Yesterday was the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. In this week’s remembrances, I’ve heard again and again the argument that the bomb ended the war and that it saved countless American lives by avoiding the need for a ground invasion. This myth persists, despite being largely disproven. (See The Decision to use the Bomb by Gar Alperovitz).
The “bomb won the war” narrative is dangerous, because it ignores the countless victims whose lives were ended or forever changed by the bombs in favor of the American victors. This piece by Sofai Ahlberg is a good reminder on why we need to hear the stories of survivors and continue to explore the atomic bomb’s consequences seven decades on. Let us remember that the devastation created at Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 was manmade, and it could easily happen again.