After the attack on Pearl Harbor, America increased its military spending, and installations began to pop up across the country to help support the war efforts in Europe. Small airfields and bases sprang up all over Oklahoma in towns like Altus, Enid, Tinker, Woodward, Jet, Frederick, Burns Flat, Muskogee, and Ardmore to serve the Army Air Corp. The US Navy also had small air bases in Clinton and Norman, OK.
If you lived near Altus, Tinker, or Vance Air Force Bases in Oklahoma, you could hear planes at all hours of the night since training happened twenty-four/seven. Remember the cheer, “Freedom Never Sleeps?” In Lawton, OK, home of the Field Artillery, it was not uncommon to hear the howitzers in the dead of night as our nation's military trained hard.
When the truckers realized what was happening, they sprang into action moving a load of munitions one truck was carrying and a tanker of gasoline away from the city, knowing the horrible damage that could occur should one of them be hit by a bomb. Fortunately, the last two bombers passed, both dumping their loads away from town without incident.
By the time the bombing of Boise City was done, six bombs had been accidentally dropped on the town. A navigational mistake had been made during blackout conditions, and instead of dropping ordnance at the practice range, it was accidentally dropped on the small town.
B-17 Bombers
If there could be good news in such a situation, it turns out the bombs were practice rounds. Instead of being packed with one hundred pounds of high explosives, each bomb contained only four pounds of dynamite. While it was enough to kill people, amazingly nobody was hurt. The damage was limited to the garage and church in Boise City.
Although the bombing was a huge mistake on the part of the bomber crew, they later proved themselves. The exact same B-17 crew that accidentally bombed Boise City ended up leading an 800-plane daylight bombing run over Berlin just a year later. According to locals, all ten men survived the war, becoming one of the highest decorated Air Corp crews during WW ll.
Here's something a bit different from me. Along with writing fiction, I've also created this fun word search focusing on U.S. topics. It makes a great birthday or Christmas gift.
Enjoy hours of mentally stimulating word search fun! USA Word Find contains 75 easy-to-read large print word search puzzles. These engaging puzzles feature United States topics such as state capitals, state nicknames, animals and birds found in the U.S., actors born in the U.S., and much more. Educational benefits for all ages. Test your knowledge of the United States while enjoying hours of word-find fun.
Vickie McDonough is an award-winning author of over 50 books and novellas. Vickie’s books have won the Inspirational Reader's Choice Contest, Texas Gold, and the ACFW Noble Theme contest, and she has been a multi-year finalist in ACFW’s BOTY/Carol Award contest. Vickie series include the Texas Boardinghouse Brides, Land Rush Dreams, and Pioneer Promises. Vickie and her husband live in Oklahoma. She is a wife of forty-eight years, mother of four grown sons, and grandma to a smart and pretty high school senior. When she’s not writing, Vickie enjoys reading, gardening, watching movies, traveling, and card-making. To learn more about Vickie’s books, visit her website: www.vickiemcdonough.com
The Japanese did, however bomb the Mainland of the U.S. On September 9, 1942, a Japanese floatplane drops incendiary bombs on an Oregon state forest—the first air attack on the U.S. mainland in the war.
ReplyDeleteLaunching from the Japanese sub I-25, Nobuo Fujita piloted his light aircraft over the state of Oregon and firebombed Mount Emily, alighting a state forest. The president immediately called for a news blackout for the sake of morale. No long-term damage was done, and Fujita eventually went home to train navy pilots for the rest of the war.
Thank you for posting today. I'm glad no human lives were lost in this mistake.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this enjoyable history lesson!
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