>>> ON THIS DATE 75 YEARS AGO, A
UNITED STATES ARMY AIR FORCE
B-29 DROPPED A 10,000 POUND
PLUTONIUM BOMB NICKNAMED FAT MAN
OVER THE CITY OF NAGASAKI,
JAPAN, THREE DAYS AFTER
HIROSHIMA.
JAPAN SURRENDERED LESS THAN A
WEEK LATER.
THE DECISION BY PRESIDENT TRUMAN
TO USE THE ATOMIC BOMB HAS BEEN
DEBATED EVER SINCE.
HOW DOES IT LOOK THREE-QUARTERS
OF A CENTURY LATER, ESPECIALLY
FROM THE VANTAGE POINT OF
SOMEONE WHO WAS THERE ON THE
GROUND?
HARRY SMITH HAS OUR SUNDAY
SPOTLIGHT.
>> Reporter: JULY 16, 1945.
THE FIRST SUCCESSFUL DETONATION
OF A NUCLEAR WEAPON IN NEW
MEXICO, THE HEAD OF THE
LABORATORY, REACTED THIS WAY.
>> I HAVE BECOME DEATH, THE
DESTROYER OF WORLDS.
WE ALL THOUGHT THAT.
>> Reporter: LESS THAN A MONTH
LATER, AN A BOMB IS DROPPED BOMB
HIROSHIMA.
IT EXPLODES 2,000 FEET ABOVE THE
EARTH.
TENS OF THOUSANDS DIE INSTANTLY.
>> WE SHALL COMPLETELY DESTROY
JAPAN'S POWER TO MAKE WAR.
>> Reporter: THREE DAYS LATER,
NAGASAKI IS THE TARGET, WITH A
SIMILAR RESULT.
AN AMERICAN THEN 7 YEARS OLD HAD
BEEN ON THE ROOF AT HIS
GRANDPARENTS' HOME MANY
HIROSHIMA.
HIS GRANDMOTHER INSIST HE HAD
COME DOWN.
>> IF WE STAYED ON THE ROOF WHEN
THE BOMB EXPLODED, WE WOULD HAVE
BEEN BURNT TO A CRISP.
>> Reporter: HOWARD SAYS ONE WAY
TO UNDERSTAND THE HORROR OF THE
DAY IS TO LOOK AT THE NUMBERS OF
AMERICAN LIVES LOST THUS FAR TO
COVID-19.
>> EIGHT MONTHS.
ONE PRIMITIVE BOMB IN HIROSHIMA
KILLED THE SAME NUMBER OF PEOPLE
IN A FRACTION OF A SECOND.
>> Reporter: AS SOON AS THE
SOVIET UNION HAD A NUCLEAR
WEAPONS, THE ARMS RACE WAS ON.
BABY BOOMERS WERE TAUGHT TO DO
THIS.
>> IT WAS LUDICROUS, AS YOU WILL
RECALL.
WE ALL HAD DRILLS TO HIDE UNDER
OUR DESKS.
>> Reporter: AN AMBASSADOR
NEGOTIATED NUCLEAR CONTROL
ISSUES WITH BOTH NORTH KOREA AND
IRAN.
HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI ARE THE
ONLY TIMES IN HISTORY THAT
NUCLEAR WEAPONS HAVE BEEN USED.
WHAT DID THE WORLD LEARN FROM
THAT?
>> THE WORLD LEARNED THAT
NUCLEAR WEAPONS SHOULD ONLY BE A
DETERRENT, NOT A WAR FIGHTING
WEAPON.
NOW IT APPEARS THAT MANY
COUNTRIES ARE CONSIDERING THAT
THERE MIGHT COME A TIME WHEN
THEY WOULD USE A NUCLEAR WEAPON.
>> Reporter: WHILE THE U.S. AND
RUSSIAN STOCKPILES ARE SHADOWS
OF THEIR FORMER SELVES, NORTH
KOREA IS BELIEVED TO HAVE 20 AND
IRAN LOOKS TO BE INCHING TOWARD
A NUCLEAR WEAPON.
DO YOU THINK THERE'S ENOUGH
TENSION IN THE WORLD IN CERTAIN
PLACES THAT SOMEONE WOULD MAKE A
PURPOSEFULLY WRONG DECISION AND
USE A NUCLEAR WEAPON?
>> I HOPE NOT.
I REALLY HOPE NOT.
I DON'T THINK ACTUALLY THERE'S
ANY COUNTRY THAT REALLY WANTS A
NUCLEAR WAR.
BUT I THINK THROUGH INADVERTENT
OR ACCIDENT YOU COULD SEE AN
ESCALATION THAT MIGHT TAKE US
THERE.
>> IT'S IMPORTANT WE UNDERSTAND
THE MISERY AND TERROR AND DEATH
THAT IT CAUSED.
IF WE WERE TO PULL THOSE STORIES
TOGETHER AND PRESENT IT TO THE
WORLD, THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE
MISTAKES, I THINK THAT WOULD BE
A WONDERFUL TASK