May they, as well as we, know Thy strength and power, and armed with Thy might may they bring this war to a rapid end. Guard and protect them, we pray Thee, as they fly the appointed rounds. Minutes before the plane carrying the atomic bomb took off for its destination, Hiroshima, Chaplain William Downey recited in a richly resonant voice before the assembled crew a prayer that he had especially prepared for the occasion:Īlmighty Father, who wilt hear the prayer of those that love Thee, we pray Thee to be with those who brave heights of Thy heaven and who carry the battle to our enemies. This article discusses this major shift in policy and recalls the history of one of the most devastating events of our times. Originally intended as a deterrent to the German threat, the atomic bomb became an offensive weapon to be used to coerce Japan to surrender and bring World War II to an end. August as a month became synonymous with the Apoclypse of Hiroshima in 1945. And on August 9, 1945, the town of Nagasaki was subjected to the same horrible fate.
Tibbets, dropped the world's first atomic bomb on Hiroshima and gave the world 'a peep into hell'. Was the error the atomic bombing or Japanese militarism? On August 6, 1945, the Enola Gay, piloted by Col. On the Hiroshima Cenotaph are inscribed the words: 'Please rest in peace, for the error will not be repeated'.
A Monthly Journal of the IDSA August 2001 (Vol.
