It is hard to decide which is the case with JapanÂ’s Tsutomu Yamaguchi. After all, there canÂ’t be many folks who can claim to have survived not just one of the worldÂ’s two uses of an atomic bomb on a populated area, but both of them.

A 93-year-old Japanese man has become the first person certified as a survivor of both U.S. atomic bombings at the end of World War II, officials said Tuesday.

Tsutomu Yamaguchi had already been a certified "hibakusha," or radiation survivor, of the Aug. 9, 1945, atomic bombing in Nagasaki, but has now been confirmed as surviving the attack on Hiroshima three days earlier as well, city officials said.

Yamaguchi was in Hiroshima on a business trip on Aug. 6, 1945, when a U.S. B-29 dropped an atomic bomb on the city. He suffered serious burns to his upper body and spent the night in the city. He then returned to his hometown of Nagasaki just in time for the second attack, city officials said.

Like I ask above, is Yamaguchi a guy who can claim to have been doubly lucky in having survived both bombs? Or is he doubly unlucky for having been at the site of both? It is one of those questions to ponder. WouldnÂ’t it be fascinating, though, to be able to meet him and talk to him about those experiences?

Posted by: Greg at 12:11 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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