Lookout Air Raid

The Lookout Air Raid of 1942 was a minor, but historic World War II event that occurred in mountains and forests of Oregon on September 9, 1942. A Japanese submarine, known as I-25, launched a "Glen" Yokosuka E14Y floatplane and dropped two incendiary bombs with the hopes of starting a forest fire. The mission was foiled by two quick acting Fire Lookouts and favorable weather conditions.

This attack was the first and only time that the continental United States has been bombed by an enemy aircraft.

The air raid

On Wednesday morning, September 9, 1942, the Japanese submarine I-25, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Meiji Tagami, surfaced west of Cape Blanco. The submarine launched a "Glen" Yokosuka E14Y floatplane, flown by Warrant Officer Nobuo Fujita [ [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2001/12/21/hartman/main322189.shtml CBS News. Steve Hartman. "A Soldier's Story: Steve Hartman Talks To An Oregon Veteran"] ] and Petty Officer Okuda Shoji with a 340 lb. load of two incendiary bombs.

Howard "Razz" Gardner spotted and reported the incoming "Glen" from his fire lookout tower on Mount Emily in the Siskiyou National Forest. Razz stated that he could hear the motor of the airplane and that it had sounded like the backfiring of a Ford Model-T automobile.

Although Razz did not directly see the bombing, he saw the smoke plume from his position and reported the fire to the dispatch office. Razz was instructed to hike out to the fire to see what suppression he could do. To support him, dispatch also sent USFS Fire Lookout, Keith V. Johnson from the nearby Bear Wallow Lookout Tower.

The two Fire Lookouts proceeded to the location of the bombing and with some effort they were able to keep the fire under control. Only a few small scattered fires were started because the bombs were not dropped from the right height.Fact|date=February 2007 The lookouts stayed on scene and worked through the night keeping the fire contained. The fire was kept small as a result of their efforts. In the morning, a fire crew arrived to help and mop up.

At the time, there was a radio black-out for weather reports and a recent rain storm kept the area wet, which created conditions that helped the fire lookouts to contain the fire. [cite news|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/10/a_bomb_a_peace_tree_and_now_a.html|title=Oregon coast trail dedicated for World War II bombing|last=Bingham|first=Larry|date=October 02, 2008|work=The Oregonian|accessdate=2008-10-03]

Aftermath

A full investigation was launched by the FBI which resulted in locating some bomb fragments. The story was reported to several news papers on September 10, 1942.

Lieut. Gen. John L. DeWitt, the Defense commander stated, "The Western Defense Command is investigating the circumstances surrounding the discovery on Sept. 9 of fragments of what appears to have been an incendiary bomb. These fragments were found by personnel of the United States Forestry Service near Mt. Emily nine miles northeast of Brookings, Or. Markings of the bomb fragments indicated that the missile was of Japanese origin." [ [http://gesswhoto.com/oregon-bombing.html "Jap Incendiary Sets Forest Fire. DeWitt's Announcement Hints Raider May Have Been Launched From Submarine Off Coast, Later Attacked by Patrol Planes"] ]

The "Glen" Yokosuka E14Y floatplane carried two bombs. The second bomb, according to the Japanese records, was dropped, but no trace of the bomb or debris has yet been found in the mountains.

Postwar aftermath

Nobuo Fujita was invited back to Brookings in 1962, after the Japanese government was assured he would not be tried as a war criminal. He gave the City of Brookings his family's 400-year-old samurai sword in friendship. Impressed by his welcome in the United States, Fujita invited three female students from Brookings to Japan in 1985. During the visit of the Brookings-Harbor High School students to Japan, Fujita received a dedicatory letter from an aide of President Ronald Reagan "with admiration for your kindness and generosity." Fujita returned to Brookings in 1990, 1992, and 1995. In 1992 he planted a tree at the bomb site as a gesture of peace. In 1995, he moved the samurai sword from the Brookings City Hall into the new library's display case. He was made an honorary citizen of Brookings several days before his death on September 30, 1997, at the age of 85. In October 1998, his daughter, Yoriko Asakura, buried some of Fujita's ashes at the bomb site.

ee also

*Attacks on United States territory in North America during World War II

References

External links

* [http://gesswhoto.com/oregon-bombing.html "Los Angeles Times" news story of September 15, 1942]
* [http://www.fs.fed.us/fstoday/080919/03.0About%20Us/trail_dedication.html Trail Dedication at Japanese Bombing Site Set] - U.S. Forest Service