Junji Sarashina was 16 years old when the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The now 94-year-old was one of the survivors who shared their stories at the Shadow For Peace: The Hiroshima & Nagasaki Experience Speaker Forum on Thursday.
He told KNX News’ Craig Fiegener he was only a couple miles away when the bomb dropped.
"The bomb was dropped but that was fortunately two miles away from the Hypocenter...somehow survive but witness all the tragedy, death and miserable thing," he recalled. "And I've seen maybe 5000 dead or wounded people."
He shared his story with the young cast of “Peace On Your Wings,” a musical happening at the Aratani Theater in downtown L.A. that tells the story of a young girl living in post-war Hiroshima.
When asked if then-President Harry Truman did the right thing, Sarashina responded, “It’s hard to say. But when you see 5,000 dead people, what can you say?”
“In other words, no one should be using nuclear weapons in the future,” he said.
Aug. 6 and 9th mark 78 years since the bombings of the Japanese cities.
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