World War 2 was a great tragedy to some, and to others, it was an opportunity to learn and not repeat old mistakes. The United States’ entry into the war was initiated Japan’s bombing on Pearl Harbor, killing 2403 military personnel. Approximately 4 years later, the US would end the war by dropping 2 nuclear bombs on 2 towns in Japan, killing nearly 200,000 people and causing sustainable injuries to many others. Despite the large death toll, many still survived, and are still living today, sharing their stories of hardship and heartbreak, that inspires peace and non-violence.
As stated, after the atomic bombs were detonated, although many lives were lost, many lives were also spared, though most with injuries that will stay with them for the rest of their lives. The number of survivors is around 131,000, most sustaining injuries that will last a lifetime. One mustn’t forget the things the survivors went through after the attack. After being exposed to radiation, people were left with chemical burns and many visits to the hospital for the rest of their lives. But keep in mind what happened helped the war finally come to an end and help us learn more about the true destruction of atomic weapons.
These attacks were the first of their own; atomic weapons. It was the first strike that used such nuclear weapons that were able to cause that much damage. It showed the world, and future generations what humanity is capable of, and it will help our posterity decide whether or not they will support or resist weapons on the level of the ones that were used to win the war and make Japan surrender.
Unquestionably, the bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima were key to the war, and will be remembered for many generations to come. And while it is important to honor those who died because of it, it is also crucial to remember those who survived and bear the marks of war on their scarred bodies.