From the July 20, 2008 Cleveland Plain Dealer by Brian Albrecht.
On May 15, 1945, the Reverend Archie Mitchell, his wife and five kids went for an outing in the woods near Bly, Oregon. While out there, they found a large deflated balloon in a tree and while investigating it, set off a fragmentation bomb, killing all but the minister.
The Mitchells were the only civilian casualties of a Japanese attack on the US mainland during World War II.
Their gravestones read "Killed by enemy balloon bomb."
A NEW WAY TO ATTACK
Between November 1944 and April 1945, the Japanese launched some 9,000 balloon bombs into the high westerly winds going from Japan to the United States. An estimated 1,000 Fu Gu balloons completed the trip with 300 confirmed.
Landings and sightings were reported from Mexico all the way to Canada and as far east as Michigan. The US government persuaded the media to hold off on their reports on it to avoid a wide-spread panic and further hatred of Japanese-American citizens. Plus, they landed mostly in unpopulated areas.
More to Come. --Cooter
No comments:
Post a Comment