Survivor discusses effect of atomic bomb

About 75 people listened, occasionally gasping in horror, as a survivor of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima described the effects of the nuclear attack during a discussion Friday night at the Community of Christ Temple in Independence.

Yoshiko Kajimoto, now 77, described how victims of the attack, many of them school children, struggled to survive, usually in vain. Kajimoto described, in detail, the effects of the attack on her cousin, who died soon after the bombing, his flesh burned so severely that his organs were exposed. She described how her uncle, who went looking for his son soon after the bombing, couldn’t even recognize him, but had to instead rely on his voice and what was left of his school uniform. Kajimoto, who spoke through an interpreter, said, the only human-looking remnant of the boy was a little bit of hair on the top of his head that was preserved by a hat he was wearing during the attack. His eyes, ears, nose and mouth were all melted, she said.

“He no longer looked human,” Kajimoto said.

The talk was sponsored by Peace Works of Kansas City and the Community of Christ, which professes an ongoing commitment to peace. The panel discussion was held in conjunction with the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Photo Exhibition. The free exhibit, presented by the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, will continue through Sept. 14 at the Temple.

The events are intended to raise awareness and prevent another nuclear attack, said Steve Leeper, chairman of the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation. The events are part of a tour in which survivors and others will share information about the effects of nuclear war and the importance of securing against another attack. The hope is to mobilize citizens in a grass-roots effort to spread awareness of the possibility of future attacks and how important it is for leaders to take action to prevent the future use of nuclear weapons.

Many citizens don’t realize that today’s nuclear weapons are 100,000 more powerful than the bomb that exploded in Japan, said Henry M. Stoever, an attorney who also is a member of Peace Works Kansas City.

“The atomic bomb was in the infant stages of development (when dropped),” Stoever said during an interview before the panel discussion.

During the discussion, Leeper discussed the importance of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which is reviewed during a conference every five years, of which the next is scheduled for 2010.

“We need to outlaw nuclear weapons ... ” he said. “It’s only a matter of time before they’ll be used.”