The only plane ever to drop a bomb on the United States during WWII was this submarine based Glen.

Received from "Scotty" Cameron and David Vuich September 9, 1942: Nebraska forestry student Keith V. Johnson was on duty atop a forest fire lookout tower between Gold's Beach and Brookings Oregon . Keith had memorized the silhouettes of Japanese long distance bombers and those of our own aircraft. He felt confident that he could spot and identify, friend or foe, almost immediately. It was cold on the coast this September morning , and quiet. The residents of the area were still in bed or preparing to head for work. Lumber was a large part of the industry in Brookings, just a few miles north of the California Oregon state lines. The aircraft carried two incendiary 168 pound bombs and a crew of two. Aboard the submarine the Captain's voice boomed over the PA system, "Prepare to surface, aircrew report to your stations, wait for the open hatch signal" During training runs several subs were lost when hangar door were opened too soon and sea water rushed into the hangars and sank the boat with all hands lost. You could hear the change of sound as the bow of the I-25 broke from the depths, nosed over for its run on the surface. A loud bell signaled the "All Clear." The crew assigned to the single engine Yokosuki E14Ys float equipped observation and light attack aircraft sprang into action. They rolled the plane out its hangar built next to the conning tower. The wings and tail were unfolded, and two 176 pound incendiary bombs were attached to the hard points under the wings. This was a small two passenger float plane with a nine cylinder 340 hp radial engine. It was full daylight when the Captain ordered the aircraft to be placed on the catapult. Warrant Officer Fujita started the engine, let it warm up, checked the magnetos and oil pressure. There was a slight breeze blowing and the seas were calm. A perfect day to attack the United States of America . When the gauges were in the green the pilot signaled and the catapult launched the aircraft. After a short climb to altitude the pilot turned on a heading for the Oregoncoast.   The "Glen" was launched via catapult from a I-25 class Japanese submarine. Johnson was sweeping the horizon but could see nothing, he went back to his duties as a forestry agent which was searching for any signs of a forest fire The morning moved on. Every few minutes he would scan low, medium and high but nothing caught his eye. The small Japanese float plane had climbed to several thousand feet of altitude for better visibility and to get above the coastal fog. The pilot had calculated land fall in a few minutes and right on schedule he could see the breakers flashing white as they hit the Oregonshores. Johnson was about to put his binoculars down when something flashed in the sun just above the fog bank. It was unusual because in the past all air traffic had been flying up and down the coast, not aiming into the coast. The pilot of the aircraft checked his course and alerted his observer to be on the lookout for a fire tower which was on the edge of the wooded area where they were supposed to drop their bombs. These airplanes carried very little fuel and all flights were in and out without any loitering. The plane reached the shore line and the pilot made a course correction 20 degrees to the north. The huge trees were easy to spot and certainly easy to hit with the bombs. The fog was very wispy by this time. .  Warrant Officer Fujita is shown with his Yokosuka E14Y (Glen) float plane prior to his flight. Johnson watched in awe as the small floatplane with a red meat ball on the wings flew overhead, the plane was not a bomber and there was no way that it could have flown across the Pacific, Johnson could not understand what was happening. He locked onto the plane and followed it as it headed inland. The pilot activated the release locks so that when he could pickled the bombs they would release. His instructions were simple, fly at 500 feet, drop the bombs into the trees and circle once to see if they had started any fires and then head back to the submarine. Johnson could see the two bombs under the wing of the plane and knew that they would be dropped. He grabbed his communications radio and called the Forest Fire Headquarters informing them of what he was watching unfold. The bombs tumbled from the small seaplane and impacted the forests, the pilot circled once and spotted fire around the impact point. He executed an 180 degree turn and headed back to the submarine. There was no air activity, the skies were clear. The small float plane lined up with the surfaced submarine and landed gently on the ocean, then taxied to the sub. A long boom swung out from the stern. His crewman caught the cable and hooked it into the pickup attached to the roll over cage between the cockpits. The plane was swung onto the deck, The plane's crew folded the wings and tail, pushed it into its hangar and secured the water tight doors. The I-25 submerged and headed back to Japan. This event ,which caused no damage, marked the only time during World War II that an enemy plane had dropped bombs on the United States mainland.What the Japanese didn't count on was coastal fog, mist and heavy doses of rain made the forests so wet they simply would not catch fire   This Memorial Plaque is located in Brookings , Oregon at the site of the 1942 bombing Fifty years later the Japanese pilot, who survived the war, would return to Oregon to help dedicate a historical plaque at the exact spot where his two bombs had impacted. The elderly pilot then donated his ceremonial sword as a gesture of peace and closure of the bombing of Oregon in 1942.

2012 Silver Wings Speakers Luncheon Serie: Capt. Rosario "Zip" Rausa, USN (Ret.) on November 15, 2012

Captain Rosario "Zip" Rausa, USN (Ret.), a native of Hamilton, New York joined the Navy following graduation from Middlebury College in 1957. He won his wings two years later and as a Naval Aviator flew A-1 Skyraiders, A-4 Skyhawks and A-7 Corsair IIs, logging 4,400 flight hours and 498 arrested landings on several aircraft carriers. He flew 150 combat missions in Skyraiders during the Vietnam War. Shore duty assignments included two tours on the editorial staff of Naval Aviation News and Head of the Naval Aviation History Office. He was the writer for the popular "Grampaw Pettibone" safety feature in Naval Aviation News for 20 years. He was also the commanding officer of the Naval Reserve Center in Whitestone, New York. He retired from the Navy in 1988 while serving in the Pentagon as a coordinator of safety issues in concert with the Naval Safety Center.

He has written or co-authored seven books on aviation subjects. He has been the editor of Wings of Gold magazine since 1988. He and his wife, Neta, who reside in Vienna, Virginia, have five children and eight grandchildren.