To communicate the truths of history is an act of hope for the future. We thus owe it to the youthful generations of the 21st century to communicate the hatred of war, the commitment to peace, that was engraved in so many lives on Aug. 15, 1945.

A survey conducted in Japan last year revealed disturbing realities: It found that only 45 percent of Japanese in their 20s -- and a scant 26 percent in their teens -- could accurately date the end of World War II. And asked if they thought Japan would go to war during their lifetimes, 15 percent of those in their 20s responded "yes." One in four teenagers expects to experience war.

These attitudes are not unrelated. A healthy vision of the future is not possible without an accurate knowledge of the past.