stalin the bomb Works, which is true. My nose is probably Superfluous Stalin leader boast that his spies in the American bomb program sent him word before it reached Truman Stalin promises to enter the war against Japan by mid-august, whatever mistrust America and Britain have of Soviet Ambitions. They need Red Army troops to bleed the Japanese North in Manchuria as they wants me to hit their bleed in the East column sister Truman about the bomb use it and use it. Well more than 20 million Soviets have died in World War II even Stalin sounds weary of another year of War before leaving Potsdam. The Allies issue would last declaration to Japan surrender without condition. The alternative says the statement is prompt and utter destruction Richard Road says Secretary of State James Burns an old friend from the Senate convinced him that the American people would not accept giving Japan better terms than Germany and burns also told Truman in terms of the atomic bomb. What will you do? Call the American people at your impeachment hearing next year. If you don't use that weapon that you have in hand that might have saved the lives of American Soldiers & Sailors in Tokyo, the war cabinet beats and says no surrender Truman signs in order already approved by Stimson to drop the first atom bombs when the weapons are ready. He writes in longhand suggestion approved release when ready? News of the war cabinet rejection was Superfluous to Allied intelligence for most of the war. They've been reading the emperor's male coated cable sent between Tokyo and it's ambassadors around the world the magic traffic American operative called it my 1945 most messages were deciphered and delivered within 3 hours that summer the Americans were alarm to read secret cables about a mission to Moscow by former Japanese Premier cookie Hirata who offered Stalin's government a strategic Alliance stalling after all had begun. The war is Hitler's partner magic reported Ultra top-secret magic diplomatic summary, three, July 1945 dinner party remarks given by former Premier hirota quote. Japan will increase her Naval strength in the future and that together with the Russian army would make a force unequaled in the world story and Bruce Lee presents the complete history of the magic traffic in his book marching orders. America does not know that that time whether or not the atom bomb will even work. So there has to have been an incredible amount of consternation when the magic reveals that all throughout the month of June the Japanese have been trying to create this deal with the Soviet Union to divide Asia between Japan and Russia magic reports that the Soviet still the Japanese will get back to you. That summer Japan's ambassador to Moscow. No Taki Sato becomes his government's most Ardent advocate for surrender. You safely several thousands of miles away from the militarists in Tokyo, July 2019, 45e cables foreign minister shigenori Coco quote. It is a good thing to be loyal to the obligations of Honor up to the very end of the greater East Asia War. It is meaningless to prove one's devotion by Wrecking the state. I think that we have the inescapable and fundamental obligation to resolve as quickly as possible to lay down our arms and save the state and its people two days later magic deciphers this response from the foreign minister. With regard to unconditional surrender. We are unable to consent to it under any circumstances whatsoever. Even if the war drags on and it becomes clear that it will take much more Bloodshed the whole country is one man will pit itself against the enemy Americans reach Allen Dulles of America spy agency the OSS speed Swiss Bankers or say they're close to Japanese militarists willing to win the war. But when he demands to meet an actual Japanese soldier Diplomat to confirm that Tokyo sends no one to that meeting. Which reminds the bankers. They cannot surrender for Japan Professor Ruggiero sode told NPR's Julie McCarthy that most Japanese today believe Japan was approaching surrender, even if that wasn't visible pronouncements memoranda or Dakota cables. Where do you say empirical evidence if it's a document? And you can't have it because we're mothers come to very important. They don't leave. Madhumitha. Tonight The Bachelor shot hotels Tokyo. He's had a direct informal encounter with an American Diplomat Moscow. Although the American spokesman word in English spoke firmly for unconditional surrender. He certainly hinted that if we were to agree to this the terms with an actual practice B tone down. I would particularly like to be informed whether our Imperial government as a concrete and definite plan for terminating the war. Otherwise, I will make no immediate request for an interview no reply from the foreign Ministry in cables again in August 1st. There is no alternative but immediate unconditional surrender if we are to try and make American an England moderate and to prevent Russia's participation the next day for a miniature Togo tails is Ambassador in Moscow to be patient quote with the urgency of the war situation our time to proceed with arrangements for ending the war before the enemy lands of the Japanese Mainland is limited on the other hand. It is difficult to decide on concrete peace conditions here at home. All I want's Professor Martin Sherwin of Tufts University is among those historians who believe American policymakers misread such messages because the US government was committed to dropping the bomb. Different readings is the glass half-full or is it half empty are the Japanese ready to surrender, or are they not quite ready to surrender? On August fire the Enola Gay is fitted for the bomb on tinian island Japanese. Of course don't know this fire bomb rage continue on Japanese cities after the Kamikaze in submarine attacks on American ships messenger Sato grows more urgent communication to the United Nations of Japan's resolution to seek peace is speeded up even buy one day. The degree of amelioration will be affected. Truman is able to read the magic traffic on board a ship steaming back from Europe is already authorized to drop the bomb is policy. The military will decide the day according to the weather American intelligence experts removed by shot his words his fervor the risky takes when he beseeches, however, if the government and the military dilly dally and bringing this resolution to fruition and all of Japan will be reduced to ashes and we will not be able to avoid following the road to ruin. Reset your professor Martin Sherwin. I must say that doesn't sound to me like a man who's who's frustrated with the Allies so much as he's frustrated with his own government and Ambassador. Sato doesn't sound there like a man who has a peace plant in hand. He doesn't have a please plan on hand, but it's quite clear from all this message traffic that the Japanese recognize that they are defeated and somebody I seen yez Sato is saying we have got to surrender but he's also saying you're not paying attention to me. That's right, but he's saying it just imagine now if the atomic bomb had not been an option. They can keep the bombing a city a day. They can modify unconditional surrender. They can wait for the Soviets to come in. Let's say they prefer not to end the war with the Soviets coming in because that would give them leverage in the post-war. In Japan. So they they would have to say to themselves. Look we have this choice. We don't want to wait till November and we don't want to invade how do we get this war over with as quickly as possible to we bomb more and then modify unconditional surrender. Do we just guarantee the emperor? We're not going another step forward. They have to do something along those lines. It is possible that the war could have been brought to a conclusion earlier earlier. If the atomic bomb had not been an option shortly after midnight on August 6th, the crew of the Enola Gay eat pineapple fritters for breakfast and bow their heads before a Chaplet. Freddy's at the end of the war may come soon. Little once more we may know. Peace. Play The Men Who fly this night be kept safe and I care and may they be returned safely to us. At a quarter past eight local time the atom bomb hits the center of Hiroshima. How to say this the balm Burns 50 million degrees Centigrade at the center as hot as the sun flesh-and-blood human beings turn to Ash blood boils up in the veins of children popping out their hearts a mile away the skeletons of a few building stand because steel is less combustible than human flesh many of those who died leave no bodies. Only Shadows Ash scorched over Rubble. 78000 people at least died on August 6th at the end of the year 118,000 about a third of the better Sailors at the road, Naval Yard the facility which made the city of military Target statement from President Truman who was still on shift is passed out in Washington the Japanese began the war from the air at Pearl Harbor. They have been repaid many fold. And the end is not yet. The forest from which the sun draws its power has been loosed against those who brought War to the Far East Japanese get more news from American broadcast and they hear from Hiroshima all communication lines from the city or did the second bomb was always planned to be dropped within days of the first for strategic reasons Professor Saudi explains. The military must have thought such a big boy. But then the second bomb. Which could mean that the United States may have the third one and Island when they heard that the ship which deliver the weapons material the USS Indianapolis have been sunk killing more than eight hundred Sailors. Their response was to hurry and cut 2 days off the assembly time for the fat man bomb that was used on Nagasaki because they realized in a very physical sense that everyday meant lives American lives, but I don't think they were insensitive to the fact that every day met Japanese lives to the second bomb was set to destroy could Korra but bad weather sent the planes instead to Nagasaki. Although cocora may not cold weather which spared their City bad on August 9th to bomb is dropped on Nagasaki and the Red Army attacks Japanese forces in Manchuria, but the magic traffic reveals that a meeting of the Japanese war console the Menace. For War General korechika anami insist, It is far too early to say that the worst lost that we will inflict severe losses on the enemy when he invades Japan is certain and it is by no means impossible that we may be able to reverse the situation pulling Victory out of defeat there was really no alternative for us. But to continue the war to this military leadership. they don't feel that you know sometimes On the road. This is more important than me or surviving people. Could ever happen 50 years ago. In August 1945 magic diplomatic summary SRS 1755 the Japanese foreign Ministry has instructed its representatives in Stockholm and burn to transmit Japan's surrender offer to the Allies. The war doesn't end just yet Japan watch not only to keep its Emperor, but it's Conquest Manchurian Korea. The Ally say yes to the emperor but no to the Empire pieces near but not before a few more cruel days on August 14th. Lemay's bombers fly another 1,000 planes to drop fire bombs on Tokyo at the bombs fall and Catch Fire 16 US prisoners of war in town or taken out of their selves and beheaded. Columbus News headquarters in New York ball drop speaking. This is the Supreme hours after Eastern Wartime the corresponding to the White House have ended President Truman's office. The Prime Minister of Great. Britain is about to begin his broadcast, please Japanese have accepted our terms fully. Let is the word. We have just received on the White House in Washington and I didn't expect to hear celebration here in the Japanese have except Harry Truman authorize the first God willing the only use of nuclear weapons in history. But within days he was not there advocate he told his cabinet on August 10th. He wanted no more atom bombs dropped killing all those women and children. He said and then the Korean war in the 1950s. He told you as commanders who wanted to drop nuclear bombs on the Chinese Army know Frances Heller University of Kansas, Astoria help Harry Truman write his Memoirs in the 1950s when he was a scores of times publicly and privately why he dropped the atom bomb. I had one primary purpose. I wanted to find a fast way to end the war papers documents Memoirs anything that you came across in personal conversation with him over the years that he somehow rush to head to use this weapon to Rattle LeSabre at the Soviet Union. I have not seen anything to that effect. And at the time that he was working on his Memoirs and I was helping him. I asked him about that particular interpretation. And he said no. All I wanted to do is bring to work in the Pentagon or the state department. And of course the question is how much detail Richard Rhodes is the way radiation could reach out to kill people miles away from the blast or kill the mirrors after they survived the blast. So in a sense from Truman's point of view in the point of view more importantly of his advisors. These were not unique new weapons, but simply more efficient weapons of the sort. We had already been using Professor Ruggiero. So day reflects that Harry Truman didn't confront only a moral question in the bomb but a practical and political crisis. I don't know if it's right to make a judgment only immoral Grant Civil War was the kind of politics and extreme forms. John Simpson still teaches in Chicago in an office overlooking the spot in which he helped set off the first atomic chain-reaction that day he worried about blowing up Chicago today. He worries that such weapons might blow up the world. He helped found the Chicago Atomic scientist movement, which were fifty years has work for nuclear disarmament. He has tried to abolish the weapon. He helped invent but doesn't regret invented. The time supposed for some reason the nuclear weapons were not there or we were slowed up is quite obvious that what would have happened then is that we would simply firebomb all the big cities who would have gone. I would have been a mass murderer practically of the time this thing got through and Robert Jay lifton shrink from the argument that the atom bomb saved lives American and Japanese the kidding all these videos. So did this very important point? I find the whole idea of the bomb having save hundreds of thousands or millions of lives to be misleading and false. It's part of what I call Mauro inversion. That is the bomb becomes a saver of lives rather than a destroyer of lives. We can rewrite history in our generation as we learn from it because the generations that fought World War II saved history for us. We can reflect on the morality of their actions. But remember it for the men and women of World War II the war and the bomb was not the mostly moral question. It is for us they confronted ugly gory and deathly challenge to defeat the military. Tyranny decent men can be driven to drop deadly weapons decent men and women like Captain Lewis in the Enola Gay also question themselves my god, what have we done? Our story was produced by Alice winter production assistants from Roy Hodges Alexander star and Marco. I know and Washington Rob Newhouse in Chicago and a Ricoh Honda in our Tokyo Pierre out our historical voices were Philip Goodwin and Ted ventre dies in the Shakespeare theater and Gene and Ave. Thanks also to the Truman Library in Kansas City and the National Archives. Amscot time That program was originally broadcast last weekend on national public radio's weekend edition. On the day that World War II ended fifty years ago Captain Jerry yellin was flying a mission over Japan New Jersey born fighter pilot had been escorting B-29 bombers as they turned Tokyo into a burning mass of buildings like many of his American comrades Yellen had a visceral hatred of the Japanese because they were the enemy they were the brutal attackers who committed unspeakable atrocities after the war ended his hatred didn't fade away nor did his memories of death and destruction. They were just pushed below the surface in his book of Warren weddings yelling tells the story of how his emotional wounds were healed through the opening of his heart and the marriage of his son to a Japanese woman. Yella news are retired real estate consultant told the FM news stations weekend edition host Chris Roberts. His journey toward reconciliation did not come easy, especially given the way he began. The journey is a 19 year old fighter pilot and during the war we felt it was a righteous War adjust war that we are attracting we had to defend but we were at taught even more to hate than what we knew because all the propaganda in the newspapers were about the barbaric Japanese and and certainly what they did It Baton and what they did at Corregidor boy that out and we learned about that. It was no different. I suppose you have to build a hatred for the people. You couldn't go out and fight. So when an image of a Japanese soldier appeared in your mind, what was that image that was it an image dress of a non-human being someone who would just do anything to anybody for their own good they talk to you and stab you in the back. That was really the image that we had of the Japanese that they would face to face with you and hold a dagger over your bacanora posters like that all over and every military base in the in the United States. Tell me about the range of missions that you flew. We didn't go into combat until March 7th 1945 when we flew from Guam and a P-51 to Iwo, Jima. There was a dirt airstrip taken at the foot of Mount suribachi and we taxied along to a parking ramp and we passed mounds and mounds of Japanese bodies waiting for meth and they didn't they weren't human beings that were piece of leg sticking out him. It was just mounds of body and they weren't human things on the 8th or 9th of March two days later. We were loaded with bombs 500-pound bombs two of them and we took off and we drop the bombs for the Marines were taking the northern part of the island. So we flew local missions helping them arranged then we flew missions to Chichi Jima strafing the Airfield about a hundred miles away to keep the airplanes that they had over there away from us and on April 7th, 1945 15 other pilots in myself from our Squad. Flew to Japan 300 miles over water to pick up the b-29s who were bombing 529 we're bombing Tokyo and we were the first Land Based fighter Mission over Japan and we escorted 29th. I sat at 28000 feet high cover and watched bombs dropped on Tokyo and they weren't dropping on people that we dropping on my on a man that we dropping on a city and it was completely on fire. And so we flew short-range missions and what we called the LR missions very long-range mission 7 and 1/2 hours and you felt Victorious. Well, I felt as if I was doing my job I was happy to do it. I was a matter fact. It was a very exciting time for all of us in the beginning As Time wore on and it got into July and August it became weary and we were tired but yes it it was like being in the Super Bowl every day. What young man doesn't want to fly the airplane of the day and the P51 was an incredible airplane to fly. It wasn't a Where are you woke up at night as that young man who flew those missions sweating horrified about what you done? I was never horrified, but I did fly every Mission 3 * fluid before and wondered what I have the courage to go and do it and then we flew the actual Mission and then at night when we came back, I would relive the entire day entire proceeding and if we lost somebody as we did almost on every Mission it was hard. It wasn't until 1982 when yelling was invited to Japan to speak about real estate opportunities in the United States that he was forced to confront painful memories and unresolved emotions about the war yell and had no interest in visiting a Landy at once obliterated with bombs. It was his wife who had developed a growing interest in Japanese culture. So he went to Japan for her. Emma we got to Japan we landed in at Narita. We wanted to choke you out and I walked on the streets of the Ginza on a Sunday when there was no traffic and I looked around and for the first time in my life, I saw the Japanese are showing Banks. I saw children and grandchildren and grandparents and they were orderly and having a good time and I looked up at the Blue Sky and I saw myself in a P-51 dropping bombs, and then I saw the bombs dropping on me and it was a it was a devastating experience. And more memories of the war which you had suppressed came flooding back tell me about that expired 4 Sons. They only knew that I flew P-51 over Japan. I had never discussed with them or with my wife any of the mission any of the people that were killed any of the memories that I had and what I felt and when we came back from that trip, I started to realize that I wanted to talk about more. What was in my heart. I've had a very hard hard about the Japanese like I didn't like them in a but I've never met one. I had never met a Japanese man. I had a conversation with him. So I started to read a little bit about the Japanese culture and I started a little bit of the language and my youngest son. Robert was asked if he wanted to have a graduation present from college and he said yes, so he went to Japan in 1982 and 1982. Also 1983. Did you say you don't want to go there? No, I said that I had a compelling feeling that I wanted him to go will yell and Son Robert did go to Japan eventually. He met a young woman and he fell in love the relationship would serve as a bridge turns out that her father was also a fighter pilot during World War II, but her father flew Japanese planes there was much for the two old Flyers to talk about and talk they did for hours on end becoming close friends in the process yelling got to know other Japanese as well including a man who ran in English language program for Japanese students. Once they were discussing the finer points of Japanese weddings and yell and ask the man. Yes. Toca Suey how such a beautiful culture could produce soldiers who committed such horrible atrocities during the war he was talking to his reply is yell and remembers in his book. We have always feared the white world you the other world you have destroyed many races of people who had the least other than your own much of your belief has to do with religion the religions of Christianity and Judaism are entirely foreign to us. How is it possible? We asked that so many people have been killed because of their interpretation of what the white people say is the word of God. How is it possible to explain Jews Captain slavery in ancient times pleading to the Egyptians? Let my people go and yet today those same Jews have not allowed the Arabs and Israel to have their freedom. How can Catholics in Ireland kill Protestants and Protestant kill Catholics in the name of what they believe to be righteousness. How can a nation America which calls itself a democracy have national holidays today? Lose so many of its citizens Christian holidays like Christmas and Easter leave out every other religious group your Thanksgiving. I am sure is not looked upon with much favor by the American Indian. I was astonished by his knowledge in the subtle process of his mind. Yes. I said I have no answers for your questions no argument for your logic, but I get the message. I have no message Sherry. He said I only want to say that we in Japan live by a code of behavior to our fellow human beings that is ingrained within our lives by tradition and culture. We do not need laws of behavior that if broken will bring punishment to us forever. We behave as we do because it is the only way that we can exist together in such a small country. I think most Japanese have overcome their fear of the white race because of the closest Association of these past 43 years our future together depends upon a tremendous awareness of each other or we can have no World today, we in Japan are a peace-loving people. I hope he said that I answered some of your questions about our actions in the war. We looked upon anyone other than a Japanese person as somewhat subhuman you did to that does not make it right and it leads me to ask you a question that I have never had the courage to ask before. What was that question? Well, I was really not prepared for his question. But the question was we in Japan believe that America would not have used the atomic bomb on a white country and Jerry you are the first person other than a Japanese that I have said that to we are friends and I trust you respect trust and respect you. Can you answer my question question was why did we drop the atomic bomb? How did you answer why I answered him in truth. I answered him as a 21 year old Soldier. Who was at War who found out about the atomic bomb when he returned from a mission on on August 6th and a young pilot jumped on my way and said we wiped out in a single city with a single bomb and it didn't bother me that I didn't phase me as a 21 year old man prepared to go on the invasion of Japan the dropping of the bomb save my life in the life of every man in my Squadron that was going to be taken and Innovation and millions and millions of other people Japanese on American my life at that time in the life of my Squadron mates were worth the entire country of Japan and I saw no difference and one bomb dropping its load or a thousand bombers dropping their load on the city's the weapons are for really Chris. You're not the obscenity war itself is an obscenity. So it's saved my life and saved everybody's life and that's what we felt about the bomb and still do I have no apologies to make did his question about Dropping it on a white country versus an Asian country disturb you make you disturb me but in actual fact, I genuinely believed that had we had the bomb in the war was still on in Germany and we were not we saw no end to that wore that the bomb would have been dropped. What do you think of current Japanese-American relations? I think the economic relations are always going to be difficult because Japan is a is a very productive country and and they're disciplined to do the things that they have to do. They look at that life in long-range marketshare long-range. We look at life and short-range and profit. So there's a tremendous difference in the psychology and that difference is always going to promote ill feelings business-wise, but I think that the people-to-people relations we we went to the Nagasaki Symphony on on Monday night or Tuesday night and The sister city people from Japan and there's a tremendous tremendous cohesiveness between st. Paul and Nagasaki which was the Second City bomb and the people generally have affection for each other and that's what life is about is affection between human beings affection between people if we get to know people we see them as people. I think that's probably the lesson of of your book, isn't it? Yeah, that piece is made between individuals. It's not made between governments or societies necessarily absolutely had I met had I known Japanese people in the war prior to the war. It might have been very difficult for me to fight but I have two grandsons in Japan and the only difference to their grandfather's myself and Miss Tiana, is it I respond to my grandchildren when they say grandpa and he responds when they say OGE sign but the love that flows back and forth is exactly the same. And I have a I have a grandson here in California and it would be a terrible thing for me or anyone if those two Nations got to a shooting War again. I'd have people on both sides and I couldn't hack that. I just couldn't stand for that. So my mission in life today has to tell the story through my book through appearances and hope that people pick up on it that peace is what we really have to have by meeting with human beings as people Jerry yellin. His book is called of war and weddings and it's published by Sunstar publishing in Fairfield, Iowa. He spoke with the FM news stations weekend edition host Chris Roberts.