Obama's visit to Japan: Do you think it is insulting to the men and woman who died during Japan's attack on us?

PO1 Jason Taylor — Fri, 27 May 2016 07:13:32 -0400

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made May 27 at 2016 7:16 AM

MSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 27 May 2016 07:16:02 -0400

Why would it be insulting?

Response by PO1 Jason Taylor made May 27 at 2016 7:20 AM

PO1 Jason Taylor — Fri, 27 May 2016 07:20:42 -0400

Both of my Grandfathers fought in WW2 one in the army on the west coast and was going to be part of the Japanese invasion, My other was in the Navy on the east coats shuttling men to the shore in Normandy invasion. We would not have even entered the war if not for Japans Insulting attack on us 1st. So to apologies for saving American lives on that faithful day , I find disgraceful at best. Dropping the bombs saved my grandfathers life and many more. Thanks for reading.

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made May 27 at 2016 7:31 AM

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel — Fri, 27 May 2016 07:31:21 -0400

No, Most of them have passed and Japan has been an ally Since the end of the war. Their Constitution after the War was written with great assistance by us most notably General MacArthur. How many Large Military Bases do we have there? Staging Area for our Korean War and Vietnam War Military Folks. Presidents have been visiting Japan for some time. The only thing notable about this visit is that this is the First Time a Sitting President has visited the city of Hiroshima. The primary reason is the G-7 meeting. The Group of 7 (G7) is a group consisting of the finance ministers and central bank governors of the seven major advanced economies as reported by the International Monetary Fund: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States meeting to discuss primarily economic issues.

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made May 27 at 2016 7:34 AM

MSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 27 May 2016 07:34:33 -0400

I read this. I did not interpret an "apology"

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-obama-hiroshima-idUSKCN0YH2PQ

Obama mourns dead in Hiroshima, calls for world without nuclear arms

Barack Obama on Friday became the first incumbent U.S. president to visit Hiroshima, site of the world's first atomic bombing, in a gesture Tokyo and Washington hope will showcase their alliance and reinvigorate efforts to rid the world of nuclear arms.

Response by SGT William Howell made May 27 at 2016 7:59 AM

SGT William Howell — Fri, 27 May 2016 07:59:52 -0400

Not sure how you can talk about the great responsibility of owning nukes and then give the ability to produce them to one of the most unstable countries in the world.

Response by Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen made May 27 at 2016 8:10 AM

Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen — Fri, 27 May 2016 08:10:42 -0400

Simply showing respect to those who lost their lives. No disrespect or insult there.

Response by GySgt Carl Rumbolo made May 27 at 2016 8:28 AM

GySgt Carl Rumbolo — Fri, 27 May 2016 08:28:43 -0400

So here we go again - another pointless question by someone who has some 'outrage' over what the current President does or doesn't do - so did Reagan and Bush 'insult' the men and women who died during WWII by visiting Japan...or Germany?

Did the ENTIRE United States insult the men and women of the armed forces by providing access to the Marshall Plan to Germany after WWII, or did we insult the memory of the armed forces by helping Japan rebuild, rearming them and making them into a US ally?

Did the United States insult the memory of the armed forces by participating in the Breton Woods agreements that set the foundation for the economic recovery and system following the end of WWII.

How about you try to at least vaguely understand the geopolitical system and relationships and stop cherry picking some current event to make a 'point'.

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made May 27 at 2016 8:54 AM

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 27 May 2016 08:54:11 -0400

The visit? no...the rhetoric? perhaps.

There's pre and post war Japan...the latter, just like Germany, seems to have gone to great lengths to make recompense for their evil empires of the past. I shared an anecdote on another post concerning a chance encounter between a young JDF officer and I at Pearl Harbor. Turned our both of our grandfathers had been aviators, and both had died in the Pacific serving their respective sides.

I don't support the idea of "apology" for our use of the "bomb"-though I think it is appropriate and humane to consider it one of our darkest, necessary choices in a very dark period of history. That young JDF officer? He offered his condolences for the loss of my grandfather...and I offered mine for the loss of his.

Response by CW4 Guy Butler made May 27 at 2016 9:03 AM

CW4 Guy Butler — Fri, 27 May 2016 09:03:59 -0400

You do realize that, starting with President Gerald Ford in 1974, every President has visited Japan, right?

http://amview.japan.usembassy.gov/en/presidentsinjapan/

U.S. Presidential Visits to Japan

U.S. President Barack Obama is scheduled to visit Japan next week. Since former President Gerald Ford visited Japan in 1974, everyU.S. president has been to Japan at least once. Here’s a look back…

Response by PO3 Ricardo Maduro made May 27 at 2016 9:19 AM

PO3 Ricardo Maduro — Fri, 27 May 2016 09:19:12 -0400

Absolutely not .. and a resounding absolutely not. He is a head of state and that is head of state business. What should be insulting is how the right-wing revisionists are taking over that country and have whitewashed their past and deny lots of horrors they wrought on nations and people all over the world. Unless he visited the tomb/shrine honoring the Japanese war dead (some of whom are well known war criminals), he hasn't done anything I would consider inconsiderate. Disturbing that a question like this is even being posed.

Response by MSG Dan Castaneda made May 27 at 2016 9:38 AM

MSG Dan Castaneda — Fri, 27 May 2016 09:38:21 -0400

No, not really. Japan has been an allie of the US for a long time. They attacked us we responded 20 fold. We can put it behind us and move forward.

Response by CPT Jack Durish made May 27 at 2016 9:40 AM

CPT Jack Durish — Fri, 27 May 2016 09:40:11 -0400

No but I think Obama's Presidency is a visible reminder of our stupidity

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made May 27 at 2016 9:57 AM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 27 May 2016 09:57:38 -0400

No.

Response by SFC Robert Bower made May 27 at 2016 10:09 AM

SFC Robert Bower — Fri, 27 May 2016 10:09:10 -0400

Yes, he just wants to be the "first" for eveything! He needs to go to Walter Reed and visit American Soldiers!!!!! WTF..... I feel he really doesn't give a shit about American Soldiers! If something happens in Chicago he'll be there the same day though. . LoL

Response by MSgt Michael Smith made May 27 at 2016 10:14 AM

MSgt Michael Smith — Fri, 27 May 2016 10:14:49 -0400

I heard Michael Savage rant and rave about this on the radio yesterday, and his bigoted rhetoric was an embarrassment. World War II was hell for everyone. Many many people died on every side. Everyone knows who fought who and why. What Obama said was in no way inappropriate nor disrespectful to the men and women who gave their lives in World War II. This war is now a part of history, and Japan is one of our closest allies. People need to realize that the world is a different place now, and that everyone suffered during that time. There was right and wrong then, but let history be that judge, not today.

Response by SFC Robert Bower made May 27 at 2016 10:16 AM

SFC Robert Bower — Fri, 27 May 2016 10:16:52 -0400

I just think it would be nice if he "acted" like he cared about our own country. .. Maybe, just maybe, go visit Walter Reed or Langstuhl Germany.. He's just so worried about the wrong things. Country hasn't changed in almost 8 years!

Response by MSG Jamaal Mattingly made May 27 at 2016 10:36 AM

MSG Jamaal Mattingly — Fri, 27 May 2016 10:36:37 -0400

I view it like this folks.. I know it doesn't happen much any more, but there was a time when men fought and sometimes the winner was man enough to help the other up to his feet and declare the issue dead. Sometimes maybe they both learned a lesson in humility, and never wanted to again revisit such turmoils. Nothing wrong with saying you don't like that something happen, and that you hope it doesn't happen again.

Response by MCPO Roger Collins made May 27 at 2016 10:47 AM

MCPO Roger Collins — Fri, 27 May 2016 10:47:26 -0400

May 30, 2016
Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States for remembering the people who died while serving in the country's armed forces

Response by Capt Tom Brown made May 27 at 2016 11:09 AM

Capt Tom Brown — Fri, 27 May 2016 11:09:22 -0400

No because he expressed sympathies to the families but did not apologize to them.

Response by PO1 Brian Austin made May 27 at 2016 12:09 PM

PO1 Brian Austin — Fri, 27 May 2016 12:09:23 -0400

No, not at all. Many President's have visited Japan. Heck, Bush Sr vomited on the Japanese PM in 1992 during a dinner party.
Obama is the first to visit the Hiroshima memorial, no apology was made.
A non-issue, IMO.

Response by SGT David D Williams made May 27 at 2016 12:49 PM

SGT David D Williams — Fri, 27 May 2016 12:49:52 -0400

No. Sympathy for the country's loss of civilian lives does not count as an apology.

Response by CAPT Kevin B. made May 27 at 2016 1:14 PM

CAPT Kevin B. — Fri, 27 May 2016 13:14:54 -0400

Not insulting to me but I believe the timing and likely reasoning is improper. Legacy motivation is always dangerous. Since he established the Apology Tour, it's been so repetitive, most anything he does in foreign policy gets looked through it with that lens. I'd encourage any President to stay away from that third rail until such time the Japanese people come to grips with their role in making the war and its endgame happen. If you look at their museums, they're always the victim and the US is the aggressor. Nobody who rewrites history should be pandered to. Like anything else, we made a number of blunders along with every other country. What happened was a result that was essentially guaranteed by the military rulers in Japan. I prefer to look at history through the lens of the people at the time. That a horrible uncaring military government took over Japan and ensured the destruction of its people, is a tragedy. An interesting read is how military fanatics tried to stop the Emperor from surrendering.

The last time Japan "won" was the Japanese-Russo war. Their pre dreadnought era battleship Mikasa was a significant emblem of national pride. The Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 spared the Mikasa from destruction if it were to be placed in concrete. It's a wonderful piece of must see history.

On a side note, a Japanese American retired O-6 friend of mine, told me about his parents being sent to an internment camp in California. They had a nice farm in Washington. Before being picked up, they sold the farm to a neighbor for a dollar. When they were released, the neighbor sold the farm back for a dollar. Back then, the notion that all Japanese were bad wasn't shared by many. Governments go to war and their people suffer for it.

Response by SN Greg Wright made May 27 at 2016 2:23 PM

SN Greg Wright — Fri, 27 May 2016 14:23:56 -0400

Do you suppose the Japanese people feel insulted when Abe visits us? I mean, we killed a fuck-ton more of them in two days than they did us.

Response by CMSgt Private RallyPoint Member made May 27 at 2016 4:26 PM

CMSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 27 May 2016 16:26:31 -0400

Let me answer by pointing out that every single President for the last 42 years, Democrat and Republican, has visited Japan at least once. On the Republican (and presumably conservative) side, Ford went once, Reagan & Bush Sr. each went twice, and Bush Jr. went four times. And lest anyone think Obama is unique in addressing nuclear weapons in Japan, keep in mind Reagan was the first to address the Japanese parliament (known as the diet) in person since the bombs were dropped and his message was substantively the same - nuclear weapons should never be used and should be banished. Bush Sr. attended the funeral of Emperor Hirohito, the wartime Emperor of Japan, despite having himself been shot down by the Japanese during the war. Bush Jr. made a fool of himself in front of the diet by eliding the war entirely, referring to a supposed alliance between Japan and the U.S. lasting "for a century and a half now."

So, with this in mind, I answer in the resounding negative. No, President Obama visiting Japan is not an insult to the memory of those who died at Pearl Harbor in any way, shape, or form.

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made May 27 at 2016 5:41 PM

MSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 27 May 2016 17:41:27 -0400

Happy now?

Response by SPC Brian Mason made May 27 at 2016 7:49 PM

SPC Brian Mason — Fri, 27 May 2016 19:49:27 -0400

Keeping good relations with our Allies is good, however I heard that he 'apologized' to them on behalf of America. Pardon my language but F' that S***. That infuriates me to no end. Not only did they hit first, but thousand died and slowly drowned in that attack. It insults their memory and those who fought in that war. If we had not dropped those two 'care packages' then millions more would have died. Some of us might not be alive today had that not happened.

Response by Sgt Tom Cunnally made May 29 at 2016 8:04 AM

Sgt Tom Cunnally — Sun, 29 May 2016 08:04:41 -0400

No but the WWII Veterans are mixed on this question. I lived through WWII and served in the Marines just after the end of the war in Korea & think after 70 years it is fitting for our President to visit Hiroshima and express his condolences for the lives lost in Japan after the Atom bomb was dropped on this city. Japan today is one of our closest allies in Asia and time to think about our relationship going forward.

Response by SrA Chris Brooks made May 29 at 2016 9:57 AM

SrA Chris Brooks — Sun, 29 May 2016 09:57:42 -0400

We fire bombed a multitude of Japanese cities because of the use of wood in most Japanese construction. The use of these incendiary devices cause massive devastation long before we used nuclear weapons (more from the fire bombings than the nukes). In fact, had the US lost the war, we would probably have been charged with war crimes because of the tremendous loss to civilian lives. Bottom line, if your to go to war, winning is the best outcome. It is hard to judge diplomacy today specific to the facts from another era. I think making hard line determinants of a compare and contrast nature are always difficult correlations when we don't have all the facts. When it comes to these matters, we most assuredly do not have all the facts. Either way, I don't make it a habit of focusing on the things I cannot change--this is one of them.

Response by SGM Mikel Dawson made May 29 at 2016 8:39 PM

SGM Mikel Dawson — Sun, 29 May 2016 20:39:45 -0400

Nothing wrong with the visit, it's just the timing and some of what he said I don't agree with. If he'd been thinking (or maybe he did) He'd had planned a U.S. memorial to visit on this weekend.

Response by Sgt Ramon Nacanaynay made May 30 at 2016 1:08 PM

Sgt Ramon Nacanaynay — Mon, 30 May 2016 13:08:13 -0400

It depends on where you are in your head. There are several stories on what really happened. and what were who's intentions. Different histories. We are All victims of war.

Response by SGT Darlene Blair made May 31 at 2016 8:33 AM

SGT Darlene Blair — Tue, 31 May 2016 08:33:31 -0400

I think this President's agenda is to turn one another against each other in our beautiful country, to encourage the entitlement minded people and too make us look weak to those we once stood as strong and willing to do what it takes to ensure the safety of this country. It is a slap in the face to all of those that served and died defending is from foreign enemies. Let us all remember that when we were sworn in we also vowed to protect ourselves against domestic enemies as well. It's time we start kicking our domestic enemies out.