The atomic bombing of Nagasaki

In 1945, in the aftermath of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, a 10-year-old Japanese boy stood in attention at a cremation site, carrying his deceased baby brother on his back. The boy, barefoot and expressionless, stood in silence as he brought his sibling for cremation.

Joe O’Donnell, the American photojournalist who captured this haunting moment, later recalled the scene in an interview:

“At first, I thought he was just another child carrying a younger sibling, as was common in Japan. But something about him was different—his posture, his stillness. He wasn’t playing; he had come with purpose. His face was set in a hard expression, his little brother’s head tilted back as if peacefully asleep.

For several minutes, the boy stood unmoving. Then, men wearing white masks approached, gently untying the rope that secured the baby to his back. That was when I realized—the baby was already gone. Without a word, the men took the small body, holding it carefully by the hands and feet, and placed it onto the fire.

Through it all, the boy did not flinch. He simply watched the flames, standing straight, his lips pressed so tightly together that they bled. As the fire dimmed like the setting sun, he turned and walked away in silence.”