That was the A-bomb journey.
During times of peace and prosperity the human mind can be contemplative. In times of war it is an entirely different story. Looking back in history 70 years ago, humankind did a most horrific act. It dropped a WGD - weapon of generational destruction on our own kind.
America developed a nuclear weapon in Los Alamos, NM and dropped it on Japanese civilians in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. One cannot imagine the turmoil that faced Truman, the American president that made the call at the time. One cannot imagine the wrath faced by those that survived this devastation. One can only reflect.
This past year we took our daughter to the origin and the culmination point of these two events in history to see first hand what the human mind is capable of. While the science of fission and harvesting an amazing energy source could have limitless potential it also was responsible for a scale of destruction never before seen and likely never to be repeated.
Los Alamos today is a wonderful place to hike and marvel at nature amidst the New Mexico mountains and also offers visitors a chance to look at the development that was secretly conducted leading to the A-bomb.
Hiroshima in contrast is a riverside town with castles and shrines and a place known for local cuisine and culture. It sports the largest tram network in Japan. It is also the memorial city for the A-bomb and advocates for complete abolishment of nuclear weapons.
During times of peace and prosperity the human mind can be contemplative. In times of war it is an entirely different story. Looking back in history 70 years ago, humankind did a most horrific act. It dropped a WGD - weapon of generational destruction on our own kind.
America developed a nuclear weapon in Los Alamos, NM and dropped it on Japanese civilians in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. One cannot imagine the turmoil that faced Truman, the American president that made the call at the time. One cannot imagine the wrath faced by those that survived this devastation. One can only reflect.
This past year we took our daughter to the origin and the culmination point of these two events in history to see first hand what the human mind is capable of. While the science of fission and harvesting an amazing energy source could have limitless potential it also was responsible for a scale of destruction never before seen and likely never to be repeated.
Los Alamos today is a wonderful place to hike and marvel at nature amidst the New Mexico mountains and also offers visitors a chance to look at the development that was secretly conducted leading to the A-bomb.
'Fat Man' replica at the Science Museum - an implosion type bomb dropped on Nagasaki (the only other time a nuclear device was exploded over a civilian environment) |
Scenic Vista near Los Alamos, NM |
Hiroshima in contrast is a riverside town with castles and shrines and a place known for local cuisine and culture. It sports the largest tram network in Japan. It is also the memorial city for the A-bomb and advocates for complete abolishment of nuclear weapons.
Along the Ota River is Hiroshima, looking positively pristine with the cherry blossoms |
Tram car terminus - Hiroshima Station |
Comments
Post a Comment