Meditating on a survivor's memories, "I Was There" traces the experience of a physician who recounted his day as a rare witness of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Saving American lives is a commonly accepted narrative of why the US government dropped the bomb. This narrative, however, contradicts the findings of personal letters, documents, and arsenal photography housed at the Truman Presidential Museum. The evidence uncovers a reason for testing the atomic bomb on humans – competing for war power against Russia and securing U. S. dominance in global politics.