In a shocking turn of events, the life-size bronze statue commemorating Sadako Sasaki, a young girl who survived the devastating Hiroshima bombing during World War II, has gone missing from Seattle’s Peace Park. The statue, which stood as a symbol of peace for decades, was discovered stolen on Friday morning, with its ankles cut by the perpetrators.
Sadako Sasaki’s story is one of resilience and hope. At the tender age of two, she miraculously survived the atomic bomb that rocked Hiroshima in 1945. Tragically, due to the radiation exposure, she developed leukemia and passed away ten years later. Dr. Floyd Schmoe, a Quaker, utilized the prize money he received from winning the Hiroshima Peace Prize to create Peace Park, where the statue of Sadako stood, purposefully placed at a busy intersection.
Measuring five feet tall, the life-size bronze statue of Sadako has become an iconic representation of peace and remembrance. It has been a focal point for visitors, adorned with paper cranes, symbolizing the thousand cranes Sadako folded before her untimely death. Her story, beautifully depicted in the book “Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes,” has touched the hearts of thousands of children worldwide since its publication in 1977.
This unfortunate incident is not the first time the statue has faced adversity. In December 2003, it was vandalized, with the arm broken and the nose and ankle damaged. However, the community rallied together, and within eight months, the statue was restored to its original state.
Authorities, including the Seattle Police and the Parks Department, have launched an investigation into the theft. Additionally, every scrap metal yard within a 100-mile radius has been alerted to keep an eye out for the stolen statue. The University Friends Meeting, a Quaker meeting, is actively involved in efforts to locate and retrieve the precious artwork.
Experts estimate that between 150,000 and 246,000 individuals lost their lives in the aftermath of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The long-term effects of radiation exposure continue to claim lives even years after the initial devastation. The Columbia University Center for Nuclear Studies highlights the challenge of differentiating between those who died from the immediate impact of the bombs and those who succumbed to the aftereffects.
