General Leslie Groves, the "Father of the Atomic Bomb," asked me, "What did you think of the, Atomic bombs we dropped on Japan?" I answered, "General, by dropping the bombs, you saved thousands of American lives that would have been lost if the U.S. had been forced to invade Japan. Also, you saved thousands of P.O.W.s lives; we could not have endured many more months of captivity. Actually I'm sorry you didn't drop more bombs on Japan!"
"Colonel, we only had two bombs and we dropped them both!"
"Thank you, sir! You saved my life! I am very grateful to you and
the brave crews that dropped the bombs!" The general look relieved.
"Colonel, I'm happy you are back; this country owes you and your friends a great debt. You gave us what we needed most, TIME."
Washington was overrun with military personnel. To me the amazing thing was the youth of the officers; generals in their forties and thirties; colonels in their thirties and twenties. I wasn't jealous! I thanked God for each of them. They had done a bang-up job.
Two months passed at Walter Reed. I wasn't dying as predicted in Manchuria. In fact I was getting better, gaining strength and weight each week. I was able to walk several city blocks at a time.
Chapter XV BORROWED TIME
Mar. 17, 46: The Chief of Medicine, Col. Charles Mueller, decided that
I was ready to try active duty; he found a job for me on the Medical
Service. How great it was to be a halfway normal person again!
I moved in with Judy in her cozy little efficiency apartment; it was actually all that we needed; it had a nice view of Rock Creek Park and the Shoreham Hotel.
Visiting patients in the many scattered wards at WRGH was difficult; I often felt that the patient I was treating was healthier than I was, but I thanked my lucky stars just to be alive and perking. I really had all in this world that I had ever hoped to have.