On the tiny island of Tinian, the morning silence of August 6, 1945, was broken by the colossal roar of the engines of the B-29 Superfortress, the Enola Gay preparing for takeoff. Colonel Paul W. Tibbets prepared himself and his crew for the most historic flight of their lives. Neither Colonal Tibbets nor the rest of the men on board knew exactly to where they would be flying. What they did know was that the bomb they were about to deliver would change the world forever and quite possibly end World War II. As Tinian began to fade out of sight as the plane gained altitude, a radio transmission was made informing the crew of the designated target. They were to fly to Hiroshima, Japan, and drop the most devastating device the world had ever seen. As the plane leveled off above Hiroshima, the bomb bay doors opened and the bombardier released the first ever atomic bomb to be dropped for the purpose of total destruction. Minutes later thousands of Japanese were dead and Hiroshima, Japan, was nothing more than a pile of rubble. The bombing of Hiroshima was essential to show the world the supremacy of the United States armed forces; it was as justified as any other bombing throughout the war; and it saved the lives of both American and Japanese soldiers and helped end World War II.
             Dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima showed the world the superiority of the American military. By developing and using the atomic bomb first, the United States was able to set a standard for itself as the greatest military power in the world. Donald Kagan explains that the bomb was dropped primarily for its effect not only on Japan but also the Soviet Union. One, to force a Japanese surrender before the USSR came into the Far Eastern war, and two, to show under war conditions the power of the bomb. Only this way could a policy of intimidation of the Soviet Union be successful (17).
             At the Potsdam conference, Truman resentfully felt that Stalin...