Clifton Truman Daniel Leads 80th Hiroshima Memorial as Part of HOPE80 North America
- lawrencelefcort
- Aug 14
- 3 min read
Clifton Truman Daniel, eldest grandson of U.S. President Harry S. Truman, carried the Flame of Hope to the Hiroshima 80th Memorial Toro Nagashi Lantern Ceremony hosted by the Japanese Culture Center in Chicago, Illinois. Attended by more than 200 people, the event marked the launch of the North American leg of HOPE80 — a historic global peace pilgrimage.
“During our first visit to Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 2012, we met more than two dozen Hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors),” said Mr. Truman Daniel. “They did not come with anger or recrimination. They came with one purpose — to tell us their stories so that we could understand the true horror of a nuclear explosion. And they asked us to please keep telling these stories so that we never do this again.”
HOPE80 Launches in 2025
In a deeply symbolic act of remembrance and reconciliation, descendants of some of the most prominent World War II leaders will travel to Japan in September 2025 to continue the HOPE80 Global Peace Pilgrimage, carrying the Flame of Hope — a sacred fire created from 16 historic peace flames, including embers from Hiroshima.
The journey marks 80 years since the end of World War II and brings together grandchildren and great-grandchildren of former enemies, now walking side-by-side in peace. The international delegation includes:
Lucy Sandys, great-granddaughter of Winston Churchill
Tushar Gandhi, great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi
Clifton Truman Daniel, grandson of U.S. President Harry S. Truman
Hidetoshi Tojo, great-grandson of Prime Minister Hideki Tojo
Jennifer Teege, granddaughter of Nazi commander Amon Göth and author of My Grandfather Would Have Shot Me
Flame of Hope Marks Hiroshima 80th Anniversary at Montreal Peace Ceremony
Every year, Hiroshima holds a ceremony to commemorate the atomic bombing of August 6, 1945, and to express hopes for peace and a brighter future. As Hiroshima’s sister city, Montreal hosted the 28th edition of its own Peace Ceremony at the Peace Bell in the Japanese Garden at Montreal’s Botanical Gardens, in sync with the Hiroshima event. The Flame of Hope was present alongside more than 100 attendees, including the Consul General of Japan, Mr. Jun Saito.
Flame of Hope Honors Hiroshima Memorial and Nagasaki Peace Day Summit in Wisconsin
On August 6th, along with Physicians for Social Responsibility Wisconsin, Flame of Hope USA co-sponsored Lanterns for Peace in Madison, WI, an important evening of remembrance and unity marking the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Over two hundred attendees honored the past and envisioned a bright and peaceful future for the world.
Three days later, on August 9 — the anniversary of the Nagasaki bombing — Flame of Hope USA took part in the Nagasaki Peace Day Summit in Madison, WI. The summit provided Wisconsin peacemakers with an opportunity to share ideas, strategies, and possibilities for united action. The event was facilitated by journalist Esty Dinur, Friday host of A Public Affair on WORT-FM.
Next Stop: Japan, September 2025
The Flame of Hope will soon return to Japan — not only to Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but also to the Osaka World Expo, where the delegation will mark the UN International Day of Peace on September 21.
“As Gandhi’s great-grandson, walking in Hiroshima is both painful and sacred,” said Tushar Gandhi. “We cannot change the past, but we can transform its meaning.”
“We carry this flame not as politicians, but as grandchildren of war, choosing peace,” said Lucy Sandys.
While in Japan, the HOPE80 delegation will meet with government officials, local peace leaders, survivors, and young people — uniting across generations to share a message of hope and healing.
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