The Remarkable Journey of Tsutomu Yamaguchi: Surviving Two Atomic Bombs
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On August 9, 1945, a 29-year-old engineer named Tsutomu Yamaguchi reported for work at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Nagasaki. His condition raised concerns as he was heavily bandaged and had difficulty hearing.
When his supervisor inquired about his state, Yamaguchi recounted his harrowing experience in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. He had been returning to Nagasaki when the B-29 bomber, Enola Gay, released the atomic bomb known as Little Boy, just three kilometers away from him.
In the aftermath of the Hiroshima bombing, information was scarce, leading Yamaguchi’s boss to doubt his account, considering him delusional. Just as the supervisor chastised him, the sky lit up with a blinding flash as another atomic bomb, Fat Man, was dropped on Nagasaki by the B-29 bomber, Bockscar, mere kilometers from where Yamaguchi stood.
Yamaguchi, often referred to as the "unluckiest man in the world," defied all odds and survived both bombings within a span of just three days. It wasn't until 2009 that the Japanese government officially recognized him as a dual survivor of nuclear attacks. His incredible story of perseverance remains an inspiration to many.
Early Life and the War
Yamaguchi was born on March 16, 1916, in Nagasaki and began working for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in the 1930s, focusing on oil tanker design. He never anticipated that Japan would enter World War II. The nation, which had previously allied with the British during World War I, found itself entangled in the war due to imperial ambitions and territorial disputes.
As the conflict intensified in the Pacific, Japan's industry faced severe challenges, including the destruction of oil tankers and bombings of cities, resulting in shortages of essential resources. By spring 1945, Japan stood on the brink of collapse but had yet to surrender. Yamaguchi was sent on a business trip to Hiroshima during the summer of 1945.
Surviving the Bombings
On August 6, 1945, Yamaguchi was set to leave Hiroshima with colleagues but realized he had forgotten an important identification document. As he returned to retrieve it, at 8:15 AM, the Enola Gay released the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. He witnessed an immense flash and was thrown back by the explosion.
Yamaguchi recalled, "When the noise and the blast had subsided, I saw a huge mushroom-shaped pillar of fire rising high into the sky." Despite suffering severe burns and ruptured eardrums, he and his colleagues survived the night in an air raid shelter.
The Japanese military's slow reaction to the bombing resulted in confusion, and many people were unaware of the devastati