How do bomber pilots sleep at night?

Question

How do the pilots that fly planes and drop bombs on people, sometimes incurring huge civilian casualities, sleep at night?

I mean, how did the pilots that dropped the bomb on Hiroshima sleep at night? How do people like that go through life

They killed thousands of innocents, even if it was meant to save American lives.

Answer 1

They realize that sometimes people have to die in order to save more lives.

Would you allow a armed shooter to rampage in a school because you dont want to hurt them? Or would you realize that there are times when people must make difficult choices and pick what is best for everyone?

Answer 2

I'll field this one.

There's the matter of intent. If we deliver ordinance now, the mission planners have already done what they can to minimize civilian casualties. Our goal is never to kill civilians. Our goal is to save lives in the net equation.

The example of Hiroshima is a great example. It killed about 100,000. An invasion of Japan would have killed way over a million.

Modern bombing is far more discriminate, BTW. We're using laser guided munitions as small as 100 lbs in order to minimize casualties and collateral damage.

This is opposed to what I've seen with terrorists attempting to MAXIMIZE civilian casualties. Therein lies the difference. In a perfect world, no one would ever kill anyone. Measured by both intent and actions, I sleep well because on the whole what I have done was not inteded to harm civians, and in fact was intended to save them in the long run.

Answer 3

Regarding Hiroshima/ Nagasaki... we were in a DECLARED WAR, and back then the whole NATION is at war (both sides)... so I'm sure the pilots understood.

Regarding recent actions... we don't incure HUGE civilian casualties... it's sad anytime civilians are harmed, but we don't TARGET them.

I targeted an Iranian frigate 18 April 1988... no civilians and no nightmares.

Again, Hiroshima/ Nagasaki: 240,000 (est) total dead v.s. expected US casualties of 300,000+ in an invasion... PLUS the inherent Japanese casualties... so that saved hundreds of thousands of US AND Japanese lives.

A horror... but a decision.

Answer 4

We do alot of things in the military in combat situations that you civilians would think as difficult to do, but we are properly trained and we know and expect the results of our actions. Some people cant handle it and thats why they are so heavily medicated after we get back home. As far as Hiroshima, we needed to make a point and I would say that we did.

Answer 5

well I'm in the air force and it is my job to build all those bombs. and i sleep very well knowing that my family is safe. and further more, Ive heard hundreds of thanks from American men on the ground that have been saved because my bombs hit on target and detonated on time. if i had screwed something up, and caused a munition to miss target and hurt an innocent person, then i would be upset...but i take great measure to ensure everything will function properly.

Answer 6

They have to deal with it in their own minds. When you are a military person you know that you are there to protect the citizens of the USA from being attacked or preventing other countries from attacking us by dealing with the enemy first. We can not make other nations be our friends. But, these other nations are the ones responsible for the lives of their own people. So, when we have to deliver weapons against other countries the blame for innocent deaths rests with those bad people who are leading their countries and not us in the US military who have to carry the war to them. Remember, everybody in the USA can sleep better at night knowing that our fine military people are putting their own lives at risk to defend us all around the globe. Hope this helps answer your question.

Larry
US Air Force
27 years service

Answer 7

Whoever said one of the pilots suicided a few years later wasn't talking about the Mission Commanders...

Charles Sweeney, commander of the mission to Nagasaki, died in 2004 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Sweeney).

Paul Tibbets, commander of the Hiroshima drop, is still alive. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Tibbets)

The bombardier on the Hiroshima drop died in 2000 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Ferebee)

Others are still alive, or were recently.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1086108-1,00.html

You can also find statements made by some of these men in the last link and if you search for them, and then you might answer your own question.

Answer 8

The pilot of the Enola Gay (the plane that dropped the hiroshima bomb) actually committed suicide over it a few years later. It weights very heavily on their consciences.

Answer 9

Bomber pilots, like any other people, don't usually do things unless they are convinced they are right. They rationalize, then they act. That's why it's better to think things over and argue rationally, rather than appeal to emotion, as you are doing.

Answer 10

They sleep like babies I bet. Its not like they have to look at the people they kill they just press a button. Most of them probably will never see any bodies except what they put on cnn. Listen to the song from a distance and think about it.