His Father’s Son

The late Dr. Michihiko Hachiya was director of the Hiroshima Communications Hospital when the world's first atomic bomb was dropped on the city. Although he had more important responsibilities in the chaos—such as caring for patients, many of whom suffered from burns, fractures, and lacerations—he found time to record his thoughts every day. His compelling diary was originally published by UNC Press in 1955 with the help of UNC's Warner Wells, who had been a surgical consultant to the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission and became a friend of Dr. Hachiya. In a new foreword, former US National Security Advisor John Dower reflects on how timely the diary remains fifty years after it was written.