Fuji Fire: Sifting Ashes of a Forgotten U.S. Marine Corps Tragedy

Authors

• Ken Allard

Abstract

Colonel Ken Allard, USA (Ret.), reviews Chas Henry’s Fuji Fire: Sifting Ashes of a Forgotten U.S. Marine Corps Tragedy, an account of the October 1979 fire at Camp Fuji, Japan, that killed 13 Marines and injured more than 73. Drawing on interviews, archival records, maps, command chronologies, and other sources, Henry reconstructs the conditions that produced the disaster, including a fuel farm located uphill from troop quarters, hazardous terrain, and the effects of Typhoon Tip. The book also documents the response of Marines, medical personnel, and commanders, who improvised the collection, treatment, and evacuation of severely burned casualties amid chaotic conditions. Allard highlights the book’s value as both a memorial to those affected and a case study in operational risk, emergency response, adaptation, and institutional learning. He praises Henry’s extensive research and emphasizes the danger of institutional memory loss, arguing that lessons gained through tragedy must be preserved and applied to improve future military operations.