Commentary Magazine  Hiroshima, Obama, and Truman  Today’s
ceremony commemorating the 65th anniversary of the nuclear
bombing of Hiroshima had something new: the presence of the U.S.
ambassador to Japan. Never before had America sent an official
participant in the annual memorial to those killed in the
world’s first atomic attack. That this should occur during the
administration of Barack Obama is no surprise. No previous
American president has been at such pains to apologize for what
he thinks are America’s sins. So while, thankfully, Ambassador
John Roos did not speak at the Hiroshima event, the import of
his presence there was undeniable.  In theory, there ought to be
nothing wrong with an American representative appearing in
Hiroshima. Mourning the loss of so many lives in the bombing is
both understandable and appropriate. But the problem lies in the
way Japan remembers World War II. One of the reasons why it
would have been appropriate for the United States to avoid its
official presence at this ceremon