74 years ago, on August 6, an atomic bomb exploded above Hiroshima killing over 70,000 people in an instant. I was 9 days old. As a kid, I learned of this horrific event and saw the aftermath in pictures. Today I stood at the site of the explosion.
As Shelly and I approached the Peace Memorial Park the Genbaku Dome, or Atomic Bomb Dome, came into view. I was now seeing it for the first time in person, and I couldn’t contain my emotions. I had to sit on a bench.
After a few minutes, a Japanese woman came up to me and wanted to know if I was OK. I told her that I was, but “was very sad that this had happened and should never happen again. I am here to pay my respects.” She was so touched that she took my hands and held them for a minute while squeezing them gently. She didn’t have to say anything. It was an awesome “bridge” for our two cultures. I was then ready to ring the Peace Bell and view the rest of this special place.