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63 years ago, there was no bell, no siren, just hell.

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posted on Aug, 11 2008 @ 12:53 AM
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Unknown to many, a few days ago marked the anniversary of Atomic Warfare. It has become another day on the calender, full of days worth noting. I believed this day to be the most significant day of our times, so i thought it was worth my time, and money to go be in it.

63 years ago, there was no bell, no siren, just hell.
As people clapped and applauded, a weapon of utter hell was screaming towards them.

Many thought a plane was shot down, and the pilot was ejecting,
Unknown to all that were watching it, unknown to those that dropped it, this would be the most pivotal moment in human history.

600m, above Shima Surgical Clinic at precisley 8:15am


i200.photobucket.com...

the devil was again seen on earth and forced upon man.

In around 3 seconds, 70,000 people were killed, and a city was reduced to ashes.

I have just returned from a lightning trip through Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and would like to share some photos of the anniversary, and compare modern day, to the time of the bombing. Some little known facts not many people know about were learned, so id like to share them with you.

All photos taken are my own images, accept for ones that are black/white and obviously from military records. All images have been reduced to fit ATS screens, If anyone would like a full size image, feel free to ask.
I will be uploading them to photo bucket and providing links shortly.


I enjoy larger images personally, seeing every nick, crack and scratch on something really shows the truth behind the image.

This is a watch found amongst the ruins. The shockwave from the blast instantly rendered it dead, it’s a very scary reminder of the precise moment everything stopped dead in its tracks that day.


i200.photobucket.com...
i200.photobucket.com...




The Blast produced a fireball 600m above the ground, roughly 400m in diameter, it levelled Hiroshima in an instant.

Glass bottles were contorted and melted into freakish shapes


Rock and tiles fused with glass


Rice in a lunch box instantly carbonized


And this metal bike was melted like taffy. Imagine if you will, if it can fuse rock and melt metal, what It can do to flesh? What then, happened to the young child that was sitting on this bike?


The dome, the most identified monument to atomic history stands out amongst this bustling metropolis,

It was situated between the aiming point, ( The T shaped bridge )




and ground zero.








The rubble from the dome has been left untouched and guarded.
You cannot get within arms length to touch it or take it, its surrounded by a laser field alarm system






After the bomb hit, the extreme heat and flames lead the survivors to immediately seek out water.
Many, unaware of their own fatal wounds, struggled across the banks and into the river at the base of the dome



One survivor says,

‘’ the river was so full of bodies, a dam built up, a damn of dead bodies ‘’

These are the shores, to which many Japanese perished





The person closest to the bomb, to survive, was lucky enough to be in the basement, of this building:


Imagine, walking downstairs, hearing something like never before, returning upstairs to find everything you ever knew, in total ruins.




This was an interesting place, its not marked on the maps, or signposted. I knew of the basement and was curious as to where it was. I asked the lady at a counter, she said
‘’ how do you know of the basement, ‘’
I simply said id read about it

‘She gave me a piece of paper and said I had to sign it, with my details

I assumed by her reaction, it was a insurance policy, saying they weren’t responsible for anything that happens.

This didn’t phase me, neither did the safety helmet she made me wear.
What worried me was when she refused to come down with me, simply saying I had to go down alone, and let her know when I was finished.

Its been preserved in the way it was on that day, there’s cracks in the walls, rusted pipes and its got quite a distinct smell.

After the bomb, survivors who could carry themselves made to makeshift hospitals, like this one located at a school. The survivors wrote notes on the wall, telling loved ones they were ok, who died and where they’d be.
After years of renovations, builders discovered the writings behind plaster,




Many people who never knew what happened came to these walls in the past 10 years, seeing their loved ones writings… imagine not knowing where you sister was and never seeing her again, only to learn she was alive on the other side of town being treated.

After the bomb had devastated Hiroshima, something far more evil was about to come to the city.
Survivors laying in masses in makeshift hospitals, on the roads, corpses strewn across streets… begging for water, had their prayers answered.

The heavens opened up, and a downpour occurred.

Little known to the survivors, this water was black rain. Highly radioactive soot and debris coming down to the earth in a cocktail.
Masses poured into the streets to drink the water, being burnt to a crisp and with fire raging, who could blame them.
Those who drank, died a horrible death.

These are photos of a wall covering that kept the memory of black rain




This shirt, worn by a women, was found on her corpse.
She was caught out in the rain


the consequences, of quenching your thirst





After a day of memories, I felt it was time to turn to the main reason I trekked to Hiroshima, the Peace ceremony..


The First thing you encounter, when entering peace park from the TRAM is the obvious nature of this festival



Banners hang everywhere, with the same meaning, NO MORE NUKES, NO MORE WAR!




Flowers line the sideways



and people line the streets



The ceremony was held at 8:00am – 9:00am
At 8:15am, the bells rang. A silence broke out.
Its impossible to close your eyes and replay that day 64 years ago, but everyone tried.
Some cried!



Upon walking laps around the sites, your confronted with petitions, writings, paintings… If you don’t want to, you don’t have to, not a bad word is said or a look given.
But, I chose to stop at every petition, every offering, every person who approached me to talk



In this particular writing, your asked to give your opinion on the current attempts at abolishing nuclear weapons.

The question, aren’t like other petitions, they make you think.

Will there be peace, if there are no nukes?
Will there every be no nukes?
Will another nuke be used?

I found it hard to be honest.

At night time, the people write messages on lanterns, and float them down the river, symbolic of all the souls that died.

I snapped this picture of a boy, putting in one of the first lanterns,







This continued through until the AM



posted on Aug, 11 2008 @ 12:55 AM
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I found myself a nice little spot, next to a bridge. A sort of over hang.
No one else could see it, if you jumped a hedge row, and climbed down it was a perfect little ledge, grass covered.

It had an ideal view of the dome, the river and the lanterns.
I placed my bag as a pillow, laid down and stared at the dome.
Trying to find a place in my mind for what it meant.
All of a sudden a flash?... a lightning storm started.
Directly behind the dome.
Over the next 20 minutes I watched as brilliant flashes of lightning filled the sky over the dome.
It was the most memorable moment of the trip. My camera held out for one last photo of the anniversary I had so long sought after





to remember the past is to commit oneself to the future... and to remember Hiroshima is to commit oneself to peace.


Pope John Paul II



posted on Aug, 11 2008 @ 01:03 AM
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Very good thread.


I really enjoyed the pictures and the narration. In these troubled times, it's good to think these thoughts, hard as they are. Only if we remember, can we be sure to not let this come again.

Thank you



posted on Aug, 11 2008 @ 01:09 AM
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Originally posted by NGC2736
Very good thread.


I really enjoyed the pictures and the narration. In these troubled times, it's good to think these thoughts, hard as they are. Only if we remember, can we be sure to not let this come again.

Thank you


Yet with all of the insanity going on right now, it feels as though we are closer to repeating this than ever. Scary times and a painful reminder what mankind is capable of.

Good thread OP.



posted on Aug, 11 2008 @ 01:22 AM
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Simply amazing, your photos and narration are great. Thank you for sharing these with us. But one question? Why did you block out your face? Not that it really matters. Thanks for sharing!



posted on Aug, 11 2008 @ 01:47 AM
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I wasn't even born when those bombs were dropped. My dad was with the Army stationed in Iraq at the time, so at least I'm glad he wasn't directly involved in the event.

However, I've seen video documentaries of nuke tests (long after they'd been declassified, of course). I've heard about the effects of those tests on the "volunteer" soldiers that were attending.

Yes, peace is the only answer if we're to evolve ourselves socially into a world of brothers & sisters. Knowing of the atrocities being committed by the US government even today, a reminder such as this strengthens my resolve to do what I can to see peace finally reign.

Thanks for the reminder...



posted on Aug, 11 2008 @ 02:23 AM
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At the time, my grandfather, a prisoner of war, was working in a coal mine there in Japan. I spoke with my father about this recently, and I learned something new about my grandfather I never knew. He's been gone for over 20 years now, so I never really got to know him. I've been to the Philippines and saw Bataan and other places he was held.

However, upon speaking with my father about his imprisonment I learned that he was outside of the mine at the time this was dropped. Him and his fellow prisoners thought the world was ending. Could see the flash and the cloud in the distance, could feel the shake of the ground. Apparently this was from a good distance as well, but close enough to scare them all.

To hear the second hand account from my father about it scares me quite a bit. Even from such a far distance I can't even begin to imagine what my grandfather felt that day.

To see these pictures of the damage at ground zero, to learn a bit more than I ever knew, humbles me and saddens me. I must say that your pictures, and your words really put things at another level for me. I must say, very well written, to see it through your eyes has touched me. Thank you for that.



posted on Aug, 11 2008 @ 03:00 AM
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Originally posted by MidnightDStroyer
Yes, peace is the only answer


Saying peace is the only answer is like saying if everyone was a trillionaire, there would be no poverty.

Its just NEVER going to happen...

Equilibrium is, at best, what we can expect, perhaps in a few more hundred years...



posted on Aug, 11 2008 @ 03:05 AM
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Isn't it amazing what humans can do to each other. This was a dark, if not the darkest moment in human history...to date. Feel like i have to add the 'Too date' part in there since we know the current leaders will do any.

sad



posted on Aug, 11 2008 @ 04:23 AM
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Very interesting in a very presentable form. Thanks for taking the effort to share it with fellow ATS members



posted on Aug, 11 2008 @ 04:30 AM
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Originally posted by ProTo Fire Fox
Isn't it amazing what humans can do to each other. This was a dark, if not the darkest moment in human history...to date. Feel like i have to add the 'Too date' part in there since we know the current leaders will do any.

sad


Sad is the only right word.

I remember an interview with some guy who claims to be in touch with aliens who are telling him people should unite, rather than fighting each other? Why cannot we simply treat each other with respect in a way we would like to be treated ourselves?

Can you imagine a world in which we would live peacefully instead of killing each other on a daily basis? I have been on this earth for almost 22 years now and since the day I was born there have been so many conflicts such as two Gulf Wars, the Balkan wars, The Balkan and Darfur genocides, the never-ending conflict between Israel and Palestine, the war between Lebanon and Israel, two wars in Afghanistan, the war in Chechnya, the war with Georgia now and I am sure I forgot to mention plenty of others.

I am no believer of the end of times in 2012, instead I hope that the world will be a better place by then.



posted on Aug, 11 2008 @ 05:22 AM
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Amazing thread, thanks for sharing all this material.



posted on Aug, 11 2008 @ 05:44 AM
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Beautiful thread - much respect to the OP for his treatment of the topic. s&f



This moment in our history was a culmination of man's collective psyche at the time.

So bombarded had they been with death and war that a manifestation such as this came to be.


A focus on love, respect and compassion for ALL should be the point of this thread.

Lest an event such as this occur again.


Never forget we are all one



posted on Aug, 11 2008 @ 05:58 AM
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Excellant thread - very educational - Loved the photos and narration. Thanks, OP.

My heart breaks thinking how close we could be once again to unleashing this kind of hell on earth - Will we ever learn from history?



posted on Aug, 11 2008 @ 06:13 AM
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Thanks for sharing your tale, and your personal photos. It must have been quite an experience.

Although the timepieces are quite poignant, for me, I can't ever think of Hiroshima without remembering the shadows...





...burnt into buildings, and the concrete itself. Truly frightening.

[edit on 8/11/08 by redmage]



posted on Aug, 11 2008 @ 06:14 AM
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Exelent Thread.

Amazing photos...


Lets just hope NEVER AGAIN, NEVER AGAIN a nuke is used...

EVER...

ever again...



posted on Aug, 11 2008 @ 06:26 AM
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Op...awesome post thank you.
a supposed photo of Hiroshima after the blast. but I must say that all of the photos and videos of nukes I've ever seen look like model photography...anyway peace



posted on Aug, 11 2008 @ 06:34 AM
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Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us!

We should never forget and never repeat the same mistake.

Peace to you all.



posted on Aug, 11 2008 @ 07:24 AM
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reply to post by Agit8dChop
 


Very good thread OP. It is very moving, a very powerful reminder of the horrors our species can create.

Someone up a few posts said that peace isnt possible that we can only hope to expect balance. To that I say you are wrong through balance there is peace. Yes we can never eliminate the bad in life but through balance we can limit the bad to a small argument amongst friends or family. Through balance we will never see the horrors of war, the only logical road to peace is through balance.

The universe is made up of a balance its always going to have good and
bad. With out peace there is only chaos and the universe would destroy itself, without chaos there would only be peace and the universe would be stagnant.

[edit on 11-8-2008 by caballero]



posted on Aug, 11 2008 @ 07:50 AM
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I was there last year, the museum is amazing and horrifying at the same time.

Funny thing I noticed, in their giant memorial museum with all their talk about the terrible things that happened, Nagasaki, that got hit by the larger bomb, was basically a footnote, amounting to one paragraph saying 'on such and such a day, Nagasaki was bombed, and now back to our tragedy'. I can understand it, but at the same time felt it strange. Didn;t visit Nagasaki so I don;t know if there's a similar but reversed view over there...




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