Hiroshima's Message

My conversations with survivors of the atomic bomb, and my own family's story, all share the same message: Never again.

The Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park (iStock).

By Michael Judge

TOKYO — On Aug. 6 people from across the globe will gather at Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, Japan, in recognition of the 77th anniversary of the atomic bombing of that now bustling and beautiful city of 1.2 million souls. They will reflect on the more than 140,000 men, women and children who died in that horrific, world-changing instant, and in the hours, weeks, months and years that followed.

I will be with them.

As a journalist who attended the 50th anniversary of the bombing in 1995, I had hoped to be among those in attendance two years ago, on the 75th anniversary, not only to mark the solemn occasion but also to retrace my steps as a much younger man with far fewer ties to a land I now consider my second home. I also wanted to better understand what drew me to Hiroshima so many years ago.

Only this time, I wouldn’t be traveling alone, as I did 25 years ago; I’d be traveling with my wife, Masae, and ou…