Documenting Hiroshima of 1946: May 17, U.S. Army Lieutenant appointed reconstruction advisor
May 17, 2025
by Maho Yamamoto, Staff Writer
On May 17, 1946, U.S. Army Lieutenant John Montgomery was appointed as reconstruction advisor for the city of Hiroshima and attended a meeting of the city’s reconstruction council held at city hall. Following the city’s request for assistance from the occupation forces, the 26-year-old lieutenant, who had studied city planning at university, was appointed. On the same day, the Chugoku Shimbun reported on him: “Beyond love and hate, (Montgomery agrees to offer guidance.”
Introducing him at the council meeting, Mayor Shichiro Kihara said, “I believe he will make a significant contribution to the reconstruction of our city,” according to the meeting’s minutes held at the Hiroshima Municipal Archives. Major Harvey Sutton, a military doctor from the British Commonwealth forces, also joined.
A proposal to build a peace memorial facility had already been made during the discussion. As for the opinion that the hypocenter should be preserved, Mr. Montgomery was apprehensive about the condition of the buildings but agreed that it should be preserved. He proposed improving the condition of the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall and providing materials about the atomic bombing.”
The next day, he himself sent a letter to the General Headquarters of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Forces, inquiring whether records related to the atomic bomb damage could be used. He commuted almost every day from a post in Kure to Hiroshima and attended meetings about administrative issues as well.
Mr. Montgomery had experience as a regional planning advisor in Michigan. Regarding his appointment as advisor for the reconstruction of Hiroshima, he wrote in his book published in 1986 that he automatically accepted the appointment. He was interested in how Hiroshima would be rebuilt.
However, his term was only about one month. In an interview with the Chugoku Shimbun before his return to the U.S., he said that he hoped everyone would work together to build Hiroshima as a city of peace of the world.
He maintained ties with the city even after returning to the U.S. Former Mayor Shinso Hamai wrote in his book Genbaku Shicho (A-bomb Mayor) published in 1967: “He always sent a message by telegram when the Peace Festival was held.” While teaching at Harvard and other universities in the U.S., Mr. Montogomery often visited Hiroshima. In 1999, he was invited to speak at a symposium held by the city to mark the 50th anniversary of the enactment of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial City Construction Law.
(Originally published on May 17, 2025)
On May 17, 1946, U.S. Army Lieutenant John Montgomery was appointed as reconstruction advisor for the city of Hiroshima and attended a meeting of the city’s reconstruction council held at city hall. Following the city’s request for assistance from the occupation forces, the 26-year-old lieutenant, who had studied city planning at university, was appointed. On the same day, the Chugoku Shimbun reported on him: “Beyond love and hate, (Montgomery agrees to offer guidance.”
Introducing him at the council meeting, Mayor Shichiro Kihara said, “I believe he will make a significant contribution to the reconstruction of our city,” according to the meeting’s minutes held at the Hiroshima Municipal Archives. Major Harvey Sutton, a military doctor from the British Commonwealth forces, also joined.
A proposal to build a peace memorial facility had already been made during the discussion. As for the opinion that the hypocenter should be preserved, Mr. Montgomery was apprehensive about the condition of the buildings but agreed that it should be preserved. He proposed improving the condition of the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall and providing materials about the atomic bombing.”
The next day, he himself sent a letter to the General Headquarters of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Forces, inquiring whether records related to the atomic bomb damage could be used. He commuted almost every day from a post in Kure to Hiroshima and attended meetings about administrative issues as well.
Mr. Montgomery had experience as a regional planning advisor in Michigan. Regarding his appointment as advisor for the reconstruction of Hiroshima, he wrote in his book published in 1986 that he automatically accepted the appointment. He was interested in how Hiroshima would be rebuilt.
However, his term was only about one month. In an interview with the Chugoku Shimbun before his return to the U.S., he said that he hoped everyone would work together to build Hiroshima as a city of peace of the world.
He maintained ties with the city even after returning to the U.S. Former Mayor Shinso Hamai wrote in his book Genbaku Shicho (A-bomb Mayor) published in 1967: “He always sent a message by telegram when the Peace Festival was held.” While teaching at Harvard and other universities in the U.S., Mr. Montogomery often visited Hiroshima. In 1999, he was invited to speak at a symposium held by the city to mark the 50th anniversary of the enactment of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial City Construction Law.
(Originally published on May 17, 2025)
