Remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki, August 6 and 8, 1945
In solemn memory of the victims of WWII Atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
On August 6, 1945, during World War II (1939-45), an American B-29 bomber dropped the world’s first deployed atomic bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The explosion wiped out 90 percent of the city and immediately killed 80,000 people; tens of thousands more would later die of radiation exposure. Three days later, a second B-29 dropped another A-bomb on Nagasaki, killing an estimated 40,000 people. Japan’s Emperor Hirohito announced his country’s unconditional surrender in World War II in a radio address on August 15, citing the devastating power of “a new and most cruel bomb.”Part 1 - Memories of Hiroshima and Nagasaki A-Bombing Enshrined in Old Basi Industry
Part 2 - Keeping memories of World War II alive at St. Paul University QC
ANNEX 1 - What happens if nuclear weapons are used?
ANNEX 2 - Is a Nuclear War ... Almost Guaranteed? A Critical Outlook
Part 2 - Keeping memories of World War II alive at St. Paul University QC
ANNEX 1 - What happens if nuclear weapons are used?
ANNEX 2 - Is a Nuclear War ... Almost Guaranteed? A Critical Outlook
Part 1 - Memories of Hiroshima and Nagasaki A-Bombing Enshrined in Old Basi Industry
Dr Abe V Rotor
Atomic bomb obliterates Hiroshima, ends WWII, immediately killing 80,000 people.
bomb decimated Nagasaki is the Christian church.
I was a very young child in a small town in the Philippines, youngest in a family of three, when this dreadful, ignominious attack happened. I was sort of a farmhand helping my father make basi in our small wine cellar. (Same cellar today as shown in the photos below).
Impressions, innocent they may be in early age, seek their true expressions in later age and may remain indelible. As these become integrated with those of others and the whole of humanity for that matter, they become public images which we know today 80 years after.
When I retired from government service, and from the academe, and returned to my ancestral home, a scenario from childhood memories about the Second World War, flashed in my mind like a nightmare. The Hiroshima and Nagasaki A-Bombing!
On my part, struggling to revive a dying art and industry is my own humble way to convey my compassionate thought and feeling, and a prayerful hope for world peace.
Hiroshima-Nagasaki A-Bombing Anniversary 2017.
Author's basi wine cellar in San Vicente, Ilocos Sur.
Remembering Hiroshima-Nagasaki A-Bombing Anniversary at an earlier date.
Basi wine undergoing aging in glazed jars (burnay) in 18th century wine
cellar - a tourists' attraction. Living with Nature Center, San Vicente, Ilocos Sur
Basi and fruit wine for balikbayan, (returning and visiting residents)
and tourists.
Part 2 - Keeping memories of World War II alive at St. Paul University QC
As a child survivor of WWII, the author vividly recalls the darkest hour of history when “man’s inhumanity to man” eclipsed love, justice and hope, and warns the present, of the undeniable capability of history of repeating itself. The dangerously worsening Israel-Gaza war with the latter virtually losing its own statehood and a generation of its finest citizens has the vestiges of the worst conflicts that has plagued the human race on a global scale. Russian war on Ukraine with the US, EU and other countries getting directly involved in the conflict is creating a dreadful scenario of Armageddon in our times, exacerbated by the unprecedented, current US-Iran war. Other conflicts of global and local magnitude in other parts of the world, which include the Philippines, further worsen this horrendous imagery of doom. Hiroshima-Nagasaki atomic bombing's 81st anniversary this year on August 6 and 9, deepens our resolve in contributing to world peace and to guide the younger generations toward a bright and happy future. Dr Abe V Rotor
Living with Nature School on Blog
Steel Memorial of World War II at St Paul University campus in QC
Burning of St Paul College Building in Quezon City, then a novitiate
during World War II, a hanging wall mural at SPUQC, painted by
the author and his children - Marlo, Anna and Leo in 2000.
Note a kindly Paulinian sister leading children to safety ground.
Xerxes’ aide a thousand times whispered,
“Remember the Greeks!”
To keep memory of late father King Darius.
Nay, but revenge is all a coward seeks.
A thousand times, we too, cried,
“Remember the Japanese!"
In hopelessness even as many had died,
time restored the broken peace.
Our cry died on marble floors,
died in echoes and in the shade
Of high rise buildings and halls
the new generation made.
You stand there frigid and mute,
cold as steel against the flame;
Three beams of a chapel before,
now a tripod with simple frame.
Shh… hear the cries in the dungeon,
the comfort women, their muffled moan;
The ashes left by countless souls,
ghastly ruins against the moon.
Remember the tortuous Death March,
Corregidor, Auschwitz, Flanders
The ghosts in concentration camps,
the nameless heroes on the shore.
Short is modern man’s memory
amidst malls, cars and easy life,
TV, computer, the university.
TV, computer, the university.
All but Good Life sans strife.
Where does faith in Providence abide –
lessons from childhood lie,
Where once in the home and school?
Now along with evil they belie.
A new breed has risen – puzzled,
sitting on a fence among the throng,
Waiting for manna of capitalism,
and subsidy from the strong.
The essentials of history –
refresh memory before it’s gone.
Look up hard at the memorial
to trace the roots of our freedom.
But it is easier to doze and sleep
and think not of the past.
But war has a story preserved,
“Never, never the die is cast.”*
To tell as to why we are here,
Darwin knew not such a test:
Why fallen victims too, survive,
and once more live with the fittest.
"Remember the Greeks.” We rather say,
“Remember WW II in peace;”
Two things different in their own way,
but look at the cold steel never at ease.~
Ruins of St Paul University-QC, then a novitiate
*Alea iacta est ("The die is cast") is a Latin phrase attributed by Suetonius (as iacta alea estt]) to Julius Caesar on January 10, 49 BC as he led his army across the River Rubicon in Northern Italy. The die is cast is said when a situation is certain to develop in a particular way because decisions have been taken that cannot be changed: From the moment the negotiations failed, the die was cast and war was inevitable.
ANNEX 1 - What happens if nuclear weapons are used?
Banning Nuclear Weapons. Impact of Nuclear Weapons
Post by ICRC (The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement)
Acknowledgement with gratitude: ICAN, ICRC, Internet
Nuclear weapons are the most destructive, inhumane and indiscriminate weapons ever created. Both in the scale of the devastation they cause, and in their uniquely persistent, spreading, genetically damaging radioactive fallout, they are unlike any other weapons. A single nuclear bomb detonated over a large city could kill millions of people. The use of tens or hundreds of nuclear bombs would disrupt the global climate, causing widespread famine.
If a nuclear weapon detonates, what happens?
If a nuclear weapon detonates, what happens?
Short-term effects
A single nuclear weapon can destroy a city and kill most of its people. Several nuclear explosions over modern cities would kill tens of millions of people. Casualties from a major nuclear war between the US and Russia would reach hundreds of millions.
It takes around 10 seconds for the fireball from a nuclear explosion to reach its maximum size. A nuclear explosion releases vast amounts of energy in the form of blast, heat and radiation. An enormous shockwave reaches speeds of many hundreds of kilometres an hour. The blast kills people close to ground zero, and causes lung injuries, ear damage and internal bleeding further away. People sustain injuries from collapsing buildings and flying objects. Thermal radiation is so intense that almost everything close to ground zero is vaporized. The extreme heat causes severe burns and ignites fires over a large area, which coalesce into a giant firestorm. Even people in underground shelters face likely death due to a lack of oxygen and carbon monoxide poisoning.
Long-term effects
In the long-term, nuclear weapons produce ionizing radiation, which kills or sickens those exposed, contaminates the environment, and has long-term health consequences, including cancer and genetic damage. Their widespread use in atmospheric testing has caused grave long-term consequences. Physicians project that some 2.4 million people worldwide will eventually die from cancers due to atmospheric nuclear tests conducted between 1945 and 1980.
The use of less than one percent of the nuclear weapons in the world could disrupt the global climate and threaten as many as two billion people with starvation in a nuclear famine in the long-term. The detonation of thousands of nuclear weapons could result in a nuclear winter, which would destroy our fragile ecosystem.
Physicians and first responders would be unable to work in devastated, radioactively contaminated areas. Even a single nuclear detonation in a modern city would strain existing disaster relief resources to the breaking point; a nuclear war would overwhelm any relief system we could build in advance. Displaced populations from a nuclear war will produce a refugee crisis that is orders of magnitude larger than any we have ever experienced.
A single nuclear weapon can destroy a city and kill most of its people. Several nuclear explosions over modern cities would kill tens of millions of people. Casualties from a major nuclear war between the US and Russia would reach hundreds of millions.
It takes around 10 seconds for the fireball from a nuclear explosion to reach its maximum size. A nuclear explosion releases vast amounts of energy in the form of blast, heat and radiation. An enormous shockwave reaches speeds of many hundreds of kilometres an hour. The blast kills people close to ground zero, and causes lung injuries, ear damage and internal bleeding further away. People sustain injuries from collapsing buildings and flying objects. Thermal radiation is so intense that almost everything close to ground zero is vaporized. The extreme heat causes severe burns and ignites fires over a large area, which coalesce into a giant firestorm. Even people in underground shelters face likely death due to a lack of oxygen and carbon monoxide poisoning.
Long-term effects
In the long-term, nuclear weapons produce ionizing radiation, which kills or sickens those exposed, contaminates the environment, and has long-term health consequences, including cancer and genetic damage. Their widespread use in atmospheric testing has caused grave long-term consequences. Physicians project that some 2.4 million people worldwide will eventually die from cancers due to atmospheric nuclear tests conducted between 1945 and 1980.
The use of less than one percent of the nuclear weapons in the world could disrupt the global climate and threaten as many as two billion people with starvation in a nuclear famine in the long-term. The detonation of thousands of nuclear weapons could result in a nuclear winter, which would destroy our fragile ecosystem.
Physicians and first responders would be unable to work in devastated, radioactively contaminated areas. Even a single nuclear detonation in a modern city would strain existing disaster relief resources to the breaking point; a nuclear war would overwhelm any relief system we could build in advance. Displaced populations from a nuclear war will produce a refugee crisis that is orders of magnitude larger than any we have ever experienced.
The existence of nuclear weapons has a strong impact on the environment. Nuclear war would mean a climate disruption with devastating consequences. The world would fall under a nuclear winter, be subject to a deadly global famine and exacerbated effects of global warming.
The socio-economic impacts would also be terrible, with developing countries and marginalized groups the ones that will suffer the most. Nuclear weapons are also a vacuum for financial support: in their development, maintenance and dismantlement. This is money that could be better spent funding assets such as green technologies and health facilities. ~
A Critical Outlook
While global tensions have undoubtedly escalated in 2025, claiming that a nuclear war is “almost guaranteed” would be an overstatement—though not without reason for concern. Current events in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and East Asia have fueled anxieties, with major powers increasingly posturing and modernizing their nuclear arsenals. However, despite the volatility, full-scale nuclear war remains an outcome the international community is working hard to prevent.
World / Washington Morning
by Josh Weiner
Acknowledgement with gratitude: Josh Weiner, World, Washington Morning, Internet
Acknowledgement with gratitude: Josh Weiner, World, Washington Morning, Internet
While global tensions have undoubtedly escalated in 2025, claiming that a nuclear war is “almost guaranteed” would be an overstatement—though not without reason for concern. Current events in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and East Asia have fueled anxieties, with major powers increasingly posturing and modernizing their nuclear arsenals. However, despite the volatility, full-scale nuclear war remains an outcome the international community is working hard to prevent.
Why Fears Are Rising in 2025. Middle East Flashpoints.
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, paired with involvement from the U.S. and Russia, has intensified concerns of a miscalculated strike spiraling out of control.
Iran’s suspected nuclear ambitions and Israel’s unspoken nuclear capabilities create a volatile balance of deterrence.
NATO-Russia Tensions. The war in Ukraine continues to strain relations between NATO and Russia.
Russia’s recent nuclear drills and threats have raised alarm over its willingness to lower the threshold for tactical nuclear weapon use.
China and Taiwan. China’s military buildup and aggressive stance toward Taiwan increase fears of U.S.–China military confrontation, which could involve nuclear escalation if unchecked.
Nuclear Modernization Worldwide. Countries like the U.S., China, India, and Russia are upgrading their nuclear weapons systems, which reflects preparation for strategic competition—not necessarily war, but an arms race is undeniably underway.
Reasons Why Full Nuclear War Is Still Unlikely Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD): Nuclear-armed states understand that a first strike would almost certainly provoke a devastating response.
Global Diplomacy: Despite rising tensions, diplomatic backchannels and international organizations are actively working to reduce misunderstandings and de-escalate potential conflicts.
Public and Economic Pressure: The global economy and civil societies in nuclear states have much to lose from war, creating pressure on governments to avoid such catastrophic outcomes.
Final Thought: 2025 may be one of the most dangerous geopolitical years in recent memory, and the risk of nuclear confrontation is at its highest in decades. However, saying that nuclear war is “almost guaranteed” ignores the numerous efforts, both seen and unseen, that still work to keep humanity from crossing that irreversible line. The situation demands vigilance, diplomacy, and a recommitment to peace—not fatalism. ~
Lesson on former Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid (People's School-on-Air) 738 DZRB AM Band, 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday; TATAKalikasan Ateneo de Manila University and Usapang Bayan radio programs.
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