What Happened To The Bodies At Hiroshima And Nagasaki?
Summary
TLDRThe video script delves into the harrowing aftermath of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, highlighting the immense human toll and the challenges in determining accurate death counts. It discusses the physical and psychological effects on survivors, the mishandling of remains for medical research, and the long-term health consequences. The script also touches on the cultural and historical significance of memorials and the enduring quest for peace and understanding.
Takeaways
- 💥 The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki resulted in significant death tolls, with estimates ranging from 110,000 to 210,000 combined, but exact figures are difficult to determine due to population record inaccuracies and chaos post-bombing.
- 🔍 The immediate aftermath saw many people turned to dust and ash, or washed out to sea, making it challenging to count the deceased accurately.
- 🌪️ Uncontrolled fires and debris led to the cremation or burial of many bodies, complicating the identification and counting of victims.
- 📚 The American Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission collected body parts and specimens for study, often anonymizing the victims and causing controversy and distress among the Japanese.
- 🧪 There was a significant lack of proper record-keeping and mislabeling of specimens sent to the U.S., leading to a loss of individual identities and national outrage in Japan.
- 🏥 The first person officially recorded to have died from radiation poisoning was actress Midori Naka, highlighting the long-term health effects of the bombings.
- 🗼 The Atomic Bomb Memorial Mound in Hiroshima holds the ashes of 70,000 unclaimed or unidentified individuals, symbolizing the scale of the tragedy.
- 🌿 Some survivors and their families faced unique and heartbreaking conditions, such as glass growing out of skin and the development of keloids, indicating the lasting physical impact of the bombings.
- 💧 There are accounts of victims dying after drinking water, suggesting that even attempts at relief could be fatal due to severe internal injuries.
- 🔬 The Manhattan Engineer District's report indicated that most immediate deaths were caused by burns and falling debris, rather than radiation alone.
- 🕊️ The Peace Park in Hiroshima, built on the site of a former Buddhist temple used as a crematorium, serves as a reminder of the bombings and the call for peace.
Q & A
What were the estimated death tolls for the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
-The most cited figures for the combined death tolls of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are between 110,000 and 210,000. However, the exact numbers are uncertain due to chaotic conditions and unreliable population records at the time.
How did the Manhattan Project's Chief Medical Officer, Col. Stafford Warren, describe the challenges in determining the death tolls?
-Col. Stafford Warren testified before Congress, stating that population records were unreliable and it was difficult to distinguish between those who had died and those who had fled. He admitted that the figures they provided were more guesses than definitive numbers.
Why were some bodies from the bombings turned into dust and ash?
-Scores of people at the epicenter of the blast were instantly turned to dust and ash due to the immense heat and force of the explosions, which scattered them on the wind.
What happened to the bodies of victims who sought relief in the rivers after the bombings?
-Victims who went to the rivers to alleviate their burning pain often died there, and their remains were carried out to sea by the water currents.
What was the official number of bodies cremated in Nagasaki according to the records?
-Nagasaki's official records listed 40,000 bodies that had been cremated. Col. Warren suggested that an additional 20-30,000 bodies remained unrecovered for various reasons.
How did the process of mass cremations affect the perception of human dignity according to Masako Wada?
-Masako Wada recalled the desensitization and numbness that people experienced due to the incessant cremations, questioning the treatment of human beings as if they were burned like garbage.
What was the first cause of death officially listed as radiation poisoning and who was the victim?
-The first cause of death officially listed as radiation poisoning was actress Midori Naka, who survived the initial blast but later succumbed to radiation sickness.
How did the American medical professionals' involvement in the aftermath of the bombings affect the survivors and their families?
-The American medical professionals' involvement led to the collection and study of body parts and specimens, often without proper identification or consent, which was perceived as a second victimization of the survivors and their families.
What was the role of the American Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission in the study of the survivors?
-The American Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission was set up to study the survivors, collect body parts for research, and learn more about the effects of radiation sickness, but their practices were controversial and viewed as body-snatching.
When were the remains collected from the bomb victims returned to Japan and what was included in the return?
-The remains collected from the bomb victims were returned to Japan in May 1973. The return included around 23,000 items such as photos, pieces of clothing, organs, brains, and eyes preserved in formaldehyde.
What is the significance of the Atomic Bomb Memorial Mound and how does it relate to the bombing victims?
-The Atomic Bomb Memorial Mound is a 16-ton dome of earth topped by a small pagoda, built on the site of a former Buddhist temple that served as a makeshift crematorium. It contains the ashes of 70,000 people, including those discovered during the cleanup process, symbolizing the collective memory and mourning of the victims.
What were the immediate causes of death for the victims of the atomic bombings according to the 1946 report by the Manhattan Engineer District?
-The 1946 report found that only about 7% of immediate deaths were caused by radiation, while 60% of the deaths in Hiroshima were caused by burns and 30% by falling debris. At Nagasaki, burns accounted for an astonishing 95% of the deaths.
What are some of the long-term health effects experienced by the survivors of the atomic bombings?
-Long-term health effects experienced by survivors include high instances of illnesses such as cancer and leukemia, as well as other issues like anemia, tumors, thyroid problems, miscarriages, and mental health struggles like survivors' guilt.
How did the shadows etched on sidewalks and pavement around the cities come to be and what do they represent?
-The shadows are not the result of people being vaporized but rather places that were protected from the heat and light of the intense blast because the energy was absorbed by the people standing there. The surrounding areas were bleached by the light, leaving the darker spots where people had shielded the ground behind them.
Outlines
💥 The Lingering Aftermath of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Bombings
This paragraph delves into the devastating aftermath of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, highlighting the uncertainty and controversy surrounding the death tolls. It discusses the challenges faced in accurately counting the dead due to population displacement and the obliteration of records. The narrative describes the tragic fates of those turned to dust, those who sought relief in rivers only to be swept out to sea, and the mass cremations that followed. It also touches on the medical mistreatment of victims, where body parts were anonymized, mislabeled, and used for research without consent, reflecting the dual victimization of survivors as both targets of warfare and subjects of medical research.
🕊️ The Memorialization and Personal Struggles of Atomic Bomb Survivors
This paragraph focuses on the efforts to honor and remember the victims of the atomic bombings, from the establishment of the Atomic Bomb Memorial Mound to the Peace Park. It recounts personal stories of survivors and their families, who had to endure the harrowing experience of identifying and cremating their loved ones amidst the chaos. The narrative also corrects misconceptions about the shadows left on sidewalks, explaining the true cause as a result of the intense light and heat of the blast. Furthermore, it details the immediate aftermath, emphasizing the pleas for water by burn victims and the tragic outcomes that ensued, as well as the high mortality rates and types of burns suffered by those in proximity to the epicenter.
🤕 Long-Term Health Effects and the Psychological Burden on Survivors
The paragraph examines the long-term health effects faced by survivors of the atomic bombings, including high incidences of cancer, leukemia, and other illnesses such as anemia, tumors, and thyroid issues. It also addresses the psychological impact, with some survivors grappling with mental health issues like survivors' guilt and the trauma of witnessing loved ones suffer. The narrative highlights less commonly known conditions, such as skin growing scabs or glass, and the development of keloids that impede daily activities. Additionally, it underscores the importance of mental health care for survivors, as evidenced by the increased risk of suicide and the profound emotional struggles that persisted for decades after the bombings.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Atomic Bomb
💡Death Toll
💡Radiation Poisoning
💡Cremation
💡Manhattan Project
💡Specimens
💡Survivors
💡Epidemiology
💡Memorial Mound
💡Flash Burns
💡Mental Health
Highlights
The death tolls of the bombings at Hiroshima and Nagasaki are often cited between 110,000 and 210,000, with scientific estimates ranging from 90,000 to 120,000 for Hiroshima and 60,000 to 70,000 for Nagasaki.
Population records were unreliable post-bombing, leading to uncertainty in the exact number of casualties.
Many victims were instantly turned to dust and ash, or their remains were washed out to sea, complicating body counts.
Col. Stafford Warren testified to Congress about the difficulty in providing definitive death toll figures due to the chaos.
Nagasaki's official records listed 40,000 bodies cremated, with an estimated additional 20-30,000 bodies unaccounted for.
Mass cremations took place in vacant lots, desensitizing locals to the scale of death.
The first person officially listed to have died from radiation poisoning was actress Midori Naka.
American medical professionals collected and studied body parts and specimens from victims, leading to ethical concerns and mislabeling.
The American Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission faced criticism for their handling of victims' remains and data.
Japan received the return of around 23,000 items including organs and body parts in 1973, sparking further study.
Health studies of survivors revealed high rates of cancer, leukemia, and other illnesses, along with psychological impacts.
The Atomic Bomb Memorial Mound in Hiroshima holds the ashes of 70,000 unclaimed or unidentified victims.
Survivors and their families faced unique health conditions, such as glass growing from the skin and keloid scars.
Mental health care was identified as crucial for survivors, with studies showing increased suicide risk.
The Manhattan Engineer District report detailed the causes of death, with burns and falling debris being the primary factors.
The report also differentiated between flash burns and flame burns, explaining the severity and progression of injuries.
Shadows etched on sidewalks are not shadows of vaporized people but areas protected from the blast, with everything else bleached.
Survivors' accounts often mention the desperate need for water and the tragic outcomes of those who drank it.
Drinking water could lead to more blood loss in severely wounded individuals, potentially hastening death.
Transcripts
Unknown deaths, bodies turned into specimens, and water being a death
sentence. The bodies at Hiroshima and Nagasaki went through so much more than you think.
There are a ton of numbers that are thrown out there when it comes to the death tolls
of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. "A short time ago, an American airplane
dropped one bomb on Hiroshima and destroyed its usefulness to the enemy."
The most oft-cited are between 110,000
and 210,000 for the two cities combined. Science says the Hiroshima bombing claimed between
90,000 and 120,000 lives, while Nagasaki suffered between 60,000 and 70,000 deaths.
In 1946, the Manhattan Project's Chief Medical Officer, Col. Stafford Warren,
testified before Congress and explained that population records were iffy. No one knew
who had died or simply fled in the chaos. He summed up his investigation like this:
"I am embarrassed by the fact [...] that we could not come back with any
definitive figures that I would be able to say were more than a guess."
In her book, Suffering Made Real: American Science and the Survivors at Hiroshima, University of
Pennsylvania sociologist Susan Lindee writes that, when it came time to count how many had died,
many were simply gone. Scores of people who were at the epicenter of the blast had been instantly
turned to dust and ash and scattered on the wind. Others had headed to the rivers to try to stop
the burning and the pain, and when they died there, their remains were carried out to sea.
When Col. Warren gave his statement to Congress in 1946, he said that there was only one concrete-ish
number that he could attest to after months of study. Nagasaki's official records listed 40,000
bodies that had been cremated. Warren suggested that another 20-30,000 bodies had been unrecovered
for various reasons, with many cremated by the uncontrolled, raging fires that swept through the
city in the aftermath of the blast. Others were permanently buried by debris and destruction.
Masako Wada was still a toddler when the bomb was dropped on Nagasaki,
and recalled that beside their home was a vacant lot used for mass cremations.
In an article published by the Union of Concerned Scientists, she recalled,
"The corpses were cremated day and night. [My mother] became desensitized to the
smell and the sheer number of people in front of her eyes. She said that
everybody became numb to what was happening. What is human dignity?"
"Should human beings be treated like that? We are not created to be burned like garbage."
Bones and ash littered cremation sites for weeks after the burning stopped.
There were those who died instantly, and there were also those who languished in
brief agony. These included actress Midori Naka,
the first person to have her cause of death officially listed as radiation poisoning.
Naka — who was rescued from the remains of a destroyed building — survived the
initial blast on August 6. By August 16, she was in the hospital with open sores,
hair loss, and a rapidly dropping white blood count. On August 24, she was dead.
Naka became the first of many radiation victims autopsied by
the Japanese government in an attempt to learn more about radiation sickness
and hopefully treat survivors. But here's where it gets worse.
American medical professionals showed up at the end of September,
and although the two nations initially worked together, all the material became
mixed up. Body parts and glass jars of "wet specimens" were collected and sent back to
the U.S., but names were changed to case numbers, organs were sliced and studied,
identities disappeared when shipments were mislabeled and shuffled. By the early 1950s,
no one could tell if the specimens had come from the same person. The American Atomic Bomb
Casualty Commission, set up to study survivors, continued to collect body parts for years.
"We were used as guinea pig twice. First as a target. Second as object of medical research."
The American Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission were viewed as body-snatchers,
with one man — Association of Atomic Victims founder Kiyoshi
Kikkawa — calling the organization a "corpse-production facility."
"You now have an American scientific institution,
which is funded by the Atomic Energy Commission, which is operating in a foreign country."
It wasn't until 1955 that the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology was opened, with the
goal of consolidating the remains collected from the bomb victims. Record-keeping was iffy
at best. Japan was outraged and started calling for the remains to be returned.
That didn't happen until May, 1973, when Japan received seven massive crates filled with photos,
pieces of clothing, even organs, brains, and eyes preserved in formaldehyde. All told, there were
around 23,000 such items returned. University of Pennsylvania's Susan Lindee writes that,
"The body parts appeared in Japan as both national property and crucial scientific data.
Japanese pathologists were just as eager to study, slice, and display these pieces of human bodies.”
"Among the findings over the years: thyroid cancer and leukemia are the
first to strike. Solid cancers come 10 to 30 years later."
In 1946, an unnamed man appealed to the mayor of Hiroshima asking for the construction of a
space that would be used to honor those who died in the bombing. This became the Atomic
Bomb Memorial Mound, a 16-ton dome of earth topped by a small pagoda.
It stands on the site of a former Buddhist temple that served as a makeshift crematorium in the
aftermath of the bombs. Today, the ashes of 70,000 people rest within the mound's underground vault,
along with the remains of many who were discovered in the months of cleanup that
followed. That includes the remains of 12 American soldiers who had been shot down over Japan,
taken to Hiroshima for questioning, and were being held there when the bomb dropped.
"Where the bomb fell is a Peace Park."
The City of Hiroshima says that all of those 70,000 people were unclaimed, most often because
entire families perished. Others are unidentified, although DNA testing has led to the identification
of some of the remains. Occasionally, more people are interred there: In 2004, 85 sets of remains
were discovered on Ninoshima Island, and were given a final resting place in the Memorial Mound.
Even as scores of people flocked to the cities to care for the dead and the dying,
some families were left to their own devices when it came to seeing their loved ones die,
then giving them a proper final resting place.
Yoshiro Yamawaki was 11 years old when he survived the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, and told Time:
"One incident I will never forget is cremating my father."
He and his brothers found their father dead at a nearby factory,
and, laying his nearly unrecognizable body down, they attempted a cremation.
"You have many nightmares about that."
After the fire had gone out, he wasn't entirely cremated. In an
attempt to give his spirit peace, the brothers decided to observe
an old funeral tradition where bone was passed around with chopsticks:
"As soon as our chopsticks touched the surface, however, the skull cracked open like plaster
and his half cremated brain spilled out. My brothers and I screamed and ran away,
leaving our father behind. We abandoned him, in the worst state possible."
Some of the most infamous images of the aftermath of the dropping of the atomic
bomb are the shadows etched on sidewalks and pavement around the cities. They're
often said to be the shadows created as people were vaporized in their last moments on earth.
But, according to Dr. Michael Hartshorne of the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History
and the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, they’re something else entirely.
The dark spots are places that were protected from the heat and light of the intense blast because it
was absorbed by the people who had been standing there. It isn't the darkened "shadows" that were
changed by the bomb; it was everything else around it, which was bleached in the light of the blast.
Hartshorne says that there were probably a lot more of the horrific images created in the
aftermath of the blast, as everybody absorbed the energy of the blast and shielded whatever
was behind them. But most were destroyed in the following shockwaves, fires, and heat blasts.
"The skeleton of a single building bears witness to what happened here."
Accounts of the immediate aftermath of the dropping of the atomic bomb are as varied
as the lives of those who tell them. Still, read enough of them, and something stands out:
stories of people crying out for water, and dying after taking just a sip.
"People were burned. Suffering and ask – you know, begging for a drink of water."
Rikuko Sasaki told of seeing people go to the rivers on Mount Hijiyama,
holding out their hands and asking for water. Someone told her that if they were given any,
they would die. Her neighbor died anyway.
Inosuke Hayasaki told of walking away from Nagasaki and passing countless burn victims,
all pleading for water. Knowing many had only a brief time left to live,
he started bringing water to the victims from a nearby rice paddy. Among them was his friend,
Yamada. In an interview with Time, he remembered,
"I placed my hand on his chest. His skin slid right off, exposing his flesh. I was mortified.
'Water [...]' he murmured. I wrang the water over his mouth. Five minutes later, he was dead."
He lived with the burden of not knowing if, in his attempt at mercy, he had killed him. Did he? No,
not necessarily. According to Dr. Hiroo Dohy of the Hiroshima Red Cross Hospital
and Atomic Bomb Survivors Hospital , drinking water could lead to more blood
loss in severely wounded people. But at that point, they were likely dying anyway.
In 1946, the Manhattan Engineer District compiled a report of all that was known about the aftermath
of the atomic bomb. They determined that in the case of immediate deaths, only about 7%
were caused by radiation. In fact, casualties from radiation were restricted to the immediate blast
radius, while severe burns caused mass casualties as far away from the epicenter as 2.6 miles.
The report found that there was a shocking 93% mortality
rate for those who were within 1,000 feet of the epicenter of the bomb,
and that didn't drop below 50% until they started looking at casualties at around 5,000 feet.
They also estimated that 60% of the deaths from Hiroshima were caused by burns, with 30% caused by
falling debris. At Nagasaki, however, that jumped to a whopping 95% of deaths caused by burns.
They clarified further that there were two different kinds of burns:
flash burns and flame burns. Flame burns were caused by fire. Flash burns were much
more devious, starting as reddened skin and worsening over the next few hours.
The exposure of a flash burn is a few thousandths of a second,
and although any kind of shielding would prevent them, even some kinds of clothing,
these were the burns that charred telephone poles, destroyed granite surfaces, and boiled roof tiles.
Various organizations have tracked the health of survivors since the atomic bombs were dropped,
and their findings have been dismal. Science reports high instances of illnesses like
cancer and leukemia, with survivors suffering from a myriad of other issues like anemia,
tumors, thyroid issues, and miscarriages — along with struggles like survivors' guilt.
While those are generally well-known, there are less frequent but no less heartbreaking
conditions that some survivors and their families have faced. Yasujiro Tanaka told Time that not
only did he lose most of his hearing, but his skin continues to grow random scabs.
His sister's kidney issues make dialysis a thrice-weekly process,
and about ten years after the bombing,
glass began growing out of his mother's skin where it had been embedded by the blast.
Fujio Torikoshi lives with a thick scar called a keloid on his neck, and he's not alone. Some
survivors have developed so much scar tissue that they struggle to perform basic tasks.
A study published in the journal Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences looked at suicide risk
among survivors, and determined that mental health care was as important as
physical care. Sachiko Matsuo's father died horribly in the aftermath of the bomb. And
it was 50 years before he appeared to her in her dreams. She told Time that,
"He was wearing a kimono and smiling, ever so slightly. Although we did not exchange words,
I knew at that moment that he was safe in heaven."
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