Thank you, Cohen, for a-bomb column

Thank you Richard Cohen for your column in the Daily Herald about Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It was the best column for "August" I have read in 70 years.

Every August since 1945, I have read stories about the atomic bombs used in World War II indicating Japan was a victim. Seventy years ago, Sept. 15, 1945 I had my 20th birthday on a ship in the ocean near Japan. I was no longer thinking about invading Japan. I was still savoring V-J Day. I was grateful to President Truman and the atomic bomb that I was still alive and soon to be heading home.

That makes me deeply involved in the reflections, remembrances, and revisions about what happened at Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the USS Battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay.

In today's era of extolling victimhood, the Japanese who were bombed got more sympathy, press and remorse than our defenders of freedom. All we can say to those who went to war 1941-1945 is thanks for going and thanks for winning.

In addition we thank the scientists, engineers and everyone else responsible for delivering the blows which ended the war and saved our peace.

War is about death until victory for one. The United States was fortunate. We had the weapon to end World War II.

Historians are great for counting human beings like beans. I thank President Truman for saving as many Americans and their friends as possible. Japan was not a victim.

Today we must remember we live in the real world and must always be alert - the atomic bomb may be used again.

Kenneth Nolan

Buffalo Grove