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80 years after atomic bombs were dropped on Japan, commemorating the victims and survivors

AZPM | By Mark McLemore

Published August 6, 2025 at 9:07 AM MST

The Bomb White Plume hero

postcard unsized — A part of the “Citizen / Enemy: Japanese Incarceration Camps” exhibit from 2023 at the Tucson Desert Art Museum.

80 years after atomic bombs were dropped on Japan, commemorating the victims and survivors

Featured on the August 7th, 2025 edition of ARIZONA SPOTLIGHT with host Mark McLemore:

This week, the world commemorates the 80th anniversary of the United States dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. The loss of life was catastrophic. Mark talks with Min Yanagihashi, a retired University of Arizona professor who was 10 years old in 1945, and has written about his experience in the book “The Japanese American Experience: Change & Continuity”.

Prof Min and Book hero — Prof. Min Yanagihashi, author of "The Japanese American Experience: Change & Continuity" (2022).

Mark also talks with Gloria McMillan, one of the organizers of a memorial held in Tucson last Sunday. The event helped raise awareness and give visitors of all ages a chance to pay respects to the victims and the survivors. In addition to her anti-nuclear activism, for 20 years McMillan has worked to overcome the lack of communication between science and the humanities using science fiction. She is the co-founder and co-artistic director of Planet Zoom Players, and some of their past plays include ["The Terror Out of Space"](

["The Crystal Egg"](

and ["Rock the Nuclear Clock"](

Gloria McMillan Studio unsized — Gloria McMillan in the AZPM Radio Studio.

Sadako UA Library hero — Sadako, the Tucson street puppet, with friends at the University of Arizona Library.

Present Day Hiroshima and Nagasaki unsized — Present day Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Path to Peaceful Future unsized — "Mayors for Peace" believes it is important to foster a culture of peace amongst the public, so that their everyday actions will be grounded in thinking about peace.

Kanji Drawing 2 — At the 80th remembrance event of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, guests used Kanji stencils to write words of peace.

Kanji Drawing 1 — Kanji stenciling of the words "peace" and "dream".

Tree Planting at El Pueblo — In 1980, a peace tree was planted in memorial of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. It was planted at the El Pueblo Neighborhood Center by Tusconans joined with Japanese delegation.

Memorial Stone El Pueblo — Ted Warmbrand, a local peace activist, with the peace tree and memorial stone thirty years after it was planted in 1980 at the El Pueblo Neighborhood Center.

Community Sing — Ted Warmbrand, a local peace activist, will be performing for the "Community Sing" on Sunday August 17th.

As a bartender, Joshua Lillie is privy to a lot of things many Tucsonans would rather not remember. As a poet, he bears witness to the changing seasons of human nature, as his new collection “Small Talk Symphony” demonstrates. Hear an interview about why the written word calls to Lillie, and some samples of his work.

Joshua Lillie Studio unsized — Joshua Lillie, author of "Small Talk Symphony", in the AZPM Radio Studio.

Small Talk Symphony unsized — "Small Talk Symphony" by Joshua Lillie.

Joshua Lillie Home unsized — Joshua Lillie at home deliberating on his poetry.

Arizona Spotlight

Arizona Spotlight airs every Thursday at 8:30 am and 6:00 pm and every Friday at 8:00 pm on NPR 89.1 FM / 1550 AM. You can subscribe to our podcast on Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, or the NPR App. See more from Arizona Spotlight.

Webpage by Zoe Juliano.

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Mark McLemore

Mark McLemore is the host of Arizona Spotlight on NPR 89.1, a weekly radio show with a very wide beat.

See stories by Mark McLemore