Hiroshima/Nagasaki memorial vigil

WARWICK — On Monday, Aug. 6, 23 people and one dog gathered at Lewis Park in the Village of Warwick to commemorate those who died as a result of the atomic bombs dropped by the United States on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, on Aug. 6 and 9, 1945.

With flowers in hand, people stood in silence beside a banner which read “Hiroshima and Nagasaki: 67 years ago - Never Again.”

Other messages carried by the vigilers included “No Nukes - Not for War, Not for Peace;” “War is Not the Answer;” and “An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind (Mahatma Ghandi).”

The many people passing by in their vehicles and on foot indicated overwhelmingly their support of the vigil’s messages.

“I think the best way to mourn and honor the victims of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki 67 years ago today is for the United States and Russia to abolish their huge stockpiles of nuclear weapons and vow that such terrible weapons will never be used again,” said Patricia DeBruhl, who was among the people who stood.

Added Emily Boardman: “Fukushima (the nuclear disaster triggered by earthquakes in Japan last year) reminds us of our vulnerability to nuclear accidents, even with peaceful uses.”

Boardman also noted that Warwick is only 35 miles from the Indian Point nuclear facility.

Organizations working to close this aged nuclear facility on the Hudson River advise first-responder evacuation plans for any community within 50 miles of the plant. Currently, plans are in place for a 10-mile radius should evacuation be necessary.

The vigil was organized by Warwick Women in Black. The group joined the international movement of Women in Black in the fall of 2002 as the United States began preparing to invade Iraq. Women in Black around the world join in “mourning lives lost to war. “

This article was provided by Alice McMechen of Warwick.