A Sad Thought
Purple heart medals awarded to Americans wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan are over 60 years old. A stock of 500,000 medals were manufacturered in anticipation of the 1946 invasion of Japan - Operation Downfall, an invasion cancelled by the Japanese surrender. Stage 2 of Downfall, Operation Coronet, the invasion of Tokyo Bay, would have been over twice the size of Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings at Normandy. And the Japanese would have been waiting. The coastline made almost no concessions for picking and choosing and deceptive tactics like in France. There were only two viable invasion sites in the whole of southern Japan, one each on Kyushu and Honshu (the southern and central of the three home islands). Possibly over 40 divisions involved from both sides.
65 years of operations since then in Greece, Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, the Dominican Republic, South Africa, Angola, Grenada, Panama, Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, Haiti and Somalia has not run through those stocks. They are not close to running out.
Combined casulaties of the invasion and pacification of Japan if it had run its course, on both sides, military and civilian, were predicted to run into eight figures. It would have been the most horrific event in history.
There are many things to be thankful for.
65 years of operations since then in Greece, Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, the Dominican Republic, South Africa, Angola, Grenada, Panama, Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, Haiti and Somalia has not run through those stocks. They are not close to running out.
Combined casulaties of the invasion and pacification of Japan if it had run its course, on both sides, military and civilian, were predicted to run into eight figures. It would have been the most horrific event in history.
There are many things to be thankful for.