World nuclear affairs

I am writing to bring attention to important days of remembrance coming up soon. Aug. 6 and 9 will be the 72nd anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, the only times nuclear weapons have been used on civilian populations. As we observe these days, we remember the devastation caused, the lives lost, and reflect on the current state of nuclear affairs in the world.

The current state of nuclear affairs finds a world with roughly 4,000 active warheads and 10,100 total. Nine countries are believed to have nuclear weapons, and tensions seem to be rising. As a veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, I find it troubling to see we’re prioritizing show of force over strategic force. We used 59 small bombs on an airfield, failing to damage the runways, when proper targeting would have used one large bomb in the middle of each to disable them. We used the largest non-nuclear bomb in our arsenal on a cave that was just one of dozens in the area for the sole purpose of putting on a show. I find these actions to be disturbingly parallel to the actions in 1945 when the use of these weapons and their targets were chosen based on the shock value they would achieve rather than for strategic means of disabling military targets.

If we truly want to establish ourselves as a world leader, we should try doing so in the arenas of peace and nuclear disarmament. MICHAEL D. VAUGHN

Little Rock which harassed the Nazis on all fronts. They, more than any other nation on the European continent, resisted the German occupation, providing London with invaluable intelligence.

During the Battle of Britain, the Polish 303 Squadron in the Royal Air Force distinguished itself by shooting down more German planes than any other RAF squadron. Winston Churchill acknowledged that they were indispensable in defending England during its “finest hour.”

Later, in the assault on Monte Cassino in Italy, after many failed attempts by Allied forces to take it, the Poles were the ones to finally take it from the Germans.

Their contribution to the success of the Allied victory was exemplified by their never-ending dedication to the cause of freedom.

LES BLEDSOE North Little Rock