Howie found his father in the parlor that evening.  He was listening to old 78-RPM records on the hi-fi.  The sounds of Andrews sisters singing “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” resounded through the room.

“Dad, I have to interview you about the war so that I can understand someone else’s feelings about it.

“Listen to this new insurance joke,” said Mr. Throckmorton.

“Daddy, are you trying to be funny?”

“Obviously,” came the reply.  “You were late coming home from school.  Is everything alright?”

Howie sighed, “Yes, Dad.  I just had to spend some time thinking.”

Mr. Throckmorton said, “That’s nice – here is the joke.  An insurance agent sold his best friend, Bob, a policy claiming that it he claimed would change his life.  A little while later, he ran across Bob and exclaimed, ‘Bob, I told you that your new policy would change your life, but even I am amazed.  You used to be short and fat with bald.  Now you are tall and thin and you have hair.’  The man answered, ‘But I am not Bob.’  The agent replied, ‘And you have changed your name, too!’”

There was a pause.

“Dad, I have to interview you about the war so that I can understand someone else’s feelings about it.

“Here’s another one.  An insurance company insured an ocean going boat.  It was the first time that they had ever taken such a large risk.  So they made a special provision.”

“Every morning the captain of the ship was required to open his safe and take out a document and read it – only then could he begin sailing that day.  This went on every morning for twenty-five years.”

“Finally the captain retired and the ship was turned over to the first mate.  The next morning he got up early and with excitement he worked the combination of the safe.  After all the years of curiosity, he was going to know what the document said.  He reached in and with trembling hands he pulled out the document.  He opened it up and read it – it said…”

“Dad,” Howie interrupted, “Colonel Randall said that I have to interview you about the war and he said to tell you that it was an order.”

Harvey Throckmorton stiffened.  Slowly he got up from the couch and turned off the hi-fi.  The room was silent.  He walked over to the parlor window, raised the curtains and looked out.  He stood ramrod straight with his legs lightly apart and his hands clasped behind his back.  In a strange voice he asked, “Howie, what would you like to know?”

“I need to know about your war experiences and how they affected your views on dropping the atomic bomb on Japan.”

Howie’s father answered in a soft faraway voice – unlike any way that Howie had heard him speak before.

“I was in the Pacific during the war, Colonel Randall was my commander.  I was in a platoon that was searching out Japanese soldiers that remained hidden in the jungle.  We were ambushed.  I was fortunate; I was at the back of the line.  My best friend was not fortunate.  He was leading the patrol.  Howard Thomas was killed immediately.”

“His name was Howard Thomas?” Howie asked.

“Yes,” replied his father.  “You are named after my friend who died in that ambush.”

“At first I did not know that Howard was killed.  I was just happy that I was not hit.  I had a letter from your mother in my pocket and a picture of Meg.  I had never seen her.  I wanted to get back safe to them more than anything in the world.”

“Then it was passed down the line that Howard was dead…I went crazy…I had never wanted to kill so badly in my life.  I climbed a tree.  It was nothing, really.  I dropped a hand grenade.”

I hurt for Howard – I hated the Japanese soldier.  I was glad that he was dead.”

“Later, after Howard’s body was taken care of, I was debriefed.  It was nothing, really.  But, I saw some papers taken from the dead soldier.  It was a letter from his wife and a picture of his little girl - who he had never seen.  She was Meg’s age.”

Howie thought he heard his father sob.

Mr. Throckmorton continued to face the window.  “I sell insurance.  You may not think that is much of a job.  I know that you want to be a doctor and help people.  I AM proud of you.  But I want to help people, too.”

“Insurance brings some good out of death.  I could not bring Howard or the Japanese soldier back to life, but I can help those left behind by death.  I provide security and quality of life and other good things to those in need and those who grieve.  I am glad… I am proud of what I do.”

Howie had never thought of that.  “So, you think that the bombing was wrong?” asked Howie.

His father was silent for a long time.

Then he said, “I know that all arguments for and against the bombing – some of our best generals were against it.  But, as an insurance agent, I have learned to look at things in terms of known and acceptable risk.  For example, you would not run across the street with your eyes shut would you?’

“No,” answered Howie.

“What do you think that the chances of being hit are.”

“Not much, Sycamore is a quiet street.  But I would not like it if I did get hit.”

“That’s right, Howie.  All the arguments against the bomb rely on unknowable risk. Other options might have worked, but we would not like it if they did not.  The only risk we knew how to measure and be sure of was the risk of dropping the bomb.  That is what President Truman had to make his decision on.”

“A good insurance agent would also have dropped the bomb because he could calculate the risk and limit it – but anyone who is happy about the pain and suffering that it caused is a b_____d!”

Then Howie’s father relaxed somewhat.  He turned around, and said, “Now listen to my other joke.”

“An insurance company insured an ocean going boat.  It was the first time that they had ever taken such a large risk.  So they made a special provision.”

“Every morning the captain of the ship was required to open his safe and take out a document and read it – only then could he begin sailing that day.  This went on every morning for twenty-five years.”

“Finally the captain retired and the ship was turned over to the first mate.  The next morning he got up early and with excitement he worked the combination of the safe.  After all the years of curiosity, he was going to know what the document said.  He reached in and with trembling hands he pulled out the document.  He opened it up and read it – it said – the port is the left side, the starboard is the right.”

Howie laughed suddenly insurance jokes were funny to him.