By Alexander Gu
Charles H. Loeb, a black war correspondent, wrote in an article published by the National Negro Publishers Association in 1945 about how the residents of Hiroshima died of radiation. The article had the title “Loeb Reflects on Atomic Bombing Zone” and was published in Atlanta Daily World.
The first part of the article was about the US cover up. The Japanese government reported death and sickness from “invisible rays” caused by the bombs. The US government denied these claims, but Loeb declared that the Japanese were right. His reporting echoed the doubt from the African American community. While he was a hero to his hometown of Cleveland, he remained mostly unknown, until now.
He also wrote in his article about the time that his press tour crossed paths with military investigations. The investigation, led by the one who directed the creation of the Atom bomb, Army Major General Leslie R. Groves, had a goal of proving that there was no radiation as a result of the bombs. She wanted the bombs to be seen as a form of conventional warfare, rather than an inhumane one, so the US military would be incredibly strong. It was also revealed that Groves knew about the effects of radiation as early as 1943 but told top officials, including the president, very little about it. However, the half of the story Groves didn’t tell soon came to light because of Loeb’s article.