Hiroshima atomic bomb: Survivor recalls horrors - BBC News

Summary

On August 6, 1945, the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima from 29,000 ft, causing immense devastation. Survivors like 8-year-old K Ura witnessed the horrific aftermath, with thousands suffering from burns and radiation. Initially, media reports focused on physical damage, ignoring the human toll. Decades later, color footage of victims was declassified. The bomb's impact, killing 100,000 to 150,000 people, is debated as a necessary evil to end WWII. Students from Princeton University recently met a Hiroshima survivor, grappling with the reality of the tragedy and questioning the conventional narrative. The lack of visits by US presidents to Hiroshima or Nagasaki highlights the ongoing struggle to confront this dark chapter of history.

Takeaways

• 💥 The atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima from 29,000 ft resulted in a devastating explosion that resembled a 'giant candy floss', but led to the suffering and death of tens of thousands of people.
• 👀 Survivors like 8-year-old K Ura witnessed the horrific aftermath firsthand, including people with severe burns and skin peeling off.
• 📰 Initial news reports focused on the physical damage to the city, with little mention of the human toll from burns and radiation.
• 🚫 Classified footage of victims taken in 1946 was only declassified in the 1980s, revealing the extent of the suffering to a wider audience.
• 🗽 When K Ura visited the United States, she found that many Americans were unaware of the horrors she had witnessed, with some even expressing gratitude for the bombing.
• 🕍 The destruction of Hiroshima is often viewed as a necessary evil to end World War II, but the script suggests it's time to reconsider this view.
• 🎓 Princeton University students were deeply affected by meeting a Hiroshima survivor and learning about the horrors they witnessed.
• 📚 The students' education had presented a sanitized narrative of the bombing, omitting the human suffering and ongoing trauma.
• 🌏 The script highlights the need for a broader understanding and acknowledgment of the suffering caused by the bombing, particularly in America.
• 🕊️ No sitting US president has visited Hiroshima or Nagasaki, reflecting a lack of直面 the full impact of the bombings.
• 🌀 The script also touches on Japan's own difficulties in confronting its World War II history, suggesting a broader need for historical reflection and reconciliation.

Q & A

What was the target of the first atomic bomb dropped on August 6th, 1945?

The target was Hiroshima, Japan.

From what altitude was the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima?

The bomb was dropped from 29,000 feet.

What was the description of the atomic bomb explosion from a distance?

The explosion looked like a giant candy floss from a distance.

What was the immediate aftermath described by the eyewitness, K Ura?

Survivors gathered outside her house with burned and swollen faces, begging for water, and their skin was peeling off.

What was the initial reaction of the people K Ura saw after the explosion?

They were holding what she initially thought were rags, but were actually their own skin peeling off.

How did the US news reports at the time describe the event?

The reports described only the physical damage to the city, with no mention of the thousands dying from burns and radiation.

What was the reaction of Americans when K Ura visited the United States?

She was told by American citizens that she should be thankful for the bombing because it saved her life.

How many people were estimated to have been killed by the atomic bomb in Hiroshima?

Between 100,000 and 150,000 people were killed.

What is the conventional wisdom outside Japan regarding the bombing of Hiroshima?

The destruction of the city is seen as a necessary evil that brought an abrupt end to World War II.

What did the students from Princeton University learn from meeting a Hiroshima survivor?

They learned that the narrative they were taught was incomplete and that the horrors of the bombing were still being relived by the survivors and the city.

Why is it significant that no sitting US president has visited Hiroshima or Nagasaki?

It signifies the difficulty in confronting the historical reality and the impact of the bombings, as well as the ongoing debate about the necessity and morality of using atomic bombs.