Those of you who know me, know that I’m not especially fond of birthdays, especially my birthday. But when I was seven years old, my birthday was celebrated with a big bang — maybe the biggest ever. On August 6, 1945, the United States became the first (and, so far, only) nation to use atomic weaponry during wartime when it dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima.
Approximately 80,000 people were killed as a direct result of the blast, and another 35,000 were injured. At least another 60,000 died by end of the year from the effects of the fallout.
The United States began working on the development of an atomic weapon, after having been warned that Nazi Germany was already conducting research into nuclear weapons.
By the time the U.S. conducted the first successful test (in July, 1945 in the New Mexico desert) Germany had already been defeated. But the war against Japan in the Pacific continued to rage. President Truman was warned by some of his advisers that any attempt to invade Japan would result in horrific American casualties. Based on that information, he ordered that the new weapon be used to bring the war to a speedy end. On August 6, 1945, the American bomber Enola Gay dropped a five-ton bomb over Hiroshima.
In the years since the war, a number of historians have suggested that the atomic weapons had a two-pronged objective. First, was to bring the war with Japan to a speedy end and save American lives. But many suggest that the second objective was to demonstrate the new weapon of mass destruction to the Soviet Union.
By August 1945, relations between the Soviet Union and the United States had deteriorated badly. The Potsdam Conference between Truman, Stalin and Churchill ended in failure and Russian armies were occupying most of Eastern Europe. Truman and many of his advisers hoped that the U.S. atomic “monopoly” might offer diplomatic leverage with the Soviets. Some say that the dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan was the first shot of the Cold War.
It turns out that if the U.S. truly believed they could use their atomic “monopoly” for a diplomatic advantage, they didn’t have much time to pull it off. By 1949, the Soviets had developed their own atomic bomb and the nuclear arms race was under way.
So being seven years old, I don’t remember that much about August 6, 1945, but I do remember it, and even at age seven I understood that it was something big — and important.
But today is my birthday. When I was a kid, I remember thinking that when my birthday rolled around, it was almost time for school to start. Many schools in the area that I lived in started school in early August and after a few weeks the schools were closed for a few weeks, so kids could help with farm work — primarily, cotton picking. Maysville’s schools didn’t close for cotton picking, but they did start in August, so it seemed like by birthday was a signal that summer was ending.
Anyhow, those of us born in August were born under one of two star signs. If we were born before August 22nd we are Leos — those born on the 23rd or later are virgos. Leos are said to be very proud people who display great leadership. Virgos are analytical and hardworking people, while still being kind and loyal.
But back to today — most of you think it’s noteworthy because of the anniversary of the atomic bomb being dropped and my birthday, but on August 6, 1762, the first-ever sandwich was created, at least the first food called a sandwich. It was named after the Earl of Sandwich when he requested a dish involving meat between two pieces of bread. As the story goes, he requested it as he was in the middle of a gambling game and didn’t want to interrupt it. Not surprisingly, August is Sandwich Month.
So on an important day like today, I think it’s appropriate to celebrate, not with a cake, but with a sandwich.
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