“Little Boy had a blast yield of 15 KiloTons of TNT. This gave it a blast radius of 1 mile.”

One August 6, 1945 the US Army Air Forces dropped the uranium-fueled Little Boy atomic bomb over Hiroshima in the first of only two atomic bombings of a population in history. Instantly killing 80,000 people and ultimately over 140,000 people as the after effects are still happening today. 

The man who was chosen by the A.A.F. to usher in the Atomic Age is a dark-haired, twenty-nine-year-old full colonel named Paul W. Tibbets, Jr.

Little Boy had a blast yield of 15 KiloTons of TNT. This gave it a blast radius of 1 mile. Meaning, everything within 1 mile was completely destroyed; turned to dust because of the intense heat.

The Manhattan Project in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Known as the “Secret City,” was a key location in the Manhattan Project during World War II. The city was created in 1942 to support efforts in developing the atomic bomb, which ultimately played a critical role in ending the war with Japan. Oakridge produced the enriched uranium used in the Little Boy atomic bomb. 

The idea for the International Friendship Bell emerged in the 1990s, during the 50th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Leaders in Oak Ridge saw the anniversary as an opportunity not only to reflect on the past but also to foster a message of peace and hope for the future.

The bell was designed by renowned artist and bell maker, Masahiko Katori, and cast in Kyoto, Japan. 

The International Friendship bell is a symbol of unity that carries the message of peace and friendship into the future.

At nearly seven feet tall and five feet wide, this 8,000 pound bronze bell hangs at A.K.  Bisselll Park in Oakridge. The design is a fusion of traditional Japanese craftsmanship and elements that symbolize peace and friendship. Inscribed on the bell are images of cherry blossoms, symbolic in both American and Japanese cultures, alongside oak leaves, which represent Oak Ridge.

Members of the public may ring the bell whenever they’d like and for whatever reason speaks to them, including for lives lost in service and sacrifice and peace.

Each year on Aug 6, park staff invite the public to ring the bell to commemorate the number of years since the bombings.

Address: Oakridge TN