Monday, August 09, 2010

I would not have been born.

My mother is originally from the southern island of Kyushu. She was born in 1936.

On August 9th, 1945, at the age of 8, she was in the city of Kokura. On that fateful day, a B-29 carrying the "Fat Man" atomic bomb flew to Kokura. As there were too many clouds over Kokura, they turned the bomber to Nagasaki instead, which was designated as the second target. At 11:02 a.m., the bomb was dropped to the city of Nagasaki, killings tens of thousands of people. Many of the victims were innocent civilians, including many children, just like my mother.

If the clouds were less dense on that day over Kokura, my mother would have been victim to the cruel bomb. She would have not grown up to meet my father and marry. I would not have been born.

4 comments:

Inferno said...

On the Atomic Bomb Memorial Days I always think about plants and animals, as well as people, that vanished from the land and water.
I think all the list requires making.

When I first went to Maruki Gallary, following the route, I restrained my tears with difficulty. But the moment cats and other dumb creatures suffering from the heat came into my view, tears welled up suddenly.
" What creature are we? Sorry, sorry... "
I continue having the question.

ichi said...

I think we have to use our imagination to the full.
We have to imagine and feel that hell.

Anonymous said...

My grand mother used to told me the scene.
Just today of 65Years ago, she saw the mushroom cloud in ISAHAYA city, wondering "what the hell is that!?"
Few days later, she went back to Nanasaki city, and helped wiping out maggots on her friends burned body, crying...
Now I can't get any more information about the tragedy, because of her senile dementia.
Now I believe the fact, even if it
is conflicting other facts justifying the existence of the bomb, atomic bomb is the most horrific weapon.

Petrusa de Koker said...

Dear Ken
Always when I think of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, I am overcome with a feeling of anguish. The human race (of which, sadly, I am one) is very cruel.
Yesterday, a memorable concert performance was given in Cape Town by the New Apostolic Choir (read more: http://www.capetownpartnership.co.za/nagasaki-peace-concert/ ). (Unfortunately I was not part of this particular performance. I sang in this choir and with same conductor in a performance of Verdi's Requiem - about 2 years ago.) Listening to this music, one cannot get away from the absolute horror and devastation of these bombings.