Matthew Cox

for his actions in World War II.

When I say his actions, firebombing Japanese cities and dropping the atomic bomb, what would I do?

I'd be his buddy.

I'd blame the Empire of Japan for attacking Pearl Harbor.

I would say, Harry, look, I mean, you were trying to stay out of the war.

We were trying to be isolationists, and they killed 2,000, 3,000 of our sailors and airmen on December 7th.

And then I would understand.

I'd go, I get why you felt like you needed to end this because you had to write letters to the mothers, the fathers of people that were dialing in Peleliu, Saipan, Iwo Jima.

I would diminish the impact by saying, Harry, you saved lives.

If we had had to go into the empire of Japan, think about all the people that would have died more so than what did die.

You actually saved lives.

I would demonstrate that tactical empathy by saying, Harry, it's kind of like a surgeon that's on shift late at night and a two-year-old, three-year-old kid comes in with a horrific accident to their leg, automobile accident.

And you've got to make a decision.

Do I take the leg or do I hope that that leg we can salvage?

And you make the tough decision.

I'm going to take the leg.

The kid's not going to walk, but the kid will live.

I know.

Right.

And you have to make that horrible decision.