In response to Josh Kane’s letter (Herald, June 17) regarding a national park embodying the Manhattan project, I am of the opinion that such a park should be discussed and evaluated further.

I do take exception to his notion that this nation had “ruthless disdain” for other people by using the atomic bomb during World War II against Japan. It is estimated that by using the atomic bomb, millions of lives were saved versus a ground invasion of Japan. As one scholar who studied the U.S. invasion plan, Operation Downfall, notes: “Depending on the degree to which Japanese civilians resisted the invasion, estimates ran into the millions for Allied casualties and tens of millions for Japanese casualties.”

Japan and Germany had their own atomic programs and would not have hesitated to use them against us.

Please, get the facts before you cast shame on our great nation. The United States has done far more good in this world than any nation in history and continues to be the kindest and most generous of all nations.

Ronald E. Harris

Durango