20th Century Hiroshima: Surviving the Atomic Bomb - Essay Sample

Introduction

In the 20th century, the bombing of Hiroshima created life-threatening and deadly moments in history. According to Hooper (n.p), the United States, after the pearl harbor bombing, entertained numerous ideas of how to react and decided to drop a 9,700-pound atomic bomb in Hiroshima.

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I was a fourth-grader of a National School, which was situated 2 kilometers from the hypocenter. It was in 1945 when the U.S. attacked the city, and the state requested us to vacate to rural areas in teams. The government asked the tutors and students to evacuate schools because the bomb would kill everyone at the institute. However, my grandmother did not permit me to leave with other groups as she preferred to die with the entire family members.

The instructors of my school got mortified as they could not assign me a tutor. They advised me to go to the public school near Hiroshima University. Still, I finally decided to move to a National School as it was a few kilometers from my home. Thus this is the reason why I survived the atomic bombing on August 6th, 1945 (Hooper n.p). I was 3.6 kilometers from the hypocenter, walking towards a Shrine when the explosive dropped at 8:15 a.m. (Hooper n.p).

The school near my home allowed us to go to school past 9 a.m., and on that day, while walking to school, we were four people on the bridge when I slipped into the river, and fortunate I landed on the land softy most probably due to the presence of waterweed. The other three stood firmly on the bridge were they suffered severe burns and later on died. After the explosion, I noted it was dim beneath the mushroom cloud. I kept my fingers about 8 centimeters and tried to count them, but it was too dark inside the mushroom cloud. I sat on the river for almost one hour, where I finally regained my eyesight.

I walked up the river and saw an older man unsteadily approaching my way. Having looked at him carefully, I noticed he had severe burns and soaked into the blood. His hand was holding the stomach, which had a deep wound. We saw a crowd where the people were also injured and smeared oil on their blisters.

It must have been hurting as some of them cried loudly, but some were shocked and went silent as ghosts. Suddenly I heard a sound of bomber B-29 and thought I would be attacked again; thus, I ran away, leaving behind the poor man (History Editor n.p). All the injured and dead were burned and could not be recognized. The individuals who were outdoor scattered all over seeking help, while those who stayed indoors faced extreme heat and pressure, ending up dying. However, the damage continued as the released radiation from the bomb caused further suffering.

At that time, the most troubling thing was the inadequate water. I even drunk water from the pool of black rain after removing the top layer. People never thought about the impact of drinking the water, which contained radioactivity. I have experienced health problems for 69 years because I gulped the water. How dangerous it was to drink the water with radiation. The fish in the water ponds perished due to the contamination. The problem to the health has continued to persist, which comprise of three phases of late impacts: the emergence of leukemia the initial malignant illness. An intermediary stage evolved involving the progress of numerous types of cancer, and the final stage of lifetime cancer for the people who experienced the bombing during their childhood. The second wave of leukemia also emerged for the aging, causing psychological harm such as post-traumatic pressure disorder and depression. Thus, the atomic bombing caused us a lot of consequences during that period as many people died and still are dying of radiation-induced fatal illnesses.

A few days later, after the bombing of Hiroshima, the emergency response team were naturally dedicated to saving and rescuing lives. I reunified with my family five days after the explosion. Life became challenging as there was rationing of daily goods after the bombing. According to BBC (n.p), people did question the whereabouts of the burned urban constructed structures.

We had a limited amount of drugs, food, and clothes. Our ethics saw it is unjust to steal; however, I was determined to take food from people to sustain ourselves during that calamity. Most of the buildings had collapsed, and some individuals lived in houses that were up to scratch. Soon after the bombing, the National Sanyo Line Railway recommenced operations. Merchants were vending tickets in the wrecks of a fire. We could get change after we purchased the train tickets.

Besides, street children who their siblings and parents passed away during the disaster stole change and ran away before a client picked up the cash from the vendor. I assumed it reasonable as many people starved to death, and nobody cared for the street children as the individuals were facing challenges in raising their children. Thus the street children had to go hungry while others survived the suffering by illegal behavior. Individuals only consider ethics when they live a decent life. We lost the significance of ethics when every person thought of their ways of survival after the explosion. It essential for people to preserve ethics by not conducting war.

According to Hiroshima Insights (2013), after the bombing, Koi National School functioned as a first-aid post. The principal of the institute told his students to gather objects to act as firewood to cremate the bodies. Every person examined the corpses, which became enlarged and charred; hence it was difficult to differentiate between a male and a female.

Various individuals tried to recognize their members of the family by gold teeth. After some time, soldiers were sent to school, where they took the dead bodies away from tutorial rooms to the field and cremated the corpses. The soldiers wore a mask as the corpses released an unpleasant odor and could carry the dead body by stimulating themselves with a Japanese sake set in a large barrel.

Harry S Truman, the U.S President, wanted the Japanese to surrender to save the lives of the people. The atomic bomb was a lethal new firearm, and President Truman expected the enormous ruin instigated would tremor the Japanese into surrendering.

Emperor Hirohito proclaimed his nation’s surrender through broadcast on radio. The news spread rapidly, and the United States and other Allied countries celebrated for the victory. According to History Editors (n.p), on September 2nd, they signed a surrender agreement on-board the U.S battleship. I assume that the U.S. soldiers did not wish to die for battle, but their suffering brought the conflict to an end and resulting in peace. Thus, if people continue to uphold this peace, individuals who were murdered by the explosive would rest in serenity. Besides, street children who their siblings and parents passed away during the disaster stole change and ran away before a client picked up the cash from the vendor. I assumed it reasonable as many people starved to death, and nobody cared for the street children as the individuals were facing challenges in raising their children.

Works Cited

BBC. What happened in Hiroshima? 2009. Accessed 2020 May 21st https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/33733410

Hiroshima Insights. Koi National School, 2013. Accessed 2020 May 21st http://www.hiroshimapeacemedia.jp/?insight=20130321132214780_en-2

History.com Editors. Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, 2009. Accessed 2020 May 21st https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/bombing-of-hiroshima-and-nagasaki

Hooper Rowan. Revealed: What happened, physically, to the city of Hiroshima after the A-bomb? 2019. Accessed 2020 May 21st https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/06/20/national/science-health/revealed-happened-city-hiroshima-bomb/#.XsdLc2hKjIU