#Japan isn’t celebrating the atomic bombs. They are marking 80 years of peace and strong partnership with
#America since World War II ended.
The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki caused immense suffering and took the lives of many tens of thousands of Japanese civilians. No one should forget that human cost. At the same time, Imperial Japan launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 that killed more than 2400 Americans and dragged the United States into a devastating war across the Pacific.
The atomic bombs helped force Japan’s surrender and brought the fighting to a close. Most historians agree this avoided an even bloodier invasion of Japan’s home islands that would have cost millions more lives on all sides.
After the war, the United States chose to rebuild rather than punish. American aid and support helped create a new democratic constitution and turned a former enemy into a close friend and economic partner. Today, Japan and the United States work together on trade, technology, security, and culture as two of the world’s leading democracies.
That kind of transformation from wartime foes to trusted allies is exactly what makes America’s Independence Day worth celebrating together.
