It is difficult to put into words how I feel after our visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. It was both saddening and inspiring to learn about the effects of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima. The courage that the people of Hiroshima displayed after the atomic bomb destroyed their community, especially the children, is inspirational. We had an interpreter for the day who walked us around the park (another UNESCO World Heritage Site) and gave us a plethora of information. Ten minutes into our tour, Ms. Gannon and I realized we needed to start taking notes!
2R, do you remember when we read the story, Sadako, about the girl who contracted leukemia because of the radiation? We visited the Children’s Peace Monument, where Sadako Saskai’s statue is. It is surrounded by hundreds of thousands paper cranes, and we added the 1,000 cranes that the Lawrence School community made. It is amazing to think about how children all around the world honor the citizens of Hiroshima by making thousands of paper cranes like Sadako did.
We also saw the Cenotaph for the A-Bomb Victims where there are hundreds of books, which hold the names of the deceased. We placed a beautiful bouquet of flowers at the Cenotaph to show our love and respect for the Hiroshima community. Nearby, is the Flame of Peace, which will be put out when there are no more nuclear weapons in our world.
Next, we rang the Peace Bell, and saw the A-Bomb Dome, which is the skeletal ruins of the former Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall. It was the building that was closest to the hypocenter that partially remained intact. Originally, there was a debate about whether to keep the dome. Some feared it would be a devastating reminder of the destruction and evil, while others felt it would be a way to remember and honor those who had died. It ended up being the children of Hiroshima who convinced the mayor to maintain the structure.
After visiting the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, we were able to sit down with a survivor of the atomic bomb. Only 1% of survivors are willing to share their stories, so Ms. Gannon and I felt very privileged to have an intimate conversation with her. Her final words were a message she wanted us to send along to the students of Lawrence school:
1. Do something to contribute peace to our world.
2. Enjoy life.