Pro-Bomb Document Truman S Diary Entry July 24Th, 1945

Atomic Bomb Documents

Document #1 (for dropping the Atomic Bomb)

President Harry S Truman’s personal diary written on 7/24/1945 describing a meeting between himself & Military Advisors

During the Battle of Iwo Jima the United States military lost 8,226 service men and 19,141 were wounded. In the Battle of Okinawa 18,900 were killed and 38,000 were wounded. Each time the United States had an advantage in the number of men fighting against Japanese forces. We may not have that same advantage during Operation Downfall (invasion of Japan)

My advisors estimate we could lose 23,000 troops in the first 30 days. This could be a rate of 35% of American soldiers killed in the mission. The estimated numbers would be more killed than the Invasion of Normandy on the French coast. The A-Bomb could save these soldiers lives. The Japs are savages, ruthless, merciless and fanatic, but we as the leader of the world will have to use thus terrible bomb. I will issue a warning statement asking the Japs to surrender and save lives. If they refuse, we must use this weapon.

Document #2 (against dropping the bomb)

Admiral William D. Leahy, (in his memoirs):

The use of this barbarous weapon at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was of no material assistance in our war against Japan. The Japanese were already defeated and ready to surrender. . . .

In being the first to use it, we . . . adopted an ethical standard common to the barbarians of the Dark Ages. I was not taught to make war in that fashion, and wars cannot be won by destroying women and children.

Admiral William F. Halsey, Jr., (stated publicly in 1946):

The first atomic bomb was an unnecessary experiment. . . . It was a mistake to ever drop it. . . . [the scientists] had this toy and they wanted to try it out, so they dropped it. . . . It killed a lot of innocent Japanese, and the Japanese government had put out a lot of peace feelers through Russia long before we dropped it and it seemed like they were ready to surrender, as long as their Emperor could stay on the throne.