Journal 7 - Matthew Hines

Part one
        The character that I have found most interesting is Mr. Tanimoto, because he didn't let anything stop him from trying to help others. After the bombing, he left to try to find his wife and child, to make sure that they were okay. Along the way, he gave water to some injured people. Once he found his family, and knew that they were okay, he left them again to return to his church and help the people in his neighborhood. He also found a small boat, and there were five dead men around it. He believed that they had been trying to get the boat into the water. He expressed regret that they were unable to complete their task, and he said, "Please forgive me for taking this boat. I must use it for others, who are alive," (37). He used the boat to ferry small groups of people across the river, and away from the spreading fire.
Part two
          Harry Truman was the president when the bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Franklin Roosevelt had been president for all of WWII, and after his death, it was up to Truman to lead the nation through the end of the war. Early during his presidency, the war in Europe ended, but there was still war in Japan. Prior to becoming president, he didn't know of the atomic bomb, because of the secrecy surrounding the project. Although he knew that the atomic bomb was the most powerful bomb ever created, I don't think he knew the true amount of devastation it would cause until they had been dropped. However, I think he still would have done it, because the United States had already been at war for years, and trying to invade Japan would have resulted in many more deaths on both sides.