When the Japanese Bombed Oregon
The only US Mainland aircraft bombing by Japan in WWII and the unlikely relationship that followed
On September 9, 1942, a small plane was launched from a submarine aircraft carrier off the Pacific coast. Nobuo Fujita, the plane’s pilot, had one mission: to ignite a forest in Oregon and burn the surrounding towns. He did not know if he would come back alive.
The incident
A few minutes after arriving in Oregon, Fujita dropped the first bomb on a patch of forest trees in Wheeler Ridge. It detonated, but lookout Howard Gardener quickly spotted the fumes. Gardener radioed authorities and promptly set out to the location where he had seen the smoke start. He suspected that lightning caused the embers but soon came to the frightening realization that the enemy had just bombed the forest.
At the bombsight, Gardener and his team quickly put out the fire. Luckily, the rains prior dampened the forest, which helped contain the blaze. Fujita also dropped a second bomb in an unidentified area, but its fire did no significant damage.
Now spotted by the US forces, Fujita was forced to retreat. Fujita’s submarine sank several Allied ships on its way home.
