In the quiet of the Oregon forests, a story of reconciliation and international friendship took root, one as rare and poignant as the redwood planted by the very hands that once sought to scorch the earth beneath it. This tale of atonement and peace begins in the tumultuous skies of World War II and culminates in the heart of a community once marked by conflict.
During the early morning hours of September 9, 1942, in a bold attempt to retaliate for the Doolittle Raid, Japanese pilot Nobuo Fujita, launched from submarine I-25, dropped incendiary bombs near Brookings, Oregon, aiming to ignite massive forest fires. The attack, part of a larger campaign that included the shelling of Fort Stevens and balloon bombs drifting over the state, marked the first aerial bombardment of the U.S. mainland by a foreign power during World War II.
The operation involved a Yokosuka E14Y floatplane, catapulted into the Oregon sky with the intent to wreak havoc on the landscape and instill fear among the populace. Fujita’s mission, however, fizzled in the damp Oregon conditions, the thermite bombs causing minimal damage but igniting a spark of controversy that would smolder for decades.
Years passed, and Fujita, the man responsible for the only enemy aerial bombing campaign on U.S. soil during the war, found himself invited back to the site of his wartime actions. In 1962, the Brookings Jaycees, a local junior chamber of commerce, extended a hand of peace to the former enemy pilot, inviting him to their Azalea Festival. The invitation sparked outrage in the community, with heated debates and threats of violence illustrating the lingering scars of war.
Fujita’s return to Oregon could have ended in hostility, but the pilot, then in his late 40s, arrived bearing a symbol of contrition that would silence many of his detractors—a 400-year-old family samurai sword, which he had carried on every flight, including those over Brookings. This gesture, a gift to the city, symbolized his deep remorse and a desire to pave a path towards peace.
The sword, now on permanent display at the Chetco Community Public Library, served as a poignant reminder of the past and a commitment to a better future. Fujita didn’t stop with a mere token; he planted a redwood tree in the very forest he had once attempted to burn, calling it a “symbol of friendship and peace.” The tree, a living emblem of the bond between nations, grew alongside the goodwill Fujita fostered.
Fujita, honored by the town and later made an honorary citizen of Brookings, dedicated himself to cultural exchange and understanding. He returned several times, sharing his story, and establishing scholarships that would allow Brookings’ youth to visit Japan, extending the branches of friendship across the ocean.
While visiting the bomb site may require a trek through challenging terrain, the journey holds a reminder of the resilience of both the natural world and the human spirit. The trail leads to an interpretive display at the impact site and, nearby, to Fujita’s redwood, standing tall as a testament to reconciliation.
The story of Nobuo Fujita, from bomber pilot to ambassador of goodwill, underscores the capacity for change and the power of forgiveness. This unlikely bond between a Japanese aviator and an Oregon town, forged from the ashes of conflict, blossomed into a lasting legacy, proving that from the depths of war, peace can indeed take root and flourish.
