by Donald Hunt
“We waited until the blast had passed, walked out of the shelter and then it was extremely solemn. We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few cried.
“Most people were silent. I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bagavad- Gita: Vishnu is trying to persuade the Prince that he should do his duty and to impress him he takes on his multi-armed form and says, ‘Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.’ I suppose we all thought that, one way or another.”
Robert Oppenheimer and Gen. Leslie Groves at ground zero Trinity blast site
Churchill, Truman and Stalin at Potsdam to discuss using the A-bomb
On that same morning in the pre-dawn hours, the USS Indianapolis was loaded with ‘Little Boy’ and the gun assembly. By 8:30 a.m. she was steaming under the Golden Gate to the open sea. Her destination - the island of Tinian, South Pacific.
The week-long Potsdam conference had started the day before. The purpose was to explore conditions for a Japanese surrender. The general feeling was that Japan was desperate. But American Secretary of War, Henry L. Stimson, noted that with the mountainous terrain and their plethoric patriotism, the Japanese might fanatically resist surrender and prefer to fight to the death. When news of the Trinity success reached the U.S. delegation, their outlook changed. They debated privately about how to tell Stalin. But in fact, Soviet espionage agents had already informed him of the results. The final Potsdam Declaration demanded unconditional surrender from the Japanese, which they initially rejected with a policy of silence.
The Tuesday that Truman mentioned the bomb to Stalin, General Groves drafted the historical directive for its use. The directive was sent for approval to the Secretary of War and Army Chief of Staff George C. Marshall. Groves requested and received permission from Marshall to brief General Douglas MacArthur who, as yet, did not know of the bomb. On July twenty-sixth, the Indianapolis arrived at Tinian. That same day three C-54 cargo planes took off from Kirkland Air Force Base in Albuquerque with separate pieces of ‘Little Boy’ assembly. Two more departed with ‘Fat Man’s’ plutonium core and initiator.
Kantaro Suzuki, Prime Minister of Japan, held a press conference to officially reject the Potsdam Declaration. That night the five C-54’s arrived at Tinian and three newly modified B-29’s departed Kirkland, each carrying a ‘Fat Man’ high-explosive preassembly.
In a final attempt to avoid horrific death and destruction, the Scientific Panel of the Interim Committee was asked to consider some type of demonstration that might change the minds of the Japanese government. Ernest Lawrence, Arthur Compton, Fermi and Oppenheimer met at Los Alamos the weekend of June sixteenth. Working late into the night, the four masterminds of physics looked at a number of options. In the end, they could not envision a ‘demonstration’ that might persuade the Japanese to end the bitter conflict. Exploding a bomb without any damage would not likely serve as enough evidence to the Japanese that the U.S. and Britain would in fact use it on them. It would be viewed only as a threat. There were those who would disagree. Years later, many would argue that the killing of innocent people as a means to an end was always murder.
On July thirty-first, ‘Little Boy’ was ready. It was too large to load into a B-29 with the normal ground clearance, so a pit was dug in which to place the bomb before loading it. Practice runs had been completed. The crews had seen film of Trinity, so they believed they had some understanding of the power of the bomb. On Thursday, August 2nd, three B-29’s arrived from New Mexico with preassembly cargo for ‘Fat Man’.
Now the mission waited on weather. The following Sunday, Guam reported that weather over the target cities should improve on the following day. At 2:00 p.m. on August 5th, General LeMay confirmed the mission would take place on August sixth. Paul Tibbets would fly the mission. He named the plane the Enola Gay, his mother’s name. She had encouraged him to join the Air Force.
It was 2:45 a.m. on August sixth, when Tibbets eased the brakes of the Enola Gay for takeoff. She carried 7,000 gallons of fuel and an 8,000 lb. bomb. In all, she was almost 15,000 lbs. over weight. The plane used most all of the 10,000 ft. runway before liftoff and stayed at low altitude to save fuel. Within 10 minutes the crew crossed the northern tip of Sipan at 4,700 ft. By 3:00 a.m. two airmen entered the unheated and unpressurized bomb bay to arm ‘Little Boy’. It was a balmy 72 degrees F. At 5:52 as they approached Iwo Jima, the crew climbed to 9,300 ft. to rendezvous with the observation and photography planes. They then took a dead reckoning to the primary target, Hiroshima, Japan.
Little Boy exploded at 8:16 a.m., just 43 seconds after leaving the Enola Gay. The explosion rocked everyone’s preconceived ideas about its strength. At its epicenter, the temperature was an estimated 5,400 degrees F. Everything within 500 meters of ground zero – from people to animals to vegetation - was vaporized. Records were burned in the blast, so the death toll is not exact. However, it is estimated that Hiroshima’s population was between 350,000 to 400,000 residents. The initial death toll was estimated at 70,000. That number increased to 140,000 by the end of 1945. The death toll due to burns, radiation and infection would rise again, and claim another 160,000 in the aftermath. Five square miles of the city were destroyed, leaving less than half of the 76,000 buildings still standing.
In the days that followed, millions of leaflets were dropped over 47 Japanese cities to get information of Hiroshima to the Japanese people. But the government remained eerily silent.
The assembly of ‘Fat Man’ continued. On August eighth it was loaded onto a B-29 named Bock’s Car and dropped on August ninth at 11:02 a.m. on the city of Nagasaki. Five days later, Emperor Hirohito spoke to his ministers telling them he now felt the Potsdam Declaration was acceptable. He did not mention the atom bomb but said, “I cannot endure the thought of letting my people suffer any longer. A continuation of the war would bring death to tens, perhaps even hundreds of thousands of persons. The whole nation would be reduced to ashes. How then could I carry on the wishes of my imperial ancestors?”
* * *
Anna remained deep in thought as Landis drove the 100 kilometers back to Leipzig. She was disappointed but beginning to believe that emotionally she must move on. Life had been a struggle since losing Christian and the labyrinth of survival she’d been walking. She had never had the time to actually grieve the loss of him. She wondered now if she had perhaps transferred her love for Christian to this little boy she had saved. Her life with Eric would have meant life with a child – a life she would never have with Christian. Once again, she would have to detach herself from her dreams. But she felt empty. She had no more reserve, no more building blocks to reconstruct the citadel that had been Anna Eichenwald.
It was almost dark when the truck pulled up to Sarah’s apartment. Landis got out and rounded the cab to open the door for Anna. She had taken 30,000 marks with her. She gave it all to Landis. Although he tried to push it away, Anna insisted. She knew it would be enough to support his family for a few weeks while he looked for work.
Anna looked up at Landis and began to feel a deep sadness. Her eyes filled with tears and she wrapped her arms around him holding him tightly for a few moments. How she missed having Christian’s arms around her. The sadness moved from her thoughts of Christian to those of her own people and to some degree, her ravaged country. She kissed Landis on the cheek.
“I will miss you.”
His eyes followed her as she disappeared into the apartment. He briefly thought of the first time he met her in the farm house, this remarkable Jewish woman who wanted to fight the Germans.
Sarah had a communication from Anna’s parents. It contained information about a program that was being set-up by Chaim Weizmann, the Russian-born Zionist who had helped her parents and so many others escape Nazi Germany. The program provided transportation for survivors of der Volkermordanden Juden - the genocide of the Jewish People. Immigration to England or the United States
was now just a formality for individuals with relatives in those countries. Although more difficult to achieve, immigration to Palestine was also possible.
Within two weeks Anna was on a train to the north of France where she would be ferried from Calais across the English Channel to Dover and ultimately, a joyous reunion with her mother and father. Anna Eichenwald had miraculously survived the war and the Nazi pogrom of her people. She would not see Germany again.
Chapter 24
Home but not Home
It was an unusually clear day when Anna stepped onto the ferryboat at Calais. She could just make out a suggestion of white across the English Channel. The White Cliffs of Dover were always the last thing visible when leaving England and conversely, the first when arriving. Tropical seas had once covered England and Europe, inhabited by marine invertebrates with shells composed of calcium carbonate. When the waters receded and the ice age tidal forces eroded the land, some 135 million years ago, the remains of these shells and the sediment they left behind created a striking mountain of chalk rising in some places, 350 ft. high.
Anna had only read of the English Channel. She knew of the daring evacuation of British and French troops across the channel early in the war. Now crossing it for the first time she began to mentally trace all that had happened since she had last seen her parents.
The ferry was now under full steam. Staring out at the water, Anna absently opened her purse again to touch the refugee documents and the visa that would allow her entry into the U.K. Satisfied the papers were still there, she continued staring into the water. At her feet was her one small suitcase packed with all she owned in the world.
Anna’s thoughts were interrupted as she realized some of the passengers were beginning to make their way to the front of the boat. She was one of some 200 people on this journey. The ferry hadn’t been in operation since 1939, when Poland was invaded. Service had now resumed and was making two trips a day. The restoration of peace led to the restoration of freedoms that took many forms.
Anna moved to the bow and looked into the deep blue of the channel. The bow center was slicing through the sea forming a wake of foam. It was mesmerizing to watch the ocean water being parted. She raised her gaze and the white cliffs were now gleaming in the bright sunlight. She was unaware of their history and knew nothing of the miles of hidden tunnels within the cliffs, tunnels that had been created during the Middle Ages. These tunnels were used in the defense of Britain during Napoleon’s reign that ended in his final defeat at Waterloo in 1815. More recently the tunnels had been expanded under Dover castle and used as a military command center by Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsey, the man who had directed the miraculous Dunkirk evacuation.
Hanz and Marlene Eichenwald planned to take the train from London to Dover. It had been three and a half years since they had seen their daughter. Although Anna was now 44 years old, Marlene still saw her as a gangly 12-year old who once placed her raven hair on top of her head in an effort to look older than she was. What had happened to the time? More importantly, what had happened to their world? Now they were in a new country speaking a new language.
Marlene had been unable to sleep. She finally got up at dawn and heated water for tea. A university car came for them at 8:00 a.m. for the trip to London’s Victoria Station where they boarded the train to Dover. Two hours later they arrived. They took a taxi from the Dover station to the ferry docking site and waited. The ferry was scheduled to arrive at 12:05 p.m.
Hanz brought journals to read but he never opened them. Instead, he bought two cups of coffee and returned to sit down beside his wife. They had been together almost 46 years. Silently he thanked God that this day had finally come. Neither of them spoke. They quietly sipped their coffee. With every swallow, they vowed to contain their excitement. Neither of them wanted an emotional melt-down.
The docking hour finally arrived and Hanz and Marlene found themselves with more than a hundred others moving toward the sign that read ‘Customs Entry’. Another smaller sign read, ‘stand behind this line,’ and a lone customs official stood by to ensure the sign was obeyed. Through a large series of glass windows they could see the ferry slowly approaching. Straining against the crowd, Marlene pushed her way to the window to get a better view but to no avail. She turned to the customs official. “How long does this process usually take?” she asked.
“About an hour, depending where you were in line.”
Upon disembarking, each passenger was subjected to questioning and a check of the documents they carried. Some were on visitor visas, most were permanently emigrating. The time seemed to drag. Marlene strained her eyes, searching from figure to figure. But the sea of faces melted together in an undistinguishable mass. Marlene began to worry. What if Anna hadn’t boarded the ferry? And then suddenly, there she was. A smile creased Marlene’s face and she whispered out loud, “Anna! Thank God.”
Marlene turned to find Hanz who was standing toward the rear watching the drama unfold. He had seen her as well. The same smile spread across his face and he began to nod. “Yes, I see her,” he mouthed to his wife.
The rope was disconnected for each individual or family as the case required. Finally, it was Anna’s turn. She walked briskly into her mother’s arms. There were no dry eyes. Even her father, the professor and linear thinker, had trouble keeping his composure. Their daughter who was ‘dead’ was alive. She had been lost and now she was safely home. The family was reunited and speaking their native German.
An elderly Polish couple who had left their farm north of Warsaw just before the 1939 German invasion was waiting to board the ferry. They were observing the joyous reunion and wondering if they would find their grandson who had fought in the underground. They wondered if their farm was still standing. But that wouldn’t matter if they could find their only remaining relative alive and well.
The Eichenwalds left the ferry terminal arm in arm. Anna turned for one last glimpse. She was to begin a new life with a new language. Her life as a German Jew would be only a memory. The emotional pain and scars would heal just as so many of her patients, even those with invasive surgeries, had healed completely over the years. This had always been a mystery to her.
* * *
In the year to come, Anna Eichenwald’s world would change dramatically. So would the world in general. In a move unprecedented in history, a winning country involved in a bloody and prolonged conflict would make an effort to rebuild the countries involved in the conflict, even those counties that had been defeated as enemies. The effort in Europe became known as the Marshall Plan, named after U.S. Secretary of State George Marshall, who helped devise the plan. Although noble, it was not totally altruistic. The plan called for massive economic aid for most of the countries that had been involved in the war. Its purpose was to create a stronger foundation for the democratic countries of Europe, leading to a bond among allied states that would resist the new menace of communism. The plan was a noble one, the motives behind, not so much.
Within two years of European peace, a new conflict would emerge, one of ideologies. It would be a struggle for the minds of people. Democracy and free market economy would be pitted against the millions of disciples of Karl Marx, who along with Friedrich Engels wrote the Communist Manifesto. Completed in 1848, it suggested a pathway for the working class, the proletariat, to overthrow the bourgeois or ruling classes. It argued that capitalism as an economic model would eventually be overthrown by communism and result in a classless society; one in which there would be no private property, and an obfuscation of individual rights.
The Russian Revolution of 1917 had led to the downfall of Nicholas II, the last Czar. Soon after, he was executed by the Bolshevik leaders along with his entire Royal family. The coup d’etat was completed with a civil war and the communists took control of the Soviet Government. Vladimir Lenin, leader of the Bolsheviks, died in 1924 at age 53. An assassination attempt left him with a stroke
that eventually took his life.
The vacuum of power was eventually filled by Joseph Stalin, the General Secretary of the Communist Party. He brazenly elevated himself to dictator through the killing of millions of his own countrymen. His tactics were political purges of repression, persecution and execution to gain control. It was not unlike the strategy that Hitler used a few years later. Now with Hitler gone, Stalin’s goal was to impose Marxist ideology on as much of Europe as possible.
Anna and her family indirectly benefited by the Marshall Plan, as did most people in England because that country received the largest share of the $17 billion in aid. The economies of every European nation were stabilized, but none more than England and France. In the months that followed, Anna’s interest turned more and more toward stabilizing her own future and finding a way to re-establish her calling as a physician and surgeon.
While Joseph Stalin was helping the Bolsheviks overthrow the Czar, another Russian, Chaim Weizmann, was laying the foundation to establish a state of a different kind. During WWI, while serving as acting director of British Admiralty Laboratories, he developed a friendship with Arthur Balfour, who had been Prime Minister from 1902 to 1905. As Foreign Secretary, Balfour was influential in supporting Weizmann’s Zionism, the desire for the establishment of a Jewish State in Palestine. A 1917 document, known as the Balfour Declaration, was a government paper that set a policy to “view with favor” the establishment of a national home for Jewish people in Palestine.