thedrifter
02-02-09, 10:54 AM
Article published Feb 2, 2009
Veteran recalls Nagasaki after the atomic blast
On Aug. 9, 1945, an atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan, shortly before Marine and Wolfeboro resident Bob Jones was stationed in the city.
Nearly 65 years later, Jones recalled his experiences in Nagasaki before a crowd at the Wright Museum including stories of wartime fear and civilian welcoming.
"After the Bomb: A Personal Account of Nagasaki" was presented at the Wright Museum on Sunday, giving Jones' account of his experiences in the city after the bomb was dropped.
Jones was a member of the 2nd Marine Division who had previously fought in Guadalcanal and Guam before being sent to Nagasaki.
Jones said the company boarded a ship and without being told where they were going.
"We continued to Saipan and we were given the bubonic plague shot and a short course in Japanese," he said.
Jones said troops were originally expected to meet combat in Japan and a 92 percent casualty rate was expected in battle, a fact learned by the soldiers going over there. The prospect was terrifying and Jones said he had just married before going over.
"They tell you they are not afraid, they are absolutely crazy," he said. "Don't tell me you went in any of these boats and you weren't afraid."
Jones said this was avoided by the dropping of the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, especially Nagasaki.
The atomic bomb used on Nagasaki was 40 percent more powerful than the one used on Hiroshima. However, as Nagasaki is spread out over five valleys, Jones said the atomic bomb on the city only devastated one of the valleys.
Nagasaki was the secondary target of the initial mission with Kokura the first target. The weather over Kokura, however, was too cloudy and the plane was nearly out of gas. The bomb was almost dropped into the ocean given the conditions, but ultimately dropped on Nagasaki.
Jones said unlike in Hiroshima where radiation spread and resulted in more deaths after the bomb, the radiation in Nagasaki bounced off the sides of the one valley and did not spread to other parts of the city.
"Everyone in that valley died," he said. "There were no people who were saved from that. We were told between 20,000 and 30,000 people died" though Jones said later numbers were close to 40,000 or 50,000. "I can assure you there were no walking wounded like there were in Hiroshima."
He did see the devastation left by the bomb after nearly a month of occupation in Nagasaki.
"It was unbelievable," he said, "I've never seen anything like it."
Jones said the decision to drop the bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki saved soldiers' lives and lead to the end of the war.
"When the bomb was dropped on Nagasaki and there were no survivors at all, the emperor said, 'Enough,'" Jones said. "They were fierce fighters, they didn't know the word 'give up.'"
The company was then told it was going to Nagasaki as occupation troops. When they arrived they were escorted to the Dutch prisoner barracks which was "our home for the next month."
Jones said residents of Nagasaki were told by the emperor that U.S. troops coming in would kill them, making most natives scared of the troops. Jones said after the company was there for two weeks before residents realized the soldiers were not there to massacre them.
"They knew they were going to die, they were all ready to die and 'wow it's over, we're going to live,'" he said.
After two weeks, the residents warmed up to the soldiers are realized "we were not the murderers they were told" and the locals were extremely friendly and welcoming.
Presentation attendee Daniel Leavitt was in the Navy, and was also was stationed at Nagasaki shortly after the bomb was dropped.
"The kids came up in the dozens," Leavitt said. "They came up and climbed into the laps of the Marines. I always thought that Marines have hearts of steel, I decided that day they had hearts of marshmallow."
Jones recalled how he played hopscotch with three children while their mother watched. Other activities included riding on the railroad from Miyazaki to Kyushu.
He also remembered having bags of yen from Saipan and sending much of it home while buying many souvenirs and "having craps games like you wouldn't believe."
The soldiers did have some experiences with the culture they were not used to, especially how women were treated in a few situations.
"We thought it was best that we let them understand our culture is a little different from theirs," he said, though realized that they could not change their culture.
He has never been back to Nagasaki, but he did travel to Tokyo on a business trip.
Jones said he feels little has been said of the bombing in Nagasaki and much of what is reported on it is not accurate, saying there were no long-term health effects of the bomb on Nagasaki residents and soldiers unlike what has been reported.
Photos from Nagasaki were also on display as well as a Japanese sniper rifle and samurai sword Jones bought while in Japan.
Ellie
Veteran recalls Nagasaki after the atomic blast
On Aug. 9, 1945, an atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan, shortly before Marine and Wolfeboro resident Bob Jones was stationed in the city.
Nearly 65 years later, Jones recalled his experiences in Nagasaki before a crowd at the Wright Museum including stories of wartime fear and civilian welcoming.
"After the Bomb: A Personal Account of Nagasaki" was presented at the Wright Museum on Sunday, giving Jones' account of his experiences in the city after the bomb was dropped.
Jones was a member of the 2nd Marine Division who had previously fought in Guadalcanal and Guam before being sent to Nagasaki.
Jones said the company boarded a ship and without being told where they were going.
"We continued to Saipan and we were given the bubonic plague shot and a short course in Japanese," he said.
Jones said troops were originally expected to meet combat in Japan and a 92 percent casualty rate was expected in battle, a fact learned by the soldiers going over there. The prospect was terrifying and Jones said he had just married before going over.
"They tell you they are not afraid, they are absolutely crazy," he said. "Don't tell me you went in any of these boats and you weren't afraid."
Jones said this was avoided by the dropping of the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, especially Nagasaki.
The atomic bomb used on Nagasaki was 40 percent more powerful than the one used on Hiroshima. However, as Nagasaki is spread out over five valleys, Jones said the atomic bomb on the city only devastated one of the valleys.
Nagasaki was the secondary target of the initial mission with Kokura the first target. The weather over Kokura, however, was too cloudy and the plane was nearly out of gas. The bomb was almost dropped into the ocean given the conditions, but ultimately dropped on Nagasaki.
Jones said unlike in Hiroshima where radiation spread and resulted in more deaths after the bomb, the radiation in Nagasaki bounced off the sides of the one valley and did not spread to other parts of the city.
"Everyone in that valley died," he said. "There were no people who were saved from that. We were told between 20,000 and 30,000 people died" though Jones said later numbers were close to 40,000 or 50,000. "I can assure you there were no walking wounded like there were in Hiroshima."
He did see the devastation left by the bomb after nearly a month of occupation in Nagasaki.
"It was unbelievable," he said, "I've never seen anything like it."
Jones said the decision to drop the bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki saved soldiers' lives and lead to the end of the war.
"When the bomb was dropped on Nagasaki and there were no survivors at all, the emperor said, 'Enough,'" Jones said. "They were fierce fighters, they didn't know the word 'give up.'"
The company was then told it was going to Nagasaki as occupation troops. When they arrived they were escorted to the Dutch prisoner barracks which was "our home for the next month."
Jones said residents of Nagasaki were told by the emperor that U.S. troops coming in would kill them, making most natives scared of the troops. Jones said after the company was there for two weeks before residents realized the soldiers were not there to massacre them.
"They knew they were going to die, they were all ready to die and 'wow it's over, we're going to live,'" he said.
After two weeks, the residents warmed up to the soldiers are realized "we were not the murderers they were told" and the locals were extremely friendly and welcoming.
Presentation attendee Daniel Leavitt was in the Navy, and was also was stationed at Nagasaki shortly after the bomb was dropped.
"The kids came up in the dozens," Leavitt said. "They came up and climbed into the laps of the Marines. I always thought that Marines have hearts of steel, I decided that day they had hearts of marshmallow."
Jones recalled how he played hopscotch with three children while their mother watched. Other activities included riding on the railroad from Miyazaki to Kyushu.
He also remembered having bags of yen from Saipan and sending much of it home while buying many souvenirs and "having craps games like you wouldn't believe."
The soldiers did have some experiences with the culture they were not used to, especially how women were treated in a few situations.
"We thought it was best that we let them understand our culture is a little different from theirs," he said, though realized that they could not change their culture.
He has never been back to Nagasaki, but he did travel to Tokyo on a business trip.
Jones said he feels little has been said of the bombing in Nagasaki and much of what is reported on it is not accurate, saying there were no long-term health effects of the bomb on Nagasaki residents and soldiers unlike what has been reported.
Photos from Nagasaki were also on display as well as a Japanese sniper rifle and samurai sword Jones bought while in Japan.
Ellie