[Lee Jong-gil's Autumn Return] Was It a Nuclear Mistake or Nuclear Justice?

Chris Wallace and Mitch Weiss 'Countdown 1945'
US Records 116 Days Until Hiroshima Atomic Bombing, Presented in Hours, Minutes, and Seconds
President Truman and Others' Psychology, Agony, Decisions, and Actions Vividly Conveyed Like a Thriller

At 8:15 a.m. on August 6, 1945, the world's first nuclear weapon, 'Little Boy,' exploded 580 meters above Hiroshima, Japan. The city was instantly engulfed in black smoke. Within it, there was only death. The crew of the U.S. military bomber B-29 'Enola Gay,' which dropped the atomic bomb, were overwhelmed by a mix of shock and sorrow.

Navigator Theodore Van Kirk (1921?2014) described it as "like a cauldron burning black oil." Pilot Paul Tibbets (1915?2007) testified, "The black smoke boiled upward as if to engulf us, like the hell Dante wrote about in 'The Divine Comedy'." Co-pilot Robert Lewis (1917?1983) told a New York Times reporter, "Since the beginning of time, war has been humanity's disaster, but now it has become an unbelievably terrifying subject."

At that moment, U.S. President Harry Truman (1884?1972) was aboard the Navy ship USS Augusta. While having lunch in the stern dining room with six enlisted men, a memo was delivered: "Follow-up information on Manhattan received. Results are clear and successful in every aspect. The visual effects are better than any test."

President Truman called over Secretary of State James Byrnes (1879?1972), who was across the room, and said, "It's time to go home now." Three days later, a more powerful plutonium atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, prompting the Japanese Emperor to declare surrender.

People celebrated the end of the war and liberation, but endless debates ensued. The question was whether it was truly justified to replace a war that could have caused hundreds of thousands more casualties with the sacrifice of tens of thousands of Japanese civilians.

'Countdown 1945,' written by Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace and AP investigative reporter Mitch Weiss, goes back in time to find answers. It breaks down the 116 days leading up to the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima into hours, minutes, and seconds. It vividly portrays the psychology, anguish, decisions, and actions of those involved like a thriller movie. These include President Truman, who became the top decision-maker overnight after Franklin Roosevelt's (1882?1945) death; physicist Robert Oppenheimer (1904?1967), who led the Manhattan Project; and Paul Tibbets, the top pilot of the U.S. Army Air Forces.

Most of them later insisted that their decisions and actions were justified, though they could not hide nuances of regret and remorse. The progressive magazine New Republic reported, "It seems clear that humanity will either live in peace or face destruction on an absurdly massive scale."

The first warnings came from scientists. They voiced opposition even before the atomic bomb was dropped. Among them was Albert Einstein (1879?1955), who later confessed that advising President Roosevelt to develop the bomb was the biggest mistake of his life.

In contrast, the majority of Americans welcomed the atomic bomb's use. A Gallup poll at the time showed that 85% of Americans supported the decision to drop the bomb. Having been exposed to numerous reports of the Pearl Harbor attack and the brutal acts of the Japanese military, there was no sympathy. General Douglas MacArthur (1880?1964), the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers in Japan, strictly controlled all information, so the full consequences of the nuclear explosion were not properly understood.

The debate continues to this day. In 1995, the National Air and Space Museum (NASM) held an exhibition marking the 50th anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing. The purpose was to recognize what happened on the ground and to reconsider the ongoing arms race.

Veteran groups and politicians protested, saying the exhibition was too sympathetic to Japan and insulted Pacific War veterans. Van Kirk, who was aboard the Enola Gay, also joined in. "Some say the bombing was basically revenge against the Japanese and an expression of so-called American racism. Others said we were all crazy. As you know, we were not crazy."

Support for the atomic bomb's use remains steady. A 2005 survey showed 57% in favor and 38% opposed. There was a clear generational gap: seven out of ten Americans aged 65 and older said the use of nuclear weapons was justified, but less than half of those under 30 agreed.

Today, the global stockpile of nuclear bombs and warheads approaches 50,000. However, only one country has ever used them in war. This book reexamines the person who made the decision. In a 1966 interview with The New York Times, President Truman said, "I don't like that weapon," but added, "There was no hesitation." He justified it by saying, "It saved millions of lives."

It is unrealistic to think he had other options. Truman became president without any hint about the project that Roosevelt had approved three years earlier. Over 100,000 people were drafted, and more than $2 billion was spent. Three months later, the atomic bomb test succeeded. The book states:

"If you still question his decision, remember that Truman consulted widely. He heard opinions from advisors like Dwight Eisenhower (1890?1969), who opposed the bomb's use. He agonized over this decision, suffering sleepless nights and severe headaches in the heat of a German summer. And his prophetic writings about 'the fire destruction foretold in the Euphrates valley era' clearly show he fully understood what was at stake."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.