Saturday, August 9, 2008, 8:30 pm - John Dam Plaza, Richland, Washington
The Atomic Cities Peace Memorial ceremony, sponsored by World Citizens for Peace, is held annually on August 9, the anniversary of the Nagasaki atomic bombing. It takes place at the John Dam Plaza across from the Federal Building in Richland, Washington, at 8:30 pm.
The one-hour program of song, speech, and prayer remembers the past with hope for the future. Highlight of the ceremony is ringing of the "Bell of Peace" – a gift from the mayor of Nagasaki to the city of Richland on the 40th anniversary of the atomic bombing. The "Bell of Peace" is a model of a bell that was recovered from the ruins of a church at ground zero in Nagasaki.
In accordance with the Memorial's theme of reconciliation, the "Bell of Peace" is rung in memory of those who died on both sides of the war – the Americans who died at Pearl Harbor as well as the Japanese who died in Nagasaki. Because of Richlanders' historic role in producing the plutonium that fueled the Nagasaki atomic bomb, the "Bell of Peace" model uniquely symbolizes the spirit of reconciliation.