On Sept. 9, 1942, Japanese Warrant Flying Officer Nobuo Fujita (1911-1997), & Petty Officer Okuda Shoji,(KIA, 1944)flew a Yokosuka E 14 Y seaplane, (USA class nickname "Glen") from the submarine I 25(Sunk by US destroyers off the New Hebrides, Sept. 3, 1943) to drop two incendiary bombs on Wheeler Ridge on Mt. Emily, OR. The intent was to start a large forest fire to drain US resources on the West Coast.
Only one bomb detonated; the other failed to burst & has not been found to this day. However, the bombs were not dropped from the correct height, limiting the spread of its incendiary material, plus, it had recently rained heavily in that area, enabling officers from two fire watch towers to contain the fires til a firefithting squad arrived to extinguish them, with no damage. Fujita's plane returned safely to the sub.
Fujita flew a 2nd such bombing mission near Cape Blanco, OR, on Sept. 29, & again returned safely, but no American spotted any fire, & the attack went unnoticed by Americans. However, on the way back to Japan, I-25 sank SS Camden, a destroyer,& SSLarry Doheny , a tanker. She also sank a Soviet sub, L-16, she mistook for an American one.
Fujita went on to fly several more recon missions until he was sent to train kamikaze pilots. (But not to become one.) After the war, he became ashamed of his actions in the war. News of this reached Brookings, OR, which he had overflown coming & going on his 1st bombing mission, & he was invited to visit the town. He brought his family's katana that he intended to use to commit seppuku if his reception was hostile. However, Brookings treated him with affection & respect, which touched him deeply. He visited the town several more times & arranged for 3 female students from the local high school to visit Japan. Later, he helped the town raise funds for a new library, which is the largest in Oregon.
A few days before his 1997 death, he was made an honorary citizen of Brookings.
These were the first, and only, times the US mainland was bombed by an enemy aircraft.
This story shows that former enemies CAN become good friends ! I hope more Americans can apply these principles to end the strife between many black & many white Americans ! AND LET'S MAKE SURE GOD IS INVOLVED ![/I]
Only one bomb detonated; the other failed to burst & has not been found to this day. However, the bombs were not dropped from the correct height, limiting the spread of its incendiary material, plus, it had recently rained heavily in that area, enabling officers from two fire watch towers to contain the fires til a firefithting squad arrived to extinguish them, with no damage. Fujita's plane returned safely to the sub.
Fujita flew a 2nd such bombing mission near Cape Blanco, OR, on Sept. 29, & again returned safely, but no American spotted any fire, & the attack went unnoticed by Americans. However, on the way back to Japan, I-25 sank SS Camden, a destroyer,& SSLarry Doheny , a tanker. She also sank a Soviet sub, L-16, she mistook for an American one.
Fujita went on to fly several more recon missions until he was sent to train kamikaze pilots. (But not to become one.) After the war, he became ashamed of his actions in the war. News of this reached Brookings, OR, which he had overflown coming & going on his 1st bombing mission, & he was invited to visit the town. He brought his family's katana that he intended to use to commit seppuku if his reception was hostile. However, Brookings treated him with affection & respect, which touched him deeply. He visited the town several more times & arranged for 3 female students from the local high school to visit Japan. Later, he helped the town raise funds for a new library, which is the largest in Oregon.
A few days before his 1997 death, he was made an honorary citizen of Brookings.
These were the first, and only, times the US mainland was bombed by an enemy aircraft.
This story shows that former enemies CAN become good friends ! I hope more Americans can apply these principles to end the strife between many black & many white Americans ! AND LET'S MAKE SURE GOD IS INVOLVED ![/I]
