wwii

Boise City: The Unusual WWII Bombing Incident

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GROFF MEDIA 2024© TRUTH ENDURES IMDBPRO

Presented by benandsteve.com By: Benjamin Groff II©s

2–3 minutes

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.

Cimarron County Court House
Cimarron County, Oklahoma

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.

Toby and Spitfire The Horse That Had Never Been Rode!

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Groff Media 2024© Truth Endures IMDbPro.

Presented by benandsteve.com By: Benjamin Groff II© 

Ranch Hands told stories of Spitfire on the Whispering Pines Ranch—a wild and untamable horse that earned his name with every snort and stomp. Cowboys from every corner of the county had tried to ride him, only to find themselves airborne within moments, landing with bruised pride and sore limbs. Spitfire’s eyes would glimmer with a defiant fire as if daring the next rider even to try.

But one summer day, the world shifted on its axis when a nine-year-old boy named Toby visited the ranch. Toby’s light frame was offset by the quiet resilience of a child who had learned to conquer more obstacles than many seasoned ranchhands. Born with legs that didn’t work like other kids, Toby’s movements were careful and deliberate, assisted by crutches that clinked softly with each step.


Drawn by a gentle breeze and the soft nickering sounds, Toby found himself near Spitfire’s corral. The horse stood apart, tossing his white mane like a storm cloud, eyes wary and sharp. But as Toby watched, something stirred in Spitfire’s gaze; a flicker of curiosity outshone his usual mistrust.


Before anyone could stop him, Toby set his crutches by the fence and used the railings to hoist himself. Spitfire’s ears flicked, muscles tensed, but he didn’t move away. Instead, he watched the boy with an intensity that made time pause.


With tiny movements, Toby approached. He whispered soft words that only the horse could hear, offering no challenge, only companionship. Spitfire took a cautious step forward, then another. The horse’s powerful head bent down a moment later, and his breath warmed Toby’s outstretched fingers.


The ranchhands who came running, yelling warnings, froze as they witnessed the impossible: Spitfire, the proud, untamable beast, knelt in the dust as if making a silent vow. Toby’s smile lit up his face as he settled onto Spitfire’s broad back, and for the first time, Spitfire carried a rider not with rebellion but grace.

They could remember when the horse was born in a south pasture four springs ago and got herded into the corrals for the first time. That someone had got that close and made peace with the critter.


“You couldn’t get close enough to feed him,” ––– said Harland the leadhand.

“Given how cantankerous he is, how could the kid get that close to him?” ––– said Orville, an outfitter.

The stunned onlookers could only watch in awe as they moved in perfect harmony. Toby, the boy who faced each day with quiet determination, had found his match in the fierce spirit of a horse that would allow no other. And Spitfire, known for his wild, unbroken heart, found a rider worthy of his trust in a child who saw him as a friend. Not as a challenge. Teaching the ranchhands, as opposed to spurs and whips, a gentle touch can go a long way!