Earl's World--24

EARL’S WORLD—24

Hiroshima

For a year that I missed the fall season in North Carolina, third time in my life, I had a joyful time absorbing the beauty surrounding Peace Park, in the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Cradled by mountains that were speckled by orange and red maples, a chilly light wind scattering yellow gingko leaves along the walk ways, watching school children in their colorful uniforms frolicking and chatting in small groups on their way home and feeling the stimulation of cool air was my one day of the favorite season of the year. It was a special day but for other reasons.

On August 6, 1945 at 8:15 AM over this spot in the heart of Hiroshima, 500 meters above ground the first Atom bomb was exploded. It hastened the conclusion of World War II but it introduced to the world a weapon of such power of destruction that mankind has wrestled with its containment ever since. Hiroshima was flattened for distance of over two miles. 140,000 citizens were killed out right. Most were families, women and children and over a thousand Korean workers brought to the city under force to dig bomb shelters. The death from irradiation killed many quickly but thousands died over the next few months and years from radiation sickness, leukemia and burns.

A second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki 5 days later. The Japanese surrendered on August 15th, 1945. On that date I was a Pharmacist Mate in the navy, aboard the USS Gosper in San Francisco Bay, preparing my ship for the invasion of Japan.

The beautiful Peace Park now represents the extent to which Japan has recovered. The Museum records the horror of that day with vivid images, of human suffering that is painful to view. Recorded reactions from world leaders spoke of the necessity of removing Nuclear weapons from the face of the earth; that no human should ever have to face the possibility of a nuclear holocaust. Reduction of nuclear warheads is not the answer. It may be a start, but universal removal of all nuclear weapons is the only answer to the nuclear weapon dilemma. Let’s hope the “peace children” of tomorrow can live to see this accomplished.