Hiroshima Memorial Day, August 6th, 2016, in Bradford
August 6th 2016 was the 71st anniversary of the dropping of the Atomic Bomb by the Americans on the Japanese city of Hiroshima.
At 08.15 on 6th August 1945, a bright sunny day, the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, by one single American plane, killing instantly 100,000 people and fatally injuring at least 50,000 others. Many more died later of cancers caused by the radiation from the bomb. Most of the dead were innocent men, women and children.
The bombing of Hiroshima, and that of Nagasaki on 9 August , was sanctioned by the American President Truman. The reason given was that this would force the Japanese to surrender and so bring an end to the war. The truth is that the Japanese were already negotiating their surrender. The sticking point was that the Japanese wanted the role of the Emperor Hirohito to continue. Truman said no. After the bombing and the mass slaughter Truman said yes – Hirohito continued as Emperor.
It is almost certain that the Japanese surrendered not because of the atomic bombs but because the Red Army of the Soviet Union had started to invade Japan. The bombings achieved nothing other than mass slaughter. It was the start of the Cold War with America warning the Soviet Union of their nuclear superiority.
On the morning of 6th August 2016 a group of 60 people assembled at the Hiroshima Memorial in Norfolk Gardens, Bradford. There were Quakers, Peace Activists and members of other faith groups plus representatives of the Peace Museum . The Lord Mayor, Councillor Geoff Reid, read the statement from the Mayor of Hiroshima, which had been received that morning. Both Mayors form part of the International Organisation , “Mayors for Peace.” The Lady Mayoress, Mrs Chris Reid, laid flowers on the Hiroshima Memorial Plaque. Readings of poetry and texts appropriate to the occasion were heard, including a tribute from two Quakers from Christchurch, New Zealand, who compared the destruction of Hiroshima with that of the earthquake in Christchurch. This destruction was on a much smaller scale than Hiroshima but underlined the devastating effects on people’s lives.
We paraded through Bradford to the Peace Museum to see the exhibits there and to have refreshments.
In conclusion we assembled at the Bradford Quaker Meeting House to see an exhibition of posters from Japan graphically depicting the horrors and destruction of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The message from this memorial service must be NEVER AGAIN. Never again must this awful destruction of human life be permitted to happen, even knowing that Parliament has just voted £205 billion to replace our 4 Trident nuclear submarines, each one with 300 times the destructive power of the bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima. NEVER AGAIN.
Chris Butler, Bradford and District CND
