I survived Hiroshima: The world should turn away from nuclear weapons
Fitz: Ogura-san, thank you for making the time to speak about such a difficult thing. May I ask you what you remember of that terrible day?
KO: I was eight years old, just a girl, but that morning and the following days I remember clearly. So because of that, I want to convey what I have experienced. I lived in Hiroshima about one and a half miles from Ground Zero. That morning, my parents were in the house, and I was just outside.
Fitz: It was Monday, August 6, 1945, at 8.15 in the morning.
KO: All of my classmates went to school already. We didn't have summer vacation, and my classmates went to school, but my father stopped me. He said, 'You shouldn't go to school today.' The previous night over Hiroshima, American airplanes passed. We didn't see them, but we heard the whining. So because of that, my father was worrying there might be something today.
Fitz: And then what happened?
KO: All of a sudden, there was a flash, a blinding flash, and I couldn't see anything. And just after that, there was a blast – I was blown down by the strong wind. I felt like I was in the tornado or typhoon, and I was beaten on the road, and I became unconscious. And then I opened my eyes. I found that I was in the darkness, I couldn't see anything. I was in the tranquility. I mean, everything was so quiet. I found myself wondering what had happened. But then I opened my eyes and I could gradually see my neighbourhood. Everything was broken and then I couldn't understand why I was on the road by myself.
KO: At first, I couldn't understand which way to go, and then I heard somebody crying and realised it was my brother. Then I thought, maybe this is the way to go. And then I returned to my house and my house was broken and damaged. And then roof tiles were scattered around, and I saw my little brother bleeding from his head and crying. And at first, I couldn't understand. What? Why is that? What has happened? We couldn't understand.
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