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The Man Who Filmed The Aftermath Of Atomic Destruction

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The American Military Film crew that gathered footage of the aftermath of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings. (Courtesy/The Sussan Family)
The American Military Film crew that gathered footage of the aftermath of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings. (Courtesy/The Sussan Family)

President Barack Obama visited Hiroshima today, the first American president to do so. Several months after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki an American military film crew shot color footage of the devastated cities.

The film was classified top secret and critics say it was suppressed for decades because it so graphically documented the horror of nuclear war.

Reporter Jon Kalish reports for Here & Now about the man who directed the filming, and the impact it had on him and his family.

More Photos Of Herbert Sussan

Herbert Sussan, the television producer who documented the destruction left behind by the atomic bombings in Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki. (Courtesy/The Sussan Family)
Herbert Sussan, the television producer who documented the destruction left behind by the atomic bombings in Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki. (Courtesy/The Sussan Family)
A bombed-out building is seen in the aftermath of a U.S. atomic bombing. (Courtesy/The Sussan Family)
A bombed-out building is seen in the aftermath of a U.S. atomic bombing. (Courtesy/The Sussan Family)

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This segment aired on May 27, 2016.

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