History passing…
Bodies of student demonstrators killed by Communist Chinese forces at Tiananmen Square in August 1989.
“The last tommy”, Claude Choules, died at 110 years in August 2011, making him the last surviving WWI combat veteran. The photo below was taken in 1915 when Choules joined the navy at age 14. The BBC has reported that as many as 250,000 boys under the age of 18 served in the British Army during World War One. Their motives varied and often overlapped. Many were excited with patriotic fervor, some were seeking escape from poverty or abusive conditions at home, some wanted adventure and others were ready to start a life off on their own.
Seventy-five years ago the mushroom cloud pictured below was the result of the “Fat Man” atomic bomb when it was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan, August 9, 1945. The Nagasaki bombing came three days following a similar atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Nagasaki became a major shipbuilding center in the early 20th century with a major port for trade which led to it being chosen as a prime target. It was also a leading East Asian coaling station and served as the winter port of the Russian Asiatic fleet until 1903. Estimates indicate that around 40,000 people were killed immediately, with upwards of 60-80,000 dying in the following months. It is now a center for movements to ban nuclear weapons.
The “Fat Man” atomic bomb as it was dropped on Nagasaki, August 9, 1945. The photo below was taken about within 20 minutes after the explosion at a distance a little over 9 miles.
After over four and a half years of fighting it was finally over. What began with the bombing of Pearl Harbor ended with the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Japanese were crying “uncle” hoping there would be no more big bombs coming. Americans were elated and there was singing, dancing—and kissing—in the streets. The soldier below is just one of those with lipstick on his face in Detroit, Michigan during Victory Over Japan Day (V-J Day) celebrations 75 years ago on August 14, 1945.
Thanks to SFW HistoryPorn for photo ideas.
Michael Reed is Editor of The Standard.
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