Firestorm

Because of the general collapse of Western civilization that has ensued since the beginning of last month, I did not offer sufficient attention to a pair of good accounts at the New York Times commemorating the firebombing of Tokyo on March 10, 1945. This raid, which I’ve written about in other cases, may be the most deadly single attack in the history of human warfare. The first piece, “We hated what we were doing,” interviews four American B-29 bomber crew, offering some understanding of what they believed they were doing at the time, and the perspective they have on it today. The second, “The Man Who Won’t Let the World Forget the Firebombing of Tokyo,” chronicles the efforts of a survivor of the raid to ensure that the attack was not forgotten in Japan. Both are well worth your time.