Remembering Hiroshima
Sixty years ago the world was changed forever when America dropped two nuclear bombs on Japan in the closing days of WWII. The first target was Hiroshima at 8.15am on 6 August 1945, when a US B-29 bomber, the Enola Gay, dropped an atomic bomb euphemistically called 'Little Boy' on that unlucky city.
Little Boy exploded 580 metres above the unsuspecting residents creating a gigantic fireball. Eye witness accounts report how the fireball expanded rapidly in all directions, accompanied by shock waves, and the release of vast amounts of heat, light and radiation. In a matter of seconds, tens of thousands of people and animals were vapourised, while city buildings and other structures were melted and twisted beyond recognition. On a clear summer day a 400-year old city was blown to smithereens, by the use of a weapon of mass destruction.
Hiroshima was not a military target of any consequence, just a medium sized city of 350,000 residents. Many of those not killed by the impact of Little Boy died in the following months from the agonizing effects of radiation, while many others were left scarred, traumatised and maimed for life. By the end of 1945, 140,000 of Hiroshima's residents were dead.
The second city to be bombed, on 9 August, was Nagasaki. For this target a different type of nuclear bomb, called 'Fat Man' was delivered with similar devastating effects. By the end of 1945, 74,000 residents of Nagasaki were dead.
At the time Albert Einstein argued that using such bombs against a civilian population was nothing short of a war crime, yet no American has be brought to account for such inhumane acts.
It was widely believed that using the atomic bomb ended the war with Japan. However, as subsequent material has revealed, Japan was close to surrendering and, a contributing, if not the major factor in the decision, was so the US could demonstrate its military superiority over the Soviet Union.
Has humanity learnt any lessons from the use of such weapons of mass destruction? This is hard to answer in the affirmative, but fortunately no nuclear weapons have been used since 1945. Yet nothing has prevented many nations from having or wanting to have, far more deadly nuclear devices than those used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Perhaps if armament producers and buyers, politicians and any others who profit from, or advocate war, were required to visit these cities to experience the effects of nuclear weapons, more sane and humane policies might be initiated. Let's keep remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and working towards a better future.
