m filled with such shame to recall the whoopee spirit, at the announcement of bombing Hiroshima" (The New Yorker). This type of reaction, after reading Hersey's vivid work on the Hiroshima bombing, is understandable and expected. What Hersey failed to do was to give the other perspective, of why America took these actions against Hiroshima? The two major historic events that Hersey failed to mention were the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the death march at the Bataan Camps. These two instances show the attacks that Japan made against America. December 7, 1941, Japan performed a surprise attack on America at Pearl Harbor. "According to Japanese feudal code of honor, the idea of a surprise is recommended and it raises no moral problems" (Sulzberger 146). During Japan's attack, they broke the seal of trust. "Japan's Ambassador and Diplomatic agent were in Washington pretending to have been seeking a negotiated settlement between the two countries" (Sulzberger 146). America lost over 3,000 service men from this bombing. This type of betrayal could only cause anger and determination to strike back. The death march at the Japanese Bataan Camp, of April 1942, Japanese officers enslaved about "75,000 men, 12,000 of which were American soldiers" (Bergamini 1168). "The soldiers were forced to march sixty miles with little to eat or drink. It was during this march that over 3,000 American soldiers died of starvation, dehydration, and brutality. If a solder fell out of line due to weariness, he was knocked unconscious by a Japanese officer's rifle, then buried alive by another American solider" (Bergamini 1167). There were even instances when the officers would "purposely have the soldiers march past water wells," (Bergamini 1167) if one were to break formation for a drink, he was "immediately shot in the head" (Bergamini 1167). Something had to happen to save the lives of our American men and to end this war soon. These ...
