Facts support invasion fears

Bernadine Van Thiel’s response (May 2) to a letter from Jeff Sims cannot go unchallenged. Like all who practice revisionist history, Ms. Van Thiel is wrong.

The figure of 1 million anticipated U.S. casualties from an invasion of the Japanese home islands was not speculation. That is what our military planners projected.

Since Van Thiel likes to read, I would suggest books on the Rape of Nanking, the Bataan Death March, their treatment of prisoners of war, the Great Raid, their treatment of the Filipino people, Pearl Harbor, the Manchurian laboratories where poison gas was tested on Chinese civilians, their efforts to develop the atomic bomb, etc.

Japan is now a great nation and a strong ally, but such was not always the case. The Japanese warlords would not have hesitated to use a nuclear bomb on Los Angeles.

Jeff’s concern about his father is completely valid. His father was at Anzio and survived while so many others died. He was training for Operation Olympic, the invasion of Japan, when his life was saved by those bombs.

People can practice revisionist history if they want to. I choose to remember what really happened and honor the people who preserved our freedom.

Bob Baker

Post Falls