Stories of World War II are filled with images of how America was clearly the good triumphing over evil. There is no doubt that Japan and Germany did horrible things before and during the war. But America is actually much more tarnished that most people like to admit.

Internment camps were horribly racist and just wrong. Our mass bombing of German and Japanese cities, as well as our firebombing were horrific events. There is much to be argued about whether or not they were necessary to win the war. Strategically, they didn’t serve a huge purpose, however.

But the dropping of the two Atomic bombs was certainly one of the darkest periods in the history of war. Again, it may, or may not have been necessary to win the war. It is likely Japan would have surrendered anyway, given that Russia and joined the war against them.

Regardless of whether or not it was the right thing to do, clearly covering up the horrific nature of the illness and deaths caused by these weapons was not the right thing to do.

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-0809-southard-atomic-bomb-survivors-20150806-story.html#page=1