The Silent Witness: A Survivor's Story of Hiroshima - Short Documentary

Kunhardt Film Foundation Presents An Interview Archive Original: The Silent Witness, a documentary about Tomiko Morimoto West’s experience as a 13-year-old girl in Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945, the day the first atomic bomb was dropped. West, now a 91-year-old woman, didn’t talk about her memories from that time for many years, but now shares her story because she believes it will help people.
Tomiko Morimoto West was born in Hiroshima, Japan on January 13, 1932. On August 6, 1945 Tomiko watched from her schoolyard as a low-flying B-29 dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, killing her mother and other family members. After the war she moved to America to study English, at The Stout Institute in Wisconsin. She worked at the post office where she met her husband, an American GI. She went on to become a professor at Vassar College, who taught Japanese language courses for a decade until she retired in 1994. She has only one wish: that world leaders work together for global peace.
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[@justmyopinion9883]

Thank you for sharing Mrs West’s touching testimony. I couldn’t hold back the tears from the first few minutes into her story. I’m so glad she found happiness later on after the war was over.

[@brewberry3894]

I just watched the film Oppenheimer. The way President Truman was depicted was scary. I wonder if he was actually proud of the bomb killing so many people. I know war is multi sided and complex, but it doesn't seem heroic to me.

[@ashtonchane6126]

It never is. Regardless on who’s fighting for who. All sides of the conflict suffer.

[@BonoAnimoes1]

I wish I could give this lady a big hug 😢

[@music4thesoul80]

I'm bawling. What an incredible story. This sweet woman is a survivor in the truest sense of the word. My heart goes out to her and everyone else who was affected by the dropping of the two nuclear weapons in Japan.

[@1980bwc]

It was either drop the bombs on them, or lose the lives of millions more of our soldiers. That's why the old saying goes, "War is Hell". It was Americas fault for the deaths of those bombs. Its all on the Japanese leaders, for not surrendering when they had the opportunity.

[@rayd408]

Surprised they showed the dead in this video can’t imagine how horrible it was. We need to see the truth.

[@aleejones7508]

When a child can identify a plane by its sound, we have failed as adults and human beings....May we have mercy on our souls! Thank you for sharing at the precarious time...Trust me, though , your mother i does not remember your words, she knew that your strong spirit would help keep her legacy for the future

[@user-st5lb4nb7b]

I was visiting the Hiroshima peace-museum in July this year and the exhibition stayed in my memory ever since. What horrors were unleashed that day is still incomprehensible in many ways to me. Thank you for making this well done documentary and giving this woman a platform to share her experience. Let us strive to never let this be experienced by anyone ever again.

[@PlurFW29]

I visited 3 weeks ago on my trip to Japan and I am still haunted by the exhibit with the photos of each person and the single item found that identifies them since nothing else was ever found, charred eyeglasses, a burnt lunchbox... objects that say they existed even if they ceased to exist in a literal flash. That was rough.

[@simonsimon2888]

"Give Peace A Chance!"

[@Array8]

I will always tell my family I love them before I leave.

[@jamesconwell7065]

My grandmother and mother are of the atomic bomb. My mom also worked in war factories. My mother was very outgoing and I didn’t know about her story. She became an American citizen and loves America. She believed in peace and despise violence. She was a great person and I miss her.

[@purpleyoyo24]

This is a very amazing documentary and her story, thank you so much.

[@drsavage3262]

This was SOOOO heavy! Bless that woman 🙏🏻 😢❤ i could never imagine the things she witnessed.

[@notofthisworld5267]

Thank you for your story. Brought me to tears. ❤❤❤

[@cge5769]

I've never been so moved and touched by a story. What an amazing and powerful documentary. I'm in tears

[@noname28282]

Thank you

[@tdoran616]

Good documentary

[@petrius658]

What a beautiful soul. She is amazing

[@jly6108]

Love you so much grandma 😭

[@tammyburke9453]

Profoundly moving ❤

[@jamesconwell7065]

My grandmother and mother are survivors of the atomic war. I was in high school when I first heard about my mom’s experiences. She 14 years old and worked in war factory. She has only an eighth grade education but very wise and intelligent. She loved people and we all loved her. She became an American citizen. My parents lived in for 5 years Japan due my father being deployed for the US Navy. She loved being in Japan but loves and missed America. She promoted peace and she was very popular with everyone she met. I miss her.

[@ConquerYou]

This is an amazing tale. It’s hard to imagine living through this experience.

[@ConquerYou]

And talking about it.

[@DanmeiFafal]

Poor aunt, I felt so sad for her. I thank for all old generations for their efforts to keep the world peace. They left us a world with creativity, freedom and a life that we can live and love. Great video.

[@user-xp1rd1ji3t]

….darkest day in history! Am happy that you survived and tell the story! The sad thing, still governments don’t know and learn from this. Human suffering means nothing as long as they sell arms.

[@adammorin4810]

So sad 🙏 I'm glad she made it and told her story 🙏

[@douglasb5046]

Bless her heart

[@aSAMr27]

horrible what humans are capable of doing to each other.. so terribly sad. The woman is so wise and kind!

[@connormagill4201]

May God bless this woman and her family

[@Amanda-im4so]

Was an incredibly sad but also beautiful life story. I am so sorry for all you have lost and thankful for your beautiful spirit and love. 🤗

[@petef8796]

Everyone needs to see this. The raw footage is true testimony that life is precious. I wish we could learn from the yester-years and never to let it reoccur again.

[@mr.iforgot3062]

What a lovely lady

[@LisaGallegos]

My grandma survived in Nagasaki 😢 she’s told me very similar awful stories

[@lucastanga6732]

It's most incredibile how well dressed she is and how nice and tidy she keeps her house.

[@chiennoir8961]

Dear lady, thank you for you testimony. You are a powerful force for world peace. I am sure your mother is in Heaven and very proud of you. It will be a sad day when the last of the Hibakusha pass from this Earth and take with them their first hand knowledge of the horrors of nuclear war.

[@Array8]

6 billion people would die in a full exchange. The rest to feel like she did but worse. How would you feel if for all you know youre the last of your family? Nobody to console you. Yet you're scared to die. God let it never happen.

[@johncooney543]

Wow. Thank you, you are beautiful.

[@bluepower1177]

War… war never changes. Men do, through the roads they walk

[@amenaxxx]

I wish you well, momo chan ❤️

[@jeanhawken4482]

Our magnificent fellow civilians treated like waste for the waring thugs of our respective countries.

[@robchesley4591]

..war sucks.

[@bluepower1177]

Sorry for my joke. This shit was powerful and honestly her English is great

[@JohnWest-zq5gs]

The day the sun hit the earth

[@SlavicMelodiesforthesoul]

RIP all the innocent lives taken by the US!!!!!!!! 😢😢😢😢😢

[@fee_beezz]

1 John 5:19 "the whole world is under the power of the evil one."

[@4catsnow]

The old axiom,,,"Bad decisions are often accompanied by consequences"....Japan apparently opted to wake American at Pearl Harbor in 1941. America awoke. America was angry. American rose...Then America came for them...They started it..

[@Ma007rk]

I know that logically you are right, but at this point in time, don't you think that what you're saying is at the wrong moment in time? This woman has seen horrors that most of us dream about in a nightmare. She lived it. People in and of themselves are the innocent victims. It's the governments of the world that are wicked for the most part.

[@4catsnow]

@@Ma007rk The attack at Pearl Harbor was bad enough...But everywhere their military went,, egregious behavior toward civilians and prisoners of war..This behavior reached a level of evil that 1940's America held the entire japanese race accountable...that's where it got hysterically dangerous...Truman at the end..."They surrender, or they don't walk this earth"....

[@jamesinhamptonroads]

@@Ma007rk So those killed in Pearl Harbor deserved it? They didn't see horrors? I guess being trapped in a battleship on a Sunday morning is just not a horror since they were just white Americans. Got it. Good to know.

[@takek9215]

Can Russia justify using nuclear weapons in a modern war? There are actually countries that have recently conducted two types of atomic bomb tests in inhabited cities. It's not because we're in a predicament. They had already burned down the capital and were on the verge of victory, but they wanted to hasten the end before the Soviet Union arrived. Can America justify using nuclear weapons in modern warfare?

[@user-xp1rd1ji3t]

🤗🤗🤗🤗

[@lancegoodthrust546]

As American, I have zero regret for what my government did to Hiroshima. They were warned and yet they still wanted to fight. A war they started. And I thank God almighty for the American lives we DIDN'T lose.

[@1980bwc]

Your comment, shows that you are very uninformed on the topics you are speaking of. For one "As long as they sell arms" makes no sense whatsoever, when talking about these bombings. In case you dont know, they arent exactly selling atom bombs down at the local sporting goods stores. Or anywhere else for that matter. Educate yourself before speaking on a subject, because it doesnt make you look very bright.

[@iatedacat8972]

4:44 🤓🤓🤓

[@Sunflowen]

why would you send me back? 😢

[@SlavicMelodiesforthesoul]

Why always paint Russia bad, when the instigator and actual SUPPLIER of war is the US??? 😂😂😂😂

[@JohnWest-zq5gs]

We taught them a lesson that's for sure don't start a war with the United States or you will regret it

[@moons_star]

Oh sure, shows how great of a human you people are

[@JohnWest-zq5gs]

@@moons_star don't start a war with the United or you will regret it

[@JohnWest-zq5gs]

@@moons_star and furthermore President Truman gave them a ultimatum unconditional surrender or face complete and utter destruction they had a chance to surrender and they didn't

[@JohnWest-zq5gs]

@@moons_star saved a lot of American lives save my dad also my dad fought in the Pacific in the US navy

[@jamesinhamptonroads]

The old saying. Don't start none won't be none.

[@NunYa953]

I have absolutely no sympathy for the Japanese. Quite frankly, theyre all lucky with the amount of mercy America showed them.

[@iatedacat8972]

#gigacahd

[@Greenranger123]

dont worry its just a bunch of weebs and otakus in this comment section looking for attention

[@moons_star]

How is speaking nonsense considered chad wtf

[@girlfriday1299]

How old are you? This is a whole different era with different people walking the earth. The point is humanity learned a lesson, and we can never use nuclear weapons again.

[@jimreplicant]

Imagine not surrendering after you get destroyed by an atomic bomb😂 what was japan thinking? This woman gets no sympathy, up until that day she probably bought every imperial lie that was told to her🤡

[@moons_star]

Instead of saying things you could first understand that it was the Japanese government who attacked USA and not the Japanese people. What did those countless people did wrong to have suffered such terrors? You would never understand what it felt like since you were not the one bombed. If you can't sympathise with them then don't even try to bring them down by random chit chats here and there that makes no sense whatsoever.

[@jimreplicant]

@@moons_star The japanese civilians would have fought to the bitter end. She and everyone else had it coming

[@girlfriday1299]

You all need to grow up. She was a kid, FFS. And you obviously didn't listen to her story at all.

[@jimreplicant]

@@girlfriday1299oh I listened to the story 😂 she gets no sympathy probably had celebratory rice balls after pearl harbor