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OPINION - BEATRICE FIHN
It is very likely that humanity would not exist if not for the Hibakusha—those who survived, 75 years ago this week, the nuclear destruction of Hiroshima, and Nagasaki three days later.
That may seem like an overstatement but with tremendous courage and little fanfare the only people who have experienced nuclear war made it their mission to ensure no others would. They defied stigma at home and US government efforts to keep them and their horrifying first-hand witness hidden. They came forward and transformed 'Hibakusha' from a mark of shame to a nuclear-scarred badge of courage.