Children of the Atomic Bomb
Michael Collins | Aug 26, 2009 | Comments 1
Dr. James Yamazaki and Dr. Bennett Ramberg
A Ph.D. in International Relations from the prestigious Johns Hopkins University’s School for Advanced International Studies, Ramberg is the author of a plethora of books and articles on nuclear issues. Most well-known for his classic treatment of the vulnerability of nuclear power plants to military attack and sabotage – Nuclear Power Plants as Weapons for the Enemy (University of California Press) – Ramberg has been on the faculty at Stanford, Princeton, and UCLA, consulted Congress on foreign policy, and worked in the State Department during the administration of George H.W. Bush. Over the last several years, Dr. Ramberg has become the country’s most published newspaper commentator on nuclear security issues, having authored dozens of Op-Eds in major papers in his attempt to turn the world away from another nuclear arms race.
After greetings and introductions from the museum’s President, Akemi Kikumura Yano, and PSR-LA board member, Dr. Jimmy Hara, Ramberg asked Yamazaki about his life, and the various experiences in the book. Dr. Yamazaki spoke of the human toll of nuclear warfare and the specific vulnerability of children to the effects of these weapons. The men discussed the brutal ironies of racial and cultural conflict, of war and sacrifice, and a portrait of events whose lessons remain difficult and troubling 64 years later.
When Ramberg opened the floor for questions and comments, none were more moving than those by Shigeru Nakayama, an actual survivor of the Hiroshima atomic bombing August 6, 1945. He was 17 at the time. Several physicians asked Yamazaki about the multi-generational effects of the bomb that continue to be discovered. And of course there is the inevitable question about whether or not the Japanese would have surrendered without the atomic bomb. Yamazaki says he doesn’t know – his primary concern is and has always been about the future, to make sure that nuclear weapons are never used again.
When I got to the microphone, I asked Jim where he was when he first heard of the bombing of Hiroshima August 5, 1945.
“I was in Ashville North Carolina with other returning POW’s,” Jim said. Yet even being these returning heroes, Yamazaki and other soldiers of the integrated 106th soldiers had to watch ‘how to be an American patriot’ films.
“The fellow servicemen he was resting in the mountains with were not Japanese-American,” said Schecter. “They were his buddies from his unit. They were being re-indoctrinated because they had been POWs, and the US was afraid they could have been brain-washed.”
When news of the atomic bombings and subsequent Allied victory over Japan were announced, Asheville practically shut itself down.
“They confined us to our rooms,” Dr. Yamazaki said, including the recollection that Asheville shut down all its bars in anticipation of American soldiers going on a rampage. “They thought we were going to tear the place up,” Jim said.
“The ruckus the authorities were afraid of was a celebration over the victory!” Schecter told me later. “Strange world, huh?”
Dr. James Yamazaki is a brave yet peaceful man. He fights so that all of us can never experience the horrors of nuclear war. He also has found the secret to long and loving life with Aki. I think that one reason we get along so well is I know that secret too. That secret is to love fiercely, fight fiercely and put people and planet first.
Gallery of “A Conversation with Dr. James Yamazaki”
Video of of Dr. James Yamazaki in his eyewitness account, compares the human casualties of the Battle of the Bulge (the biggest battle of World War II), with the human casualties of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Video trailer of the documentary, “Dr. James Yamazaki and the Children of the Atomic Bomb.”
Filed Under: Blog • EnviroReporter
My Father was a Royal Navy Signalman taken Prisoner when his ship was sunk in the Java Sea on 1st March 1942, He was Transported to Nagasaki in a POW camp named Fukuoka camp 2b in Nagasaki bay, on an island called Koyagi Shima which now does not exist as it has been land filled and is part of the mainland, the camp was named Fukuoka in a vain attempt to conceal its location as many other camps were.
My Father worked as a riveter at the Kawaminami docks which is now owned by mitsubishi Co.
He was there for 3yrs until the Day they dropped the A bomb, My father was in the camp at the time as he was injured at the docks and could not work. the camp was partially destroyed by the bomb and they all felt the hot wind and amazing explosion, they all thought the Ammo dump on the mainland had been hit.
My father survived the war but died in 1974 aged 52, he was never well at any time after the war.
He had 3 children and to date we have had several things wrong with all of us. My younger Brother (aged 43) has a long term uncureable illness he has so called MS of the SPINE and has had it for several years before he knew he had it, He also had in his early 20′s a tumour in his testical, which he overcame.
My father always suffered with his back and they said that he had Arthritis in his SPINE.
My Sister ( age 56) has had thyroid problems and had an operation some years ago, I did some research and found out that female Nuclear Power plant workers in the US have had problems with thyroid, the power plants were all Plutonium based, and the A bomb at nagasaki was Plutonium.
Myself, (aged 54) I have had no problems on the scale of my siblings, but I am infertile, I have had a daughter with iVF treatment and when they tested my samples they saw that so many sperm were already dead. I was very lucky and had my daughter, after 2 attempts with IVF.
We believe that all the conditions we have had are due to our Father passing this one biologically to us.
I went to my family doctor and had him write down my fathers past on my own Medical records and also my daughters so if anything else happens we at least have a clue as to why.
I had contacted the research centre in Nagasaki and they told me any tests they make on people would need to be Japanese citizens in fact they deny any knowledge of any POW camps in the area, which is ludicrous as there were many camps with thousands of workers. I also contacted the US partner of the centre but they are under the nagasaki and are powerless as they are a very junior partner, as I understand it.
As for the UK they do not care about any of this subject. What happened in Japan in 1945 does not interest them.
So are we just paranoid? or just talking nonsense?, are all of these things coincidence? well if anyone could convince anyone in authority or any experts in this field please do! as our attempts have failed. They did not care in 1945 and they do not care now.
Mr T