Enola Gay

On this day, August 6 in 1945, at 8:16 a.m. Japanese time, an American B-29 bomber, the Enola Gay, drops the world's first atom bomb, over the city of Hiroshima. Approximately 80,000 people are killed as a direct result of the blast, and another 35,000 are injured. At least another 60,000 would be dead by the end of the year from the effects of the fallout.

More : http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=VideoArticle&id=6542.

A terrible decision, but without it the war might have been prolonged, with many more casualties. And it had been a beastly slaughter up to then. All reason had left the Japanese imperial clan. They might have fought to their last soldier (not general, mind you).

I remember, about twenty years later, seeing some survivors who visited the Aula at Ghent University. Innocent people, who have suffered the rest of their life for the greed and imperialism of their Japanese feudal lords and their god-emperor. It was a terrible but moving experience.

The only way to avoid such slaughter and pain is to avoid war. But that appears to be beyond man's capabilities.

By the way, I have met my fair share of Germans who - sincerely or not - apologized for what their country had done in the second world war. I have still to meet the first Japanese to do so. And by the way : Austrians are not very keen either - they were innocent, remember ?