Hiroshima Eyewitness Account
Father P. Siemes gave this account of the aftermath of the Hiroshima bombing. He was a member of a Jesuit community located approximately two kilometers from Hiroshima. Father Siemes describes what he saw: from the initial flash, the physical effects of the bomb, casualties, and survivors. His recollections provide a unique and moving first-person account of giving aid and attempting to rescue people from the site.
The effort to develop a nuclear weapon produced significant advances in science and engineering. It also directly affected thousands of lives worldwide. This document is one of many in our holdings that help tell the story of the Manhattan Project.
Eyewitness account of bombing of Hiroshima, dated October 11, 1945. National Archives Identifier: 6925759
Request the entirety of this eyewitness account by emailing atlanta.archives@nara.gov. This document is one example of the many records held at the National Archives at Atlanta, GA. You can explore more of our holdings by visiting the National Archives Catalog or by visiting the National Archives at Atlanta. This record is located within Record Group 326: Atomic Energy Commission, Series: Research and Medical Division Files, 1945–1952. Many of the records in this collection have yet to be digitized. We encourage researchers to visit us onsite to explore these records and learn more about the archival collections held in the National Archives at Atlanta.