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Isahaya, Japan B-29 Memorial


jakelives
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This memorial is for the crew of B-29 "Acid Test," which was rammed by a Japanese fighter on Nov. 21, 1944. (Specifically, the top most memorial stone.)

 

Acid Test was a member of the 462nd Bombardment Group and had been part of a raid on Omura, home of a naval aircraft factory and airfield. The B-29s were jumped by a group of 67 fighters on their return, one which was flown by Imperial Japanese Navy Lt. j.g. Mikihiko Sakamoto, who rammed the B-29. Sakamoto crashed into a mountain and Acid Test went down in Omura Bay.

 

The B-29 was pulled from the water for study and the crew cremated. Their remains were kept in a temple in Nagasaki. Unfortunately half of the urns were lost during the atomic bombing of the city.

 

Locals erected a memorial for Sakamoto in1992 and one for the B-29 crew in 1993 near their respective crash sites. As far as I know an annual memorial is still held on Nov. 21 at the two memorials.

 

 

Those remembered were Imperial Japanese Navy Lt. j.g. Mikihiko Sakamoto, U.S. Army Air Force Capt. Joseph Killebrew, 1st Lt. Paul Meeks, 1st Lt. Emsley Eggers, 1st Lt. Earl Heins, 2nd Lt. Spirito Ovial, Staff Sgt. John Normand Jr., Staff Sgt. Edward Morrow, Staff Sgt. Vincent Sheridan, Staff Sgt. Luther Young, Sgt. Gail Cornelius and Sgt. Gordon Chard.

 

 

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That is interesting.The memorial to the US airman is something I would not expect to see. Any way to find out what it says?

 

I think I have a paper with the inscription on it, but my wife doesn't appreciate it when I ask her for long translations!

 

This is the story I wrote about the ceremony- https://japan.stripes.com/base-info/world-war-ii-japanese-fighter-and-american-bomber-crew-commemorated-isahaya

 

I covered the ceremony back in 2015, it was interesting to watch. I'd been stationed in Japan all of 2-3 weeks and I think it was my second story assignment.

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  • 6 years later...
Eggers L

Hello, Lt Eggers, is my great uncle.  I would love to know more about this because his remains and four others where never recovered.  

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