"I can't live for another 50 years," said Koko Kondo, 75, who was an 8-month old baby in her mother's arms when their house collapsed from the blast about a half-mile away. "I want each child to live a full life, and that means we have to abolish nuclear weapons right now."
Even after so many years, too many nuclear remain, Kondo said, adding, "We are not screaming loud enough for the whole world to hear."
Kondo, who survived is the daughter of the Rev. Kiyoshi Tanimoto, one of six atomic bomb survivors featured in John Hersey's book "Hiroshima." She struggled for decades until she reached middle age to overcome the pain she experienced in her teens and the rejection of her fiance.
She was almost 40 when she decided to follow her father's path and become a peace activist. She was inspired by his last sermon, in which he spoke about devoting his life to Hiroshima's recovery.
--GreGen
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