
Swiss physician Marcel Junod was assigned as the director of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Japan office during the final stage of WWⅡ. He headed to his new post through Siberia. On his way to Japan, he met with US military Lieutenant General Jonathan Mayhew Wainwright at a detention center for Japanese prisoners of war. This meeting had proven valuable after the war ended―Junod was able to procure humanitarian aid from Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers, American General Douglas MacArthur. Just a month after the bomb, Junod pulled an unthinkable.
On September 8th, 1945, Junod landed in Hiroshima, bringing with him 15 tons of military medical supplies on six US military planes. That was a month’s worth of medication for one million injured people. However, Junod could not make it to Nagasaki for various reasons. He later served as Vice President of the ICRC, but his life was cut short at the age of 57 due to a heart attack. Until his death, he spoke about the choice humankind is faced with -- either annihilation by using nuclear weapons, or abolishment of such weapons.
By learning about Junod, participants can understand the background of the ICRC and the philosophy of humanitarian work around the world.