August 6, 1945, the United States drops an atomic bomb on Hiroshima

[shanneba]

On August 6, 1945, the United States becomes the first and only nation to use atomic weaponry during wartime when it drops an atomic bomb on the Japanese 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.

American bomber drops atomic bomb on Hiroshima | August 6, 1945 | HISTORY

The United States becomes the first and only nation to use atomic weaponry during wartime when it drops an atomic bom...

www.history.com

 

[HayesGreener]

And the world was changed

 

[ECS686]

This seems appropriate. Funny side note whem this album was popular I listened to it driving to my first duty station in the USAF. A B52 base with nukes on alert! How ironic

 

[Shibadog]

Terrible weapons that forever changed the world. That said, those two used on Japan wound up saving millions of folks who would have died on both sides has the US been forced to invade Japan.

 

[KillerFord1977]

…and we wonder why millions around the world have cancer ..
Total number of nukes tested by countries atound the world:

 

[NMEDGE]

I was a proud member of the 509 BW for 7 years at Pease AFB NH. First in the 509 SPS then the 509 OMS and I did stand alert with nukes on the FB11A aircraft. I have a lot of great memories from that base. Wish they never closed it.

 

[KillerFord1977]

I was a proud member of the 509 BW for 7 years at Pease AFB NH. First in the 509 SPS then the 509 OMS and I did stand alert with nukes on the FB11A aircraft. I have a lot of great memories from that base. Wish they never closed it.

We lived south of “Boring Loring”
Saw B-52’s almost every day

 

[trader]

…and we wonder why millions around the world have cancer ..
Total number of nukes tested by countries atound the world:

View attachment 90142

ahem. It seems Israel was left off that list for some reason. They have quite a few nukes with a triad option to deliver them. Tests were carried out with the French and likely South Africa. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_weapons_and_Israel

 

[KillerFord1977]

ahem. It seems Israel was left off that list for some reason. They have quite a few nukes with a triad option to deliver them. Tests were carried out with the French and likely South Africa. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_weapons_and_Israel

They are most likely included in the French number

 

[ECS686]

We lived south of “Boring Loring”
Saw B-52’s almost every day

It’s sort of sad (to me anyway) whem uiu look at all the nuclear alert bases we had in 1986 and now. We went from at least 12-13 B52 bases to 2 4 B1 bases to 2 and 2 F111 bases to none. Most have closed or went to tankers. I use to stop in Blytheville/Eaker but to see how dilapidated base housing is and falling in as well as most of the base it’s too depressing . My youngest kid was born on base and it had a lot of activity til 1991/92

There also were 9 missile bases in 1986 to 6 in 1987 to 3 in the mid 1990’s.

I also did 2 years at Malmstrom where we had 200 missile sites spread out over 23,000 square miles and in the late 1990’s they reduced that to 150 sites and 15,000 square miles to bring it to the same number as Minot and FE Warren.

 

[3L120]

And the world was changed

More importantly, the WAR ended!

 

[Bassbob]

My father in law ( RIP ) was born exactly 80 years ago today. So two devastating weapons were unleashed on the world that day.

 

[ECS686]

More importantly, the WAR ended!

Yea however the side effect is 80 years later we are scrambling to keep them out of the hands of groups/countries that don’t have restraint! As shown with the B2 missions 6 weeks ago!

 

[Shibadog]

It was a no win situation. You use one and you’ve let the genie out of the bottle. Don’t use it and you’ll lose countless of your own people and many many more countless numbers of the enemy. Plus, others were working on it as well, including the Japanese (and probably the Soviets with captured Nazi scientists). The “bomb” was coming. Had US not used it we’d still be in the mess today with nuke weapons. Might have been a few years later when it started but the end result would have been the same.