European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 1, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Continued from Page 13 a Fine powder. And then he might but for All their drive and courage Quot the japanese simply did t know what they were up against Quot noted the writer James Jones who fought them. Quot the United states could no More have stopped its massive War machine backed by All its Industrial might a created and expanded finally for just this purpose a than the Earth could have stopped spinning eastward and gone into or for that matter the japanese Given their cultural heritage could not have easily backed up and Given up. Still the Potsdam declaration in the summer of 45 called for nothing less than unconditional surrender of japanese forces an Allied occupation of Japan and the dismantling of the japanese Empire. To bring that about Gen. Douglas Macarthur set about building on Luzon in the Philippines a mighty base from which to invade Japan itself. Despite the bad news flowing in from Pacific battlefields despite their cities being firebombed despite Germany capitulation in May even those japanese ready for peace could not accept such conditions. summer came on the Tokyo Hawks remained in the Ascendancy determined to fight to the end. They had fought almost to the end in the Philippines then iwo Jima then Okinawa on Okinawa just 350 Miles from the Homeland the japanese struck Back desperately with kamikazes a their word for divine wind. There was nothing divine for those on the receiving end of bomb bearing suicide planes crash diving into american ships and bases. Ironically even the human bombs plummeted out of the sky even Okinawa became a Bloodbath there were other signs on the Island that japanese morale was starting to crack. Thousands of warriors who earlier would have chosen to blow themselves to bits with grenades rather than lose face through surrender walked out of the Jungle Many in Loincloth weapon less and waving surrender leaflets. The . Battle Fleet meanwhile was operating like a roving sledgehammer now boldly shelling the japanese coasts. Even so analysis did not delude themselves about the Price of taking Japan itself. Though the country was becoming a smoking ruin much of the Imperial army was still intact. It was believed the United states would suffer one to two million casualties invading the heavily fortified Mainland. Enter. The bomb. By this time the americans had developed and tested successfully the most awesome and dreadful Thunderbolt of All the weapon that would change the planet. And there Lay the agonizing decision a whether to use the atomic bomb or to continue fighting a conventional War. The debate went on from mid april to june 1945, when a special commission recommended to president Harry. Truman that the weapon be used on Japan. Others had proposed that the Power of the bomb be demonstrated elsewhere in the Pacific. But Truman chose to hit the last Bullseye Japan. And Winston Churchill agreed Quot we seemed suddenly to have become possessed of a merciful abridgement in the far he wrote. Quot to bring the War to an end to avoid indefinite butchery to give peace to the world to Lay a Healing hand upon its people by a manifestation of overwhelming Power at the Cost of a few explosions seemed after All our toils and perils a Miracle of on aug. 6,1945, the first atomic bomb struck Hiroshima like no Force in history had Ever struck anything. It was fire pestilence death the dark Side of the Sun and All the War demons Ever imagined rolling around inside an infernal mushroom Cloud. Two Days later Russia declared War on Japan and invaded Manchuria. One Day later later a deliverance Quot hit Nagasaki. The explosions left More than 100,000 dead and rattled the japanese leaders Down to their Imperial roots. Quot having found the bomb Quot said Truman Quot. We have used it against those who who attacked without warning at Pear Harbor. We Hae used it to shorten the agony of War in order to save thousands and thousands of americans. We shall continue to use it until we have completely destroyed Japan a capacity to make War. Only a japanese surrender will Stop Japan leaders were caught in a storm of bombs and ambivalence. There were those who still wanted to fight on and those who thought that was pure madness. Despite the devastation of the bombs the weakness of Japan position tightly concealed by the government was still not known by the average japanese. This time however the truth would surface. The emperor so Long viewed merely a figurehead seemed considerably More he overruled his wrangling bitter Enders and those desperate for peace in mid August despite an 11th-hour attack on the Imperial Palace by 1,000 soldiers trying to prevent the radio announcement of Japan a unconditional almost surrender Hirohito broke the news to his people Quot in order to avoid further bloodshed perhaps even the total extinction of human civilization we shall have to endure the unendurable to suffer the the emperor would still be emperor 1. 1st.if he followed order but virtually everything else would change. Japanese commanders a Over their swords on widely be in Singapore Hong Kong Chii the great event the historical in the flames of sinking Ameri Harbor was played out fitting deck of the battleship miss out flagship of the Pacific Fleet. The time a morning sept Tokyo Bay bristling with a begun handing rated fronts Burma. But ram that began in ships at Pearl enough on the the mighty to ,1945. The place Armada of american ships accounts of True scene noted that the sky was overcast the air Cool. The same Flag that flew Over the g Pitol in Washington on that december Day of infamy waved Over the Missouri on the Sciaky of settling the debt scores of newspaper and rows of generals and and or forces jammed dose to the pm gathered around were Britis with Scarlet bands on their Cap land collars dutch with Gold looped emblems Chi iese in Olive drab correspondents Ras of the Allied Ca of surrender. And australians and ceremonial daggers russians with stiff red shoulder boards and holstered pistols colourful gaullist French and the americans timeless and almost casual in their khakis. the scene unfolded there stood the imposing Stern visage Macarthur a bit strained looking said some reports but primed an actor in his greatest role. There was valiant Gen. Jonathan Wainwright who had had to surrender to the japanese on Corregidor. There was the British general Arthur Percival loser to the japanese in Singapore. Both of them gaunt and Pale just released from prison Camps hovered like avenging ghosts near Macarthur they waited for their sex conquerors. And a packed on the decks above and below some perched on and others practically hanging from the great 16-Inch guns a were the Plain yank sailors All waiting for this Day this moment. Then they saw the emperor representative the one legged foreign minister Mamoru Shigemitsu who had to be half led half carried by two sailors from one of the Missouri a Bobbing whaleboat up the ship ladder. In wrinkled frock coat and weathered top hat carrying a Cane he came tapping across the crowded gallery deck. He and the rest of the 11-Man japanese delegation civilian and military one in a rumpled White suit stopped about 10 paces before a Long Green covered table with a straight Back chair on either Side. Silence swept the deck. On the table were two copies of the Quot instruments of no swaggering Quot Banzai Quot to be shouted on this Day. Rather the japanese looked tense weary and in the View of one witness Shigemitsu leaned heavily on his Cane. Some of the others Heads slightly bowed had tears in their eyes. Macarthur standing erect opened the ceremony with a Brief what most observers called Quot generous Quot address. His paper Shook in his hand he said that he spoke for Quot the thousands of silent lips forever stilled among the Jungles and the beaches Quot Shigemitsu limped Forward and sat Down at the table his Cane clattered to the deck. He took off his top hat and placed it on the table to his right. He took off his right Glove picked up the pen of surrender but did no to know where to sign. Quot show him where to sign Quot Macarthur told one of his generals. And then the foreign minister was the first to sign for the losers of the War. Moments later Macarthur sat at the table. Quot will general Wainwright and general Percival step Forward White i sign Quot he asked. Nearby Admiral William f. Quot Bull Quot Halsey who had chased his enemy from Pearl Harbor to Tokyo openly glared at the japanese. After the other Allied parties had put their names to paper Macarthur spoke again. A a. The issues involving divergent ideals and ideologies have been determined on the battlefields of the world and hence Are not for our discussion or debate. Let Pray that peace now be restored to the world and that god will preserve it always. These proceedings Are the proceedings took 20 minutes. World War ii which had taken six years one Day and up to 60 million lives was history. The War ends City Cone b amet bomb i death Only a Tew steet and to buildings and Bridges can seen standing in this View of Hiroshima taken a month after cans dropped the first atomic Pedon humans aug. 6, 1945. T Page 14 a a a the stars and stripes saturday Septemo r 1,1 Sqq it. Fuji rises in the background in a photo taken from Tokyo Bay ships arrive for Japan a formal surrender sept 2, 1945. Hmm .2 my a p jusj.-,. S a was ,.s a not a a a a. A file photos japanese attack of dec. 7, 1941 left . Naval air station at Pearl Harbor strewn with wreckage Shigemitsu signs surrender document aboard the Missouri. The stars and stripes a a a Page 15
