GROFF MEDIA 2024© TRUTH ENDURES IMDBPRO
Presented by benandsteve.com By: Benjamin Groff II©s
You have heard the news. South Korean forces mistakenly bombed a civilian area, thinking it was a training site. You ask how such a mistake happened? But did you know it isn’t the first time it has happened?
It happened in the United States when the U.S. Army accidentally bombed Boise City, Oklahoma, on July 5, 1943, during World War II. The attack on the homeland wasn’t the only time the Army bombed the continental United States during the war. It was a friendly fire incident. There have been other cities bombed in the United States by mistake, in Texas and Nebraska. The United States has even accidentally bombed Switzerland during World War II, killing over 80 people. But this story is the one I have heard described with color and moments of community involvement.
I have visited Boise City, and locals will tell you the pronunciation is, as you would say, “Boys City.” The town is small. You arrive at the courthouse circle as you enter from the east or north. A highway leads west into New Mexico. A trail takes you south toward Texas. The better highway is east of the town. Colorado is just up the road to the north. Kansas is just a jog to the Northeast. More of Oklahoma awaits out to the east. The community hasn’t grown much since it first sprung up.
Hearing locals tell of what happened in Boise City, Oklahoma, is somewhat comical. Nonetheless, it would not have been so funny to those who lived through the experience.
It happened on July 5, 1943.
A B-17 Flying Fortress bomber was on a nighttime training mission from Dalhart Army Air Base in Texas. It mistakenly dropped six practice bombs on Boise City’s town square. These bombs were mostly filled with sand and small charges.
What Happened?
- The bomber crew was supposed to hit a designated target outside Conlen, Texas. They got lost and mistook Boise City’s well-lit downtown for their practice site.
- At around 12:30 AM, the first bomb landed near a garage, shaking the town awake.
- Five more bombs followed, hitting areas near businesses, a church, and a residential district.
- Miraculously, no one was injured, and the damage was minimal.
Aftermath
- The Army quickly apologized for the mistake.
- The town embraced the incident as a quirky part of its history.
- Today, Boise City proudly commemorates the event with a replica bomb displayed in the town square.
It remains one of the most unusual incidents in U.S. military training history! Would you like any more details?
If you ever go through Boise City, Oklahoma, stop and have a meal. As you travel west, you will hear more stories. These stories are about people living in what many consider the last town worth stopping in. Then, you move on to your next stop.
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