Posted on May 5, 2016
BLY -- JAPANESE BALLOON BOMB INCIDENT OF WORLD WAR II
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Mitchell Monument
On May 5, 1945, a pregnant woman (Elsie Winters Mitchell, born February 26, 1919) and five children were killed when they discovered a balloon bomb that had landed in the forest of Gearhart Mountain in Southern Oregon. Archie Mitchell was the pastor of the Bly Christian and Missionary Alliance Church. He and his pregnant wife Elsie drove up to Gearhart Mountain with five of their Sunday school students (aged 11–14) to have a picnic. They had to stop at this spot near Bly, Oregon, due to construction and a road closing. Elsie and the children got out of the car at Bly, while Archie drove on to find a parking spot. As Elsie and the children looked for a good picnic spot, they saw a strange balloon lying on the ground. As the group approached the balloon, a bomb attached to it exploded, killing Elsie and all five children instantly. Archie and several members of the road crew witnessed the explosion and immediately ran to the scene and used their hands to extinguish the fire on Elsie's and the children's clothing, but they could not save them. Two members of the road crew gathered their bearings and headed to Bly. These are the only known deaths caused by the balloon bombs. Aside from the Aleutian Islands Campaign in the Alaska Territory, they are the only known deaths in the contiguous U.S. as the result of enemy action during World War II and the only civilian casualties on American soil after the US entry into the war.
Military personnel arrived on the scene within hours, and saw that the balloon still had snow underneath it, while the surrounding area did not. They concluded that the balloon bomb had drifted to the ground several weeks earlier, and had lain there undisturbed until found by the group.
Elsie Mitchell is buried in the Ocean View Cemetery in Port Angeles, Washington. A memorial, the Mitchell Monument, is located at the point of the explosion, 110 kilometers (68 miles) northeast of Klamath Falls in the Mitchell Recreation Area. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. Several Japanese civilians have visited the monument to offer their apologies for the deaths that took place here, and several cherry trees have been planted around the monument as a symbol of peace.
1. Elsie Mitchell, age 26
2. Edward Engen, age 13
3. Jay Gifford, age 13
4. Joan Patzke, age 13
5. Dick Patzke, age 14
6. Sherman Shoemaker, age 11 https://youtu.be/jBDCsuZ5Uj8
On May 5, 1945, a pregnant woman (Elsie Winters Mitchell, born February 26, 1919) and five children were killed when they discovered a balloon bomb that had landed in the forest of Gearhart Mountain in Southern Oregon. Archie Mitchell was the pastor of the Bly Christian and Missionary Alliance Church. He and his pregnant wife Elsie drove up to Gearhart Mountain with five of their Sunday school students (aged 11–14) to have a picnic. They had to stop at this spot near Bly, Oregon, due to construction and a road closing. Elsie and the children got out of the car at Bly, while Archie drove on to find a parking spot. As Elsie and the children looked for a good picnic spot, they saw a strange balloon lying on the ground. As the group approached the balloon, a bomb attached to it exploded, killing Elsie and all five children instantly. Archie and several members of the road crew witnessed the explosion and immediately ran to the scene and used their hands to extinguish the fire on Elsie's and the children's clothing, but they could not save them. Two members of the road crew gathered their bearings and headed to Bly. These are the only known deaths caused by the balloon bombs. Aside from the Aleutian Islands Campaign in the Alaska Territory, they are the only known deaths in the contiguous U.S. as the result of enemy action during World War II and the only civilian casualties on American soil after the US entry into the war.
Military personnel arrived on the scene within hours, and saw that the balloon still had snow underneath it, while the surrounding area did not. They concluded that the balloon bomb had drifted to the ground several weeks earlier, and had lain there undisturbed until found by the group.
Elsie Mitchell is buried in the Ocean View Cemetery in Port Angeles, Washington. A memorial, the Mitchell Monument, is located at the point of the explosion, 110 kilometers (68 miles) northeast of Klamath Falls in the Mitchell Recreation Area. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. Several Japanese civilians have visited the monument to offer their apologies for the deaths that took place here, and several cherry trees have been planted around the monument as a symbol of peace.
1. Elsie Mitchell, age 26
2. Edward Engen, age 13
3. Jay Gifford, age 13
4. Joan Patzke, age 13
5. Dick Patzke, age 14
6. Sherman Shoemaker, age 11 https://youtu.be/jBDCsuZ5Uj8
WWII World War Two
American History
Memorial
Military History
Posted >1 y ago
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In WWII we were all glued to the radio on Saturday nights to listen to President Roosevelt's Fireside Chats and as kids we were not allowed to say a word as our parents wanted to hear about the war. Then when President Roosevelt finished his war updates, my Dad would listen to Walter Winchell who would often contradict what our President had just told us.
The saddest memories I have of WWII was at Sunday Mass when our Pastor would read the names of those who lost their lives from our parish at the end of each month. And very often there were names who I knew which was very upsetting & something I never forgot. But despite this news just about everyone who I knew wanted to serve in the military when they were old enough to enlist.
The saddest memories I have of WWII was at Sunday Mass when our Pastor would read the names of those who lost their lives from our parish at the end of each month. And very often there were names who I knew which was very upsetting & something I never forgot. But despite this news just about everyone who I knew wanted to serve in the military when they were old enough to enlist.
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In WWII we were being attacked on the west coast by a Japanese Submarine that had fired shells & we thought this was a preview of more to follow with Japanese troops landing in CA. And the Japanese did later land in Alaska and our troops finally drove them off.
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
Oh Yeah, I remember walking thru an old WWII Mine Field in Adak, AK and Impaling my Hiking Boot on an Antipersonnel Spike Rake in the same vicinity.
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