![]() On August 6, 1945, two-year old Sadako Sasaki was at home in Hiroshima, Japan when the United States dropped an atomic bomb on her city. Soon after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Imperial Japan surrendered and World War II came to an end, but the impacts of the bomb were just beginning to reveal themselves. Sadako sustained no obvious injuries in the bombing. Ten years later, she began having medical complications. After a diagnosis of leukemia, called atomic bomb disease by some in Hiroshima, Sadako was hospitalized. A Japanese legend says that folding 1,000 origami cranes grants the folder a wish, and Sadako set to work creating her cranes. From her hospital bed Sadako folded 1,300 cranes before her death just months later. The origami crane has become a symbol of resilience, strength, and peace. To celebrate these values and recognize the historical trauma of the atomic bombings, the park is soliciting paper cranes with messages of peace from the public. Create an Origami Crane with a Message of PeaceSubmit an origami crane with your personal message of peace written on its wings. These cranes will be saved in a time capsule and opened in 2045 on the 100th anniversary of the atomic bombings. The park may also share these messages of peace to foster dialogue about the complex and fraught legacies of the Manhattan Project. The park is accepting cranes in three formats: traditional origami crane, a flat crane using an origami crane cut-out, and digital messages of peace. The links below provide detailed instructions for each option. Choose the option that works best for you. Submission OptionsFolding an origami crane can be a fun challenge especially if this is your first time making one. The directions below may help you fold your crane. There are also numerous resources on the internet and helpful videos on YouTube. Please use standard origami paper size of 6x6 inch (150 x150 mm) squares. Due to space limitations, do not submit cranes that are larger than 6x6 inches (150 x150 mm). You may write you message of peace on the origami paper before you fold your crane or write your message on its wings after you have created your crane. Hanford Unit Manhattan Project NHP 2000 Logston Blvd Richland, WA 99354
Los Alamos Unit Manhattan Project NHP 475 20th St Los Alamos, NM 87544
Oak Ridge Unit Manhattan Project NHP 461 W. Outer Drive Oak Ridge, TN 37830 Download and print the flat crane template below. To download the template, right click on the image and select “save image as” to save the template to your computer. Once downloaded and saved, the template can be printed from your computer. Hanford Unit Manhattan Project NHP 2000 Logston Blvd Richland, WA 99354
Los Alamos Unit Manhattan Project NHP 475 20th St Los Alamos, NM 87544
Oak Ridge Unit Manhattan Project NHP 461 W. Outer Drive Oak Ridge, TN 37830 To submit your digital messages of peace, e-mail us or post on your social media platforms and use the #ManhattanProjectNPSCranes hashtag. Park staff may publicly share these messages of peace in educational and interpretive materials and programs, on our website, and on our social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Digital messages of peace may also be printed and included in the time capsule that will be opened in 2045. All messages of peace will be shared anonymously unless permission is expressly stated in the email that the National Park Service may credit your message of peace using your first name only. If you are interested in submitting digital artwork, please e-mail us to discuss the terms of submission before emailing the artwork. Folding Instructions ![]() Flat Crane Template ![]()
If you fold or cut out a crane, you can mail in your message of peace to the park unit that resonates with you.
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Last updated: August 3, 2020