Doerr 1 A Rain of Ruin: The Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima An Interview with Mr. Francis Mitsuo Tomosawa by Leili Doerr Mr. Alex Haight February 12, 2007 Doerr 2 Table of Contents Release Form 2 Statement of Purpose 3 Biography 4 Historical Contextualization 6 Interview Trmiscription 25 Interview Analysis 81 Appendix 1 90 Appendix 2 91 Appendix 3 92 Appendix 4 93 Appendix 5 94 Appendix 6 95 Appendix 7 96 Appendix 8 97 Appendix 9 98 Appendix 10 99 Appendix 11 100 Appendix 12 101 Appendix 13 102 Appendix 14 103 Time Indexing/Recording Log Ill Works Consulted 113 Doerr 3 Statement of Purpose The purpose of this oral history is to achieve a better understanding ofthe atomic bombing of Hiroshima, and the pacific theatre ofthe Second World War, through an interview with Mr. Francis Mitsuo Tomosawa. The project aims to give a more valuable and intimate perspective of these events thmi can be acquired anywhere else. The Second World War still remains the most 'Sv odd-shaping" event ofthe 20 century and a thorough understanding ofit is a fundmnental part of any study ofthe United States. Doerr 4 Biography ' ^ ^B t ^^ Francis Mitsuo Tomosawa was bom in Honolulu, Hawaii, on January 25, 1930. Bom to Japanese natives, he was the youngest of three sons. Like most Japanese parents in Hawaii, Mr. Tomosawa's parents believed that their three sons must to go to Japan in order to experience a firsthand education about the Japanese culture. Therefore, in April 1941, at the age of eleven, Mr. Tomosawa and his mother lefl: for Hiroshima. As World War II raged on, conditions grew worse in Japan, and everything became rationed as the Japanese found themselves engaged in a war with the United States. Mr. Tomosawa's school was closed down and all students were assigned jobs to help in the war effort. On the moming of August 6, 1945, Mr. Tomosawa was heading to work when he witnessed two American B-29 bombers appear overhead. Looking into the sky, Mr. Tomosawa saw a "bomb reflecting in the sunlight," (Tomosawa 36). He was a witness to the first atomic bombing in history. Following the end ofthe war, Mr. Tomosawa, being a U.S. citizen, applied to retum to Hawaii. Nevertheless, it took almost three years to approve his application, and Doerr 5 in 1948 he was finally able to retum mid be reunited with his entire fmnily. Soon after, in 1951-54, Mr. Tomosawa was drafted in the Koremi War as a U.S. soldier. He was forced to face the atrocities of war once more. After returning from the war, Mr. Tomosawa was able to finish his schooling, and graduated from college in 1964, in California. In 1982, Mr. Tomosawa was invited by Senator Kennedy to attend a Sub- Committee Interim concerning the topic of "nuclem freeze ." Mr. Tomosawa, along with several other survivors, testified his experience for the first time ever. Following the meeting, he was able to open up, and speak of his involvement in the bombing at universities, high schools, elementary schools, churches, city orgmiizations, televisions stations, radio broadcasts, and newspaper interviews. Mr. Tomosawa understands that the events of Hiroshima have changed him forever and he vows that he must work for peace throughout his life. Mr. Tomosawa held the position ofthe President ofthe Committee of Atomic Bomb Survivors in the USA from 1994-2004. His role as President consisted of addressing problems ofthe survivors in the United States, doing "whatever possible," whether they needed financial help, medical or even psychological help (Tomosawa 61). Now at the age of 76, Mr. Tomosawa has been married for 48 yems, and currently lives in Whittier, California. He is a retired eye doctor, a father, and a grandfather. He continues to remain involved through his role as a delegate for the North America Atomic Bomb Survivors Bomb Association. His hobbies consist of traveling, reading, and drawing. Mr. Tomosawa continues to work for peace by spreading the word that what happened to his friends and family in Japan must never happen again. ^ The "nuclear freeze" was a proposed agreement between the world's nuclear powers, primarily the United States and the Soviet Union, to freeze all production of new nuclear arms and to leave levels of nuclear armament where they currently were. Doerr 6 The Pacific Theatre of World Wm II Historimis such as John Toland choose to take the radical view on the Japanese attack of Pearl Harbor. Toland, similar to other historians, believes that "Roosevelt and a small group of advisors—including Stimson, Knox, and Marshall—had, by December 4, unambiguous information indicating that Japanese carriers were headed eastward toward Hawaii," but refused to pass on the important information to Navy commmiders Admiral Kimmel mid General Short (Spector 97). The purpose of withholding the information may have been to produce an excuse for the United States to enter World Wm. Popular culture considered the attack on Peml Harbor an atrocity in American history. Nonetheless, atrocities are not unusual due to the countless that have taken place throughout history. For example, Genghis Khan, perceived by many nations as "the ruthless and bloodthirsty conqueror," is joined by General Vicente Rilles Lukban, the Philipino general who commanded the Balangiga Massacre during the Philipine- American War, as men who committed unfathomable atrocities throughout history. In fact, mmiy historians such as Eric Hobsbawm, label the period between 1914-1981 as the "Age of Extremes," due to events that occurred during the First mid Second World War, as well as the Cold Wm. The events that classify this age from the Second World War are the firebombing of Tokyo, rape of Nanking, bombing of Dresden, the Holocaust mid many more. One ofthe most highly debated atrocity of World Wm II is the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, as well as Nagas^i. The pivotal decision to drop the atomic bomb on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagas^i incited a ceaseless controversy. Nevertheless, to better understand the atomic bombing of Hiroshima one must examine the Sino-Japanese relationship, the attack on the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Doerr 7 the war in the Pacific, and the decision to drop the bomb, as well as gain a first-hmid perspective from someone who was there. After World Wm I, the Japanese were forced to give back a group of Pacific islands that they had acquired during the war. The League of Nations, the U.S., the U.K., Australia, and the Netherlands, which had territorial interests in Southeast Asia and the Philippines, condemned the Japanese attacks on China. In response, Japan resigned from the League of Nations in 1931. Historian Dmi van der Vat compares goals ofthe Japmiese to that of past empires such as ancient Rome when he said, "A power on the make begins to expand by 'absorbing' its immediate neighbor (in Japan's case Korea in 1910); to protect its acquisition, it conquers its neighbor's neighbor (Mmichuria), sets up a buffer state (Manchukuo), creates another buffer (northern China), and uses that as a base to move against the next victim (China), and possibly its most deadly rival (the Soviet Union)" (39). Japanese economic and military interests in Korea and southern Mmichuria were already clear by the end of World War I, expanding Tokyo's imperial vision. From 1868 to 1930, Japan's population rose by 35 million people. To sustain such a large population, Japmi became dependent on outside resources which created a large insecurity. The new territories would relieve the pressure of Japan's expanding population and industrial growth. In retum, the Asian mainland could provide both much- needed raw materials mid stations for expmided military and economic endeavors. The United States perceived these new Japanese ambitions as a potential threat to themselves and also to European empires. Japan's effort to dominate all of Asia was far from organized since they were suffering from a lack of leadership to guide them in this new intemational situation. Doerr 8 On Christmas Day of 1926, Emperor Hirohito's reign officially began. He believed that a "cure-all for Japan's problems" was a Japanese "expedition" to occupy and "bring order" to Chinese Manchuria. A war tore through China during the 1920s and 1930s as Japan gained control of Manchuria. As a result, Japan was provided with extensive iron ore, coal, mid oil resources. Such resources would free Japmi from its dependence on foreign nations (particularly the United States) for raw materials, and would ensure its status as a great power. Most Japmiese saw their involvement in Mmichuria as a logical extension of their natural interests. The hostilities between China and Japan continued on July 7, 1937 in a demilitarized zone hear Peking, where a Japanese soldier disappemed during the night. Local fighting between the Chinese and Japanese ensued, as each side believed itself "the aggrieved party." Sino-Japanese hostilities began in southern provinces as the Chinese attempted to expel Japanese military and civilian personnel from Shanghai. The Shanghai campaign expanded rapidly and disastrously for the Chinese. As the fighting proceeded, Japanese behavior in China became atrocious. Chinese soldiers attempting to surrender were frequently executed "on sight." The slaughter following the rape of Nanking in December 1937 proves to be an infamous example. Approximately 250,000 civilians and POWS were raped and slaughtered in a murderous ruin. President Frmiklin D. Roosevelt was outraged. His first response was to give a speech calling on America's friends to "quarantine aggression." Roosevelt's secondary response was to write to Americmi industrialists and request that they cutoff trade with the Japanese.