At 8:15 a.m. Tuesday morning, the resonating tone of the gong could be heard downtown Ashland, when a crowd gathered at the entrance to Lithia Park to commemorate the US atomic bombing of Hiroshima at the same time of day in 1945. The event included spirited remarks by Dr. Rev. Fred Grewe, Herbert Rothschild, and Elizabeth Hallett.

When Dr. Hideko Tamura Snider spoke, the crowd was silent with reverence for her strength and insight while hearing her descriptions of the “darkest moment of her life,” when the nuclear bomb detonated and she was within the mushroom cloud.

An excellent recap of the event is available at Ashland.news, and we are grateful for everyone who participated. All of the photos below were taken by Allen Hallmark.

Observances of the Hiroshima bombing anniversary on August 6 took place in many locations around the world, and, like Ashland, many cities declared the day Hiroshima Day.

The event was sponsored by Peace House and Co-Sponsored by the following organizations:
• Ashland Together
• Ashland Congregational United Church of Christ
• FCNL: Rogue Valley Advocates
• Medford Congregational United Church of Christ
• One Sunny Day Initiatives
• South Mountain Friends Meeting
• Southern Oregon Peace Vets
• Southern Oregon Pachamama Alliance
• Trinity Episcopal Church