The Man Who Survived Two Atomic Bombs!
First Encounter: Hiroshima
Tsutomu Yamaguchi was a naval engineer working for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. He was on a business trip in Hiroshima on the 6th of August when Enola Gay dropped “Little Boy” over the city!
He saw a bright flash and instinctively dived into a ditch before the shockwave reached him! He was lifted from the ditch by the blast before falling back onto the ground, both eardrums ruptured and his face and arms badly burned. Tsutomu had just survived an atomic blast despite having been less than two miles from ground zero!
Survival and Return to Nagasaki
He made his way through the devastated city and met two of his colleagues at Hiroshima’s Mitsubishi Shipyard. There, they tried to sleep. Dust was obscuring the sun and ash was raining from the sky.
The next day, they decided to go back home… To Nagasaki!
They made their way to Nagasaki and arrived there on the 8th of August. Tsutomu headed straight to the hospital. The following day, he went back to work, because of Japanese work ethics, that’s why!
Second Encounter: Nagasaki
He was at the offices of Mitsubishi Nagasaki trying to explain to his colleagues what happened to him in Hiroshima when he saw another bright flash through the windows! He ended up on the floor being showered by broken glass… Tsutomu had just survived another atomic blast!
Aftermath and Recovery
In the following days, Tsutomu fell victim to radiation sickness: He lost his hair, he was violently sick, and some of his injuries started to turn gangrenous!
Yet, he made a full recovery! Tsutomu Yamaguchi had children, worked as an interpreter for occupying American forces, taught in school, and eventually went back to work for Mitsubishi!
He passed away in 2010, aged 93.
-RBM
