James Tibbets, son of Brig. Gen. Paul W. Tibbets, Jr., seen here, says Friday's visit to Hiroshima by U.S. Ambassador John Roos is an act of contrition that his late father would never have approved. National ArchivesAtomic Apology? US To Send First Delegation To Hiroshima A-Bomb Memorial -- Washington Examiner
TOKYO — Survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are welcoming a decision by the United States to send its first ever delegation to a ceremony marking the anniversary of the attacks, but are asking for something they aren't likely to get — an apology.
Tokyo has praised the decision to send U.S. Ambassador John Roos to the Hiroshima anniversary on Friday, though some survivors of the attack, which is seen by many in Japan as an unjustified use of excessive force against a civilian population, say they have mixed feelings.
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Update: Son of Pilot Who Dropped A-Bomb Opposes Plan to Send U.S. Delegation to Hiroshima Ceremony -- FOX News
Previous Post: President Obama And His Desire To Visit Hiroshima And Nagasaki
My Comment: My nationality is Russian .... so sending a delegation to Hiroshima will be for my parents (and me) the equivalent of Russia sending a delegation to Berlin to apologize for the destruction that Soviet forces inflicted on Germany during the Second Wold War.
James Tibbits is right, this delegation visit is an "unsaid apology" and appears to be an attempt to "rewrite history." But in today's political environment in Washington, apologizing around the world is what this President wants .... and a trip to Hiroshima is just one of these stops.
Unfortunately .... while this gesture from the U.S. will be reported from the U.S. (and Japanese) press as a magnanimous gesture from the U.S. President, the rest of Asia's reaction will be entirely different. From their point of view, the focus should be on the devastation, destruction, and mayhem that Japan did to Asia (and the U.S.) in the 1930s and 1940s. But the Japanese do not want that type of focus .... and the U.S. is unfortunately becoming an enabler of this policy.
(Click Image to Enlarge)Peace Park, Hiroshima
1 comment:
I suggest that the delegation bring along a gift from the U.S., to be placed next to the memorial - how about a giant replica of that statue of the Marines raising the flag on Iwo Jima?
How is that different from a Mosque being built near the Twin Towers? Perhaps Mayor Bloomberg would contribute to the cost.
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