Grand Rapids bombed by Japanese in WWII

[joeDowntown]

My wife is reading a book and it talks about the little known fact that Japan launched 9300 balloons in World War II with bombs attached to them. I had never heard of such a thing and googled it. Not only was I surprised that it was true, I was really surprised that one of the balloons had made it to Grand Rapids, MI! I can't find anything about where it actually landed, and I don't think it destroyed anything, but an interesting bit of history nonetheless.

Has anyone ever heard this story, and if so, does anyone know the details about where it landed and if it exploded?

The balloon bombs only killed 6 people; a family picknicking in Oregon. Here's a link to the balloon bombs if anyone is interested:

http://www.bookmice.net/darkchilde/japan/balloon.html

Joe

[d8alterego]

I heard about this topic from a friend of mine back in high school (never taught in school though). It's one of those useless trivia facts I tend to keep in my head. Admittedly, though, that military venture was probably one of the worst concieved if it only killed 6 people out of the thousands of ballons launched (sounds as successful as some other modern military ventures I know ). I did not know that one reached and landed in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I assumed none of them made it over the Rocky Mountains.

[Allison Slater]

I think I heard they were originally destined for either LA or San Fransisco, but went off course and many never dropped. I had no idea they traveled as far as this.

[Rizzo]

Now it makes sense that the Japanese surrendered on a Steelcase table. Pay back is a....

[NorthCoast]

Hardly relevant but...

Years ago my dad asked his father-in-law (my grandpa...God rest his soul) what he did during WWII. My grandfather told him he had served in the Coast Guard on the Ohio River. My dad laughed and my grandpa, as seriously as he could, replied..."What the hell is so funny? Did the Germans ever invade Cincinnati?"