Yokota Airmen participate in B-29 Ceremony

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Sean Martin
  • 374 Airlift Wing Public Affairs
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan --  The annual B-29 Memorial ceremony, in which thirty-eight Yokota personnel participated, was held June 12 in Shizuoka city.

The Yokota Airmen observed the ceremony by pouring bourbon onto a memorial and lighting incense to honor the Japanese and Americans who died during a bombing raid of Shizuoka.

On June 20, 1945, B-29 bombers leveled 66 percent of Shizuoka with incendiary bombs. During the raid, which killed approximately 2,000 Japanese people, two of the B-29s collided and crashed, killing all 23 crew members.

A local Shizuoka farmer, Mr. Fukumatsu Ito, found and buried the fallen American Airmen in the same way he buried their Japanese counterparts, showing respect to the dead of both nations. In the wreckage, Mr. Ito found a scorched American canteen believed to have been filled with Bourbon.

After becoming a Buddhist monk, Mr. Ito erected two monuments on top of Mt. Shizuhata in remembrance of both the Japanese and Americans who perished in the bombing raid. Personnel from Yokota have participated in the ceremony since 1972.

"This ceremony is a great opportunity because we are celebrating 65 years as allies between Japan and the United States," said Col. Mark Hering, 374th Operations Group commander. "It was very fitting to have Japanese military as well as American military remembering their own together."

Colonel Hering expressed his feelings about the event and felt it would be one of the many highlights of his tour here.

"It is truly an honor and a privilege," said Colonel Hering. "One of the blessings about being in the leadership at Yokota is that you get to represent our country alongside our Japanese counterparts."

Since Mr. Ito's passing, Dr. Hiroya Sugano, a Shizuoka physician, has hosted this ceremony.