Letters to the Editor – 12/10/14
Just 3 bombs
Thank you to Don Chapman for his enlightening articles on Adm. Yamamoto, his visit to Nagaoka and the bits and pieces of history that I learned. I would agree that China and South Korea are putting way too much emphasis that 100 or so war criminals are enshrined at Yasukuni Shrine. These two countries conveniently forget that more than 1 million airmen, sailors and soldiers also are enshrined there. Retired. Adm. Kyosumi Tanigawa is a case in point — he visits Yasukuni regularly because half his naval academy class is buried there. In hindsight, it is unfortunate that Gen. MacArthur did not instruct the Japanese to honor the war criminals elsewhere.
There is one point I would like to clarify. Mr. Chapman says two other Japanese cities were on the “A-bomb list.” There may have been such a list, but America had only three atomic bombs — the first that was detonated at ground level in the desert of New Mexico near Alamogordo, and then Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Had Hideki Tojo known this, the war would have had gone on for many more months. I happen to know this because I was stationed as a young Army second lieutenant at White Sands Missile Range (Alamogordo is considered a part of WSMR).
Keep up the good work.
Ron Amemiya
Honolulu
Big difference
In last week’s cover story “Bonded By Bombs,” Don Chapman wrote: “We were bombed to start the war, they were bombed at the end. Hard to say which is more horrific.”
I disagree. Pearl Harbor was an unprovoked attack, premeditated and the first step toward world domination. Japan refused to surrender, so as a country what were we to do? Continue to put our service members in harm’s way so that some really sick people (Japan’s leaders) could save face?
It’s easy to look back and second guess and suggest what we could have done differently — much harder to do when the whole world is in chaos.
Jimmy Hawkins
Kapolei
Moms in prison
Jade Moon’s column “When Mommy’s In Prison On Christmas” was heartbreaking, and I certainly do feel for those unfortunate children. It’s just too bad those moms behind bars didn’t consider their children before committing whatever crime that got them there in the first place.
Anna Wong
Honolulu
New, not better
Perhaps letter-writer Art Lee — who ranted about no more Bushes or Clintons in the White House — has forgotten or is ignoring that we have a new-name, fresh-blood president with his new and failed policies.
Dave Thompson
Waimanalo
