HALS: Wheeler Ridge - By Megan Berryoung

Location:

HISTORIC AMERICAN LANDSCAPES SURVEY

WHEELER RIDGE JAPANESE BOMBING SITE Mt. Emily Bombing Site, Japanese Bombing Site

Megan Berryoung

NAD83/UTM Zone 10, 408080 E, 4658850 N, approximately 19 miles east of Brookings, Oregon in Curry County. The site is situated at an elevation of 1660 ft on the south-facing slope of Wheeler Ridge of the northwest ¼ of Section 22, Township 40 S, Range 12 W of the Willamette Meridian. The site is located in the vicinity (less than a mile east) of the Wheeler Creek Research Natural Area, a 334- acre Redwood forest preserve.

Present Owner: Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, 3040 Biddle Road, Medford, OR, 97504.

Access:

Present Use: The bombing site is accessible via the Forest Service (FS) 1205 road, roughly 13 miles from the South Bank Chetco River Road off of Highway 101 in Brookings, Oregon. [1] FS trail #1118 was developed in 1973 to access the site and terminates at the viewing area and platform.

World War II peace memorial

Significance: Japanese Imperial submarine, the I-25, took part in the bombardment of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, an event that launched America into World War II. In retaliation, America bombed Tokyo the following April and is commonly referred to as the Doolittle Air Raid. Subsequently, the Japanese dispatched the I-25 submarine to sail across the Pacific Ocean and rage war on American homeland. On the morning of September 9, 1942, the I-25 emerged along the Oregon coastline and catapulted two small fighter planes toward the American wilderness. These two planes carried light-weight incendiary bombs with the intention of starting a wildfire and initiating a natural disaster. Two bombs were successfully deployed that day by Nobuo Fujita but the Japanese were unsuccessful initiating a wildfire in the damp, old growth forest of the Oregon coastal mountain range. The Wheeler Ridge Japanese Bombing Site retains the crater where Japanese fighter pilot Nobuo Fujita (Figure 1) dropped his incendiary bomb and conducted the only bombardment by enemy forces in the continental United States during WWII.

Part I - Introduction:

Environment Setting

The bombing site is situated on the south slope of Wheeler Ridge between two ephemeral drainages of the East Fork Winchuck River, a tributary to the Winchuck River. The area’s coastal climate is wet during the mild winter months and extremely dry during the summer--coastal fog is experienced in all four seasons.

Wheeler Ridge is a mountain crestline composed of igneous and metamorphic rocks of the Oregon coastal mountain range. The south facing slope specifically is characterized by Mount Emily Dacite from the Oligocene epoch and the soil matrix is a sandy loam with gravel inclusions that supports a mixed community of evergreens, broad-leaf trees, and dense brush. The overstory is comprised of Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and coastal redwood (Sequoia sempervirens); the understory is characterized by tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflorus), Oregon myrtle (Umbellularia californica), rhododendron (Rhododendron macrophyllum), Evergreen huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum); and the ground cover consists primarily of Oregon grape (Berberis nervosa).

Site Description The site for the Wheeler Ridge Japanese Bombing Site was not developed until 1973 when the Forest Service developed an interpretive trail, FS #1118, to the bomb crater. The trailhead for FS trail #1118 begins on the FS 1205 road in section 21. The trailhead is also within the southern boundary of the Wheeler Creek Research Natural Area containing groves of Redwoods. The FS #1118 trail extends approximately 1.5 miles southeast into section 22, terminating at the viewing platform overlooking the bomb crater (roughly 20ft x 30ft paced). There are two interpretive signs on the trail near the terminus and two more at the viewing platform. An obelisk has been set in concrete in the middle of the bomb crater. The undecorated obelisk is approximately 2 ft tall and is painted brown (Figure 6).

There is no other physical evidence of the event at the site—there are no scars present on the older trees and the depressions has infilled with forest duff. The bombing site was within the fire perimeter for the Biscuit fire (2002) and the Chetco Bar fire (2017). There was a simple bench made of rough-cut lumber and interpretive sign at the western extent of bomb crater prior to the 2002 Biscuit fire. The four interpretive signs currently at the site have been installed post 2002; however, the viewing platform at the terminus was incinerated during the Chetco Bar fire.

Part IIHistory

WWII and the Japanese I-25 Imperial Submarine On November 21, 1941, before the attack on Pearl Harbor, a fleet of 16 Japanese Imperial submarines were sent to position themselves off the coast of Hawaii--the I25 being one of these submarines. Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Japanese on December 7, 1941, and America entered World War II. The following April, American forces retaliated in what is known as the Doolittle Air Raids--bombing Tokyo and retreating to a base in China.

At the time, transcontinental travel over the Pacific Ocean was believed to be impossible--hence the importance of the Battle of Midway. The Japanese were incredibly inventive in their warfare tactics and created several different contraptions meant to intimidate Americans into believing that the Japanese had the technology to attack the continental United States--those being balloons strapped with incendiary bombs which traversed the Pacific ocean using wind currents, weighted bamboo rods meant to look like submarine periscopes, and light-weight ‘Glen Floatplanes’ which were aircrafts that could be taken apart, assembled, and stored within the hull of the submarine. These Glens, when assembled, were then catapulted into the sky from the deck of the submarine.

I-25 in the Aleutian Islands After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the I-25 was dispatched to the Aleutian Islands where it attacked the SS Connecticut. The I-25 was then sent to Australia and New Zealand, where pilot Nobuo Fujita conducted reconnaissance missions. The I-25 then returned back to Japan for minor repairs and was moored at a dock that was bombed during the Doolittle Air Raids.

Shelling of Fort Stevens The I-25 was then sent to patrol the Kodiak Islands in preparation for the Battle of Midway, before traversing south where it torpedoed a Canadian coal freighter, the SS Fort Camosun, on June 20, 1942. The following day, the I-25 submarine shelled Fort Stevens off the coast of Oregon, at the Columbia River inlet. The Japanese were reported to have fired 17 shells at what they thought was a minefield. Instead of firing back, troops stationed at Battery Russell were ordered not to fire back as to not give away the Fort’s position. Americans participated in the nightly wartime black-outs (turning off all electricity) which is why the Japanese weren’t able to see what they were firing at and actually shelled a nearby baseball field. The I-25 returned back to Japan following the shelling of Fort Stevens, this time to load-up with incendiary bombs.

Lookout Air Raid The Japanese were going to try a new war tactic--start a wildfire. America was renowned worldwide for its vast timberland and wilderness, a ruggedness distinctly American. Also widely known was the devastation of the Tillamook burn in the previous decade, which destroyed over 350,000 acres of merchantable timber--a megafire for the time. The logic was that if the Japanese could create a wildfire, then the Americans would have to pull back resources for the war effort to deal with the blaze. Destroying merchantable timber would also hurt the American economy and wartime spirit.

AWS & Watchmen When the I-25 returned to the American coastline, it positioned itself roughly 20 miles off the coast of Brookings, Oregon. On September 9, 1942, Nobuo Fujita strapped two incendiary bombs to the assembled Glen and was catapulted toward the wilderness on the Siskiyou National Forest [2] . Nobuo dropped both of his bombs of the south side of Wheeler Ridge, encircled to make sure they detonated, then headed back to the I-25 to disassemble his Glen and submerge back into the Pacific (Figure 2).

The Aircraft Warning Service (AWS) was a civilian service for the United States military during WWII to watch for enemy planes--the Coast Guard employed several AWS watchmen along the Oregon Coast. In turn, Forest Service lookouts were used to spot enemy aircraft as well as serve as fire watchmen.

The fire watchman on Mount Emily initially reported hearing what he thought to be a car engine backfiring. Once the coastal fog cleared, a distinct column of smoke was spotted in the distance and he reported the incident to dispatch. The watchman at Mount Emily and Snow Camp Lookout at Bear Wallow were dispatched to initiate fire suppression tactics. What the rangers found was a crater surrounded by scorched trees and shrapnel dispersed among the landscape. One fragment found had Japanese writing which led them to believe that they had just been attacked by the Japanese. The wildfire that the Japanese had hoped for was not successful due to recent rains, low wind conditions, and fire suppression tactics from nearby fire watchmen.

FBI Involvement The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) were called out to the scene to investigate the attack. The agents confiscated the bomb fragments and encourage discretion by the locals regarding the attack. News of the attacks was printed in the

form of small blurbs in local and national newspapers but failed to receive any attention (Figure 3). In part, the FBI did not want to start a panic but also did not want the Japanese to believe that their mission had been a success, as to not dampen the American spirit. At the time of the event, there were no roads developed by the Forest Service in that area and there was no coastal highway. This largely isolated the town of Brookings, Oregon and the Japanese bombing site went largely forgotten and missing for nearly 20 years.

Brookings Junior Chamber of Commerce

(Jaycees) The incident at Wheeler Ridge was known by select locals in the Brookings area, but was largely received as local legend. In the early 1960’s, a group of young men, who were members of the Brookings Junior Chamber of Commerce, were looking for a project to promote the beautiful seaside town of Brookings when someone suggested inviting the Japanese fighter pilot who bombed Wheeler Ridge to come visit the town in a meet-and-greet fashion. This suggestion was largely based on one of the Jaycees creeds being, “The brotherhood of man transcends the sovereignty of Nations.” After doing some research, the Jaycees sent a letter to Nobuo Fujita and his family, inviting them to Brookings, Oregon for the Azalea festival. And Fujita accepted (Figure 4).

1962 Azalea Festival Once the Jaycees received confirmation from Fujita, the town and the public were made aware of the event. Many Americans and veterans nationwide who received news of the event were outraged and wrote the Jaycees threatening letters. Not fully realizing what they had done, the Jaycees were now accountable for Fujita and his family’s travel to the United States, they were also liable for the family’s safety during their visit. The Jaycees not only brought publicity to their beloved town, but they also become ambassadors for the United States. President Kennedy eventually weighed-in on the matter, supporting the Jaycees and applauded them for their efforts to strengthen the friendship between America and Japan.

Despite the controversy, Fujita was well received by the community and droves of people lined Highway 101 with gifts and welcome signs for the family. During his visit, he was taken to the bomb crater, although there was no formal trail established. Fujita was so touched by the welcome that he and his family received that he presented his family’s 400-year-old Samurai sword to the town the Brookings (Figure 5). Fujita said, “It’s in the finest of Samurai traditions to pledge peace and friendship by submitting the sword to a former enemy.” This action by Fujita eased looming tensions and created an eternal bond between the town of Brookings and the Fujita family.

Fujita’s Second Home Fujita and his family returned to Brookings several times—in 1990, 1992, and 1995. The 1992 visit marked the 50th anniversary of the bombing at Wheeler Ridge. To commemorate this bond of eternal peace between Fujita and Brookings, Fujita planted a redwood sapling in the bomb crater. Unfortunately, the sapling was trampled by visitors the following year not realizing the tree’s significance. The Forest Service planted a new redwood sapling at the same loci and placed rocks around the base to denote that tree from the others. Nobuo Fujita passed away in September of 1997. The following year, his daughter buried some of Fujita’s ashes at the bomb site. The Peace Tree was dedicated as an Oregon State Heritage tree in April 2001.

Wildlands Mean Wildfire When the conditions are right, this area is ideal for a megafire to take off. Recently, the Wheeler Ridge Japanese Bombing Site was within the fire perimeter for the Biscuit Fire in 2002 which burned almost 500,000 acres and the Chetco Bar Fire in 2017 which burned over 191,000 acres. In both fires, only light flash fuels were ignited in the area of the bombing site. The 2017 Resource Advisors (READs) on the Chetco Bar Fire were able to wrap the informational sign in a fireproof wrap. The team also created a tripod structure over the Peace Tree and wrapped it with fireproofing--the tree survived.

Historian: Baring the torched trees and eviscerated underbrush, the Wheel Ridge Japanese Bombing Site has survived these natural disasters and retains much of the same integrity as it did when the event occurred in 1942. The overlook platform did not survive but the bomb crater, landmarks, and old-growth Redwoods and Douglas-firs are intact.

Megan Berryoung

December 6, 2019

Appendix I: Sources

Atwood, Kay

Wheeler Ridge Japanese Bombing Site, National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Washington, D.C., 2004.

Dott, R.H. Jr.

Dow Beckham, Steven

Geography of Southwestern Oregon Coast West of the 124th Meridian. State of Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries, Bulletin 69. Portland, OR 1971.

Japanese Bomb-drop Site WW-II: Wheeler Ridge, Curry County. Historic Resource Inventory, State of Oregon Inventory of Historic Properties, State Historic Preservation Office, Oregon State Parks. Salem, Oregon, August, 1974.

Franklin, Jerry F. et. al.

Natural Vegetation of Oregon and Washington, Oregon State University Press. Corvallis, Oregon, 1988.

McCash, William

Bombs Over Brookings: The WWII Bombings of Curry County, Oregon and the Portwar Friendship Between Brookings and the Japanese Pilot, Nobuo Fujita, Maverick Publications. Corvallis, Washington, 2005.

Nobleman, Marc Tyler et. al.

Thirty Minutes Over Oregon: A Japanese Pilot’s World War II Story, illustrations by Melissa Iwai; Clarion Books, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. New York, 2018.

United States

Headquarters Western Defense Command and Fourth Army (Presidio of San Francisco, California), Record Group 499 Western Defense G-2 Files. Box 31, 290-38-17-5 WTC G2 Summaries Numbers 95, 96, 97 and 103. National Archives and Records Administration. Washington, D.C., Accessed by Kay Atwood 2003.

Unknown

USDA

Webber, Bert

Ban ‘Ordered’ On Bomb Photos, Grants Pass Daily Courier; On file at Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, Medford, Oregon; September 1942.

Fact Sheets & Plant Guides, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Plants Database. https://plants.usda.gov/custom_facts.html. Accessed December 2019.

Retaliation: Japanese Attacks and Allied Countermeasures on the Pacific Coast in World War II, Oregon State University Press. Corvallis, Oregon, 1975.

Figure 1 Nobuo Fujita, 1942. Webber, 1975.

Figure 3 Newspaper propaganda from 1942. Webber, 1975.

Figure 2 Flight path for Fujita during Lookout Air Raid. McCash, 2005. Figure 4 Fujita and wife at Azalea Festival, Brookings 1962.

Figure 5 Fujita presents 400-year-old family Samurai sword to Mayor of Brookings, 1962. McCash, 2005.

Figure 6 View from overlook at bomb crater, 2004. Atwood, 2004.

[1] At present, the lower portion of the FS 1205 road is closed due to three failures in the road prism; however, the site is still accessible by the upper portion of the FS 1205 road. The upper portion can be reached via the FS 1107 road from either county road 896 in Winchuck near the California border (southern route) or county road 784 at the Miller Bar intersection (northern route). [2] The Siskiyou National Forest and the Rogue River National Forest merged in 2004 to become the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest.