The villager's note and testimony / People of Hesaka village

9. Damage in Hesaka Soda

When I first heard the air-raid alert, I opened the doors, in case glass would be broken due to the blast of the air-raids. When the air-raid alert changed to an air-raid warning, I began to close the doors to go outside. There was one more door to be closed. I saw a big round fire ball like a full moon a little on the right side from the top of the hill. I have no memory that I heard a sound. When I took five or six steps into the room to inform my grandfather, a blast hit me. Pieces of glass stuck into my knee over my working clothes (monpe) and I got hurt. All the glass of the doors was broken, and the glass stuck the pillar about five meters away, which is still there. As the back door was closed and locked, it fell off outside. The ceilings blew up. It was hard to clear them away. (His wife's speech)

About two hours later, many injured people began to come from Hiroshima. On the night of the 6th, a soldier, allocated by Chief of Community Meeting, came to my house. His injury was not serious. I had him take treatment at the school. People injured more seriously were probably at the school. I didn't have to prepare his meals, which were delivered by the Army. When he left my house, I gave him our clothes as he had nothing to wear.

The Women's Association participated in taking care of people at the school. The injured people asked for water, but we didn't give any because we were told not to. The Women's Association had been trained beforehand for meal preparation in case of emergency with iron pots and firewood on a two-wheeled cart.

I thought Soda received the biggest damage because of geography.

At that time I worked for a company producing shoes in Sorazaya-cho. On August 6, I was to go out to collect money. As I had to join the Volunteer Corps drill in the morning, I changed my schedule to go out in the afternoon, which saved my life. (speech)

Gunzo Yamamoto

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