Mr. Land is our librarian’s father. He is a retired navy pilot, who was transferred to Japan in 1958. He told us the eye witness reports of three people who had seen the atomic explosion: a maid, a man named Dr. Slato, and Reverend Tocomono. All were near enough to see the bomb and feel its affects.

The maid was with a baby on an island, close to Hiroshima. They saw an airplane, and the next thing that seemed to happen was a great flash in the sky. There was also a great deal of heat. After that, the maid did not go to Hiroshima for five years.

Dr. Slato ran a big hospital along a river. Dr. Slato’s home was also near Hiroshima, between the hills. He heard the explosion and saw the flash, but he didn’t feel the heat. He was not hurt from radiation either, because the radiation did not come between the hills. Eventually, it did move up them. He went to Hiroshima right away to treat the sick people. He also went to the rivers and began treatment to the people there.

Reverend Tocomono was a Christian preacher who lived around two miles north of Hiroshima. He was lucky, for his entire family survived. He arranged to bring six young girls to Atlanta to have treatment for their burns. Reverend Tocomono rebuilt his church and it is still in Hiroshima today.

We want to thank Mr. Land for teaching us more about Hiroshima’s part in World War II.