Never-Seen: Hiroshima and Nagasaki ;Photo Gallery

Nagasaki After the Bomb: A Waste Land

One scene shared by all of the 20th century's bloodiest wars might have been lifted straight from The Road Warrior: a spectral landscape; buildings obliterated; blasted trees; a lifeless wasteland. The picture above, for instance -- a photograph never published, until now-- while mirroring every bleak, war-battered panorama from Verdun to Iwo Jima to Pork Chop Hill, was in fact made by LIFE's Bernard Hoffman in September, 1945, in Nagasaki, Japan. But far from chronicling the aftermath of sustained, slogging armed conflict, Hoffman's picture -- along with others seen here for the first time -- depicts devastation produced in a few, unspeakably violent seconds. On the 65th anniversary of American planes dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima (August 6, 1945) and Nagasaki (August 9) -- killing 120,000 people outright, and tens of thousands more through injury and radiation sickness -- LIFE.com presents never-before-seen pictures from both cities taken in the weeks and months following the bombings. Included, as well, are excerpts from issues of LIFE published after the war that convey the powerful, discordant reactions -- relief, horror, pride, fear -- that the bombings, and the long-sought victory over Japan, unleashed.

Source: www.life.com...

I saw this today and got to looking at the 14 pics with teh gallery. Very odd to me. I can't really explain it other than like a distant dream of something that never happened. Surrealistic.

Anyway, as only LIFE Magizine can do... go to the source and enjoy the pics & text related info.

reply to post by anon72


Wow, total destruction! What a sad and sadistic action. If there is such a thing as karma, paying dues on this one will take a lot and a long time.
I agree, surreal is the word. I wonder why we are just now seeing these, as mentioned? Did they figure it's been long enough now, they can show the level of annihilation that occurred? Sobering for sure!

Nice find anon,
spec

Edit To Add:
Talk about "surreal," check out this juxtaposition of contemporary Nagasaki and Hiroshima.
www.pixyard.com...

[edit on 6-8-2010 by speculativeoptimist]

I posted the link to these pictures here wanting to share it but it does deserves it's own thread. Thank you for bringing it into light. S&F

wow...

as stupid as those in power are..
and as much as I know this did happen..
I still can't believe we actually did this...

wtf?

we are one effed up species, man.....

truly like children....
though that is kinda giving children a 'bad name'..
even children are not this ignorant...

it's like a bad, bad dream...
terrifying...
but still glad i got to see it....

"civilized" society".... huh...

thanks OP,

Obscene and diabolical. Can't think about stuff like that too much because a pain would set in and it would become unbearable. You need a thick skin to be able to live in this world.
Everyone involved in carrying that out is a mass murderer. And they give out medals to those same folk too. ???

this may be more powerful than the photos themselves..
jeeez....
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/6f953b87ee0b.png[/atsimg]

So I just found this, in light of the 65th anniversary of the event, Us ambassadors/delegation are, for the first time , being sent to the memorial and some fear Obama is going to issue an apology either by word or action. The critics of this move say America should not apologize for anything, and goes on to state that the bombing actually saved a million US and Japanese lives.
Do you guys think we should apologize for Hiroshima/Nagasaki?
I say yes...
www.opposingviews.com...

spec

And what's so amazing is Japan was sooo inoccent in this war.

if you know japanese people, they walk heavy with honor and vengeance. you can be damn sure they haven't forgotten about this, they're planning their revenge on us regardless of what you see. they are going satisfy their vengeance, oh yes they will.

One question I've wondered is that of the second bomb dropped.

Was it really meant as a deterrant warning to the Russians who had overrun the Japanese army in Manchuria and were preparing to launch an invasion of mainland Japan?

Hiroshima I can understand, but Nagasaki?

Originally posted by Ikema
And what's so amazing is Japan was sooo inoccent in this war.

far from it, the crimes to humanity they committed in asia and sneak attacking us on a sunday. thats a no no.

Originally posted by Ikema
And what's so amazing is Japan was sooo inoccent in this war.

no one was/ is innocent,
i just find the most amazing thing is that we, as humans can actually do this to each other..
no US, no Japan, no borders/ or "nationalities"..
Just the fact that People, altogether as a whole,
can actually do this to each other..
is insane...

reply to post by speculativeoptimist


Well these bombings were actually in retaliation to the pearl harbor bombings, so in a way these bombings were karma to the japanese, albeit these were much more devastating.

reply to post by Ahmose

Im pretty sure that guy was being sarcastic

reply to post by TheDebunkMachine


First, let me agree that it's sickening that we as human beings can do this to others, who are also human beings... in atrocious times, this was an atrocious end to those times. That being said...

This was not in response to Pearl Harbor. This was in response to DOD assessments given to Truman suggesting that in order to secure a Japanese surrender, we (the allies) would've suffered over 500,000 casualties invading the Japanese mainland - and before they waived the white flag, the Japanese would've suffered over 1,000,000. The kicker? The Japanese didn't even surrender after the first bomb dropped... they required a second. Admirable bravado and sense of honor, despicable lack of understanding towards their own people...

And let's not forget what they did to the Chinese and the whole of SE Asia during WWII. To suggest that they were the victims in the whole effed up, mess of a human debacle is criminally dishonest. The Chinese will always hate the Japanese for the atrocities they committed.

It doesn't take away from the breathtaking imagery of death and destruction, but it does put it into context... as warped a context though it might be.

The United States is the largest terrorist organization on the planet.

reply to post by SinkingSun


And you are in serious need of a history book.

Star and Flag. Incredible photos. Trully a monster crime against Mother Earth. Hopefully those responsible are burning in firey furnace of Hell where they belong.


[edit on 6-8-2010 by dntwastetime]

reply to post by Legion2112


In no way am i suggesting that the japanese were victims, it is my belief that they were some of the more atrocious of participants in ww2

They called the bomb "The Gimmick"...It fits.

Why are none of the stones chard?
Why are none of the carcasses chard?
A photo album survived, but nothing metal around it did?

Notice when ever America reports on unheard of before tragedy's or incomprehensible events there are always a few things they use.

Huge amounts of people involved, that would be impossible to track down.

Victims are always "vaporized" upon impact at ground zero.

An article always survives giving us "proof" of what happened even though the heat was so intense, a photo always survives or a passport...you pick.

Every witness description of such events give the most elaborate award winning dialogs ever written that could pull tears from a hells angel even though they are a desk clerk or Janitor.

Events always seem to take place between 8am to 11am.

Proof is always given by photographic report to the public.



Read this caption under "A flat, silent plain"...the prince says the atomic bomb was "immediate inducement to surrender"....really? Then why did two drop? Hirohito sees an immediate death toll of 30000 "vaporized" civilians and that wasn't enough? Tough folks I guess. He was willing to wager another instant 30000?

When ever you have something, you use it. If a few more bombs had only been dropped on our "enemies" would anyone be fighting today? It ended the war right. I would of put a few more down to stop any outbreaks of war on anyone even showing a clenched fist.

The nuclear club is like the Micky Mouse club, good for keeping children occupied, indoctrinated and just plain happy go lucky.

If one exists, I want to be there when it explodes and be the first to get "vaporized"....The sun will burn us long before a "new clear" weapon does.

Ok, I'm ready for my beating. Sorry, but I question everything. It's too easy to just accept and with that there is always a catch...."no money down".

Peace

[edit on 6-8-2010 by letthereaderunderstand]