Fuji Fire and Hiatus

For some unknown reason, October seems to be a particularly scary month for U.S. Marines. Maybe it’s the advent of Halloween or just bad luck of the draw, but some seriously bad things seem to happen to deployed Leathernecks in October. Likely the most memorable of those misfortunes was the 23 October Hezbollah truck bomb attack on the battalion landing team holding a difficult position around Beirut International Airport.

That avoidable disaster killed 241 Marines and sailors, sending shockwaves throughout the Corps, but most of us who served in Beirut circa 1982-83 could see it coming. Given a vague, nebulous mission and paralyzing rules of engagement in Lebanon, it was never a question of if an attack would occur. The only questions haunting us were where and how.

The superstitious among us might have reflected on an earlier tragedy that occurred in October five years prior. On 19 October 1979 a disaster that rapidly became known as The Fuji Fire struck at a Marine Cops training site on Honshu in the Japanese mainland. I was blissfully holding down a safe billet on Okinawa, waiting out fierce wind and rain from Typhoon Tip when the news broke. Battalion Landing Team 2/4, then training along the lower slopes of Mount Fuji, was devastated by a fire that killed 13 Marines and left a large number of others with life-threatening burns.

Those of us who had trained previously at Camp Fuji were shocked that such a thing could happen. Earthquakes, tsunami storm surges, and typhoon damage? Sure, those things were relatively standard hazards in a Western Pacific tour of duty. But a huge, out-of-control blaze that tore through an entire unit and rendered that outfit down for the foreseeable count? How does something like that happen? Rumors flew through the Corps.

There was, of course, a flood of investigations and reports concerning the Fuji Fire citing damage from the Super Typhoon and a 5,000 gallon fuel spill as primary contributors to the disaster, but that was just pedestrian cause and effect. What was missing, what never fully sifted through the ashes left after fire were stories of heroism, courage, and tenacity demonstrated by Marines and others who fought that devastating blaze. Fortunately, a Marine Corps buddy and terrific author has addressed that in a new book.

Retired Captain Chas Henry, a decorated Gulf War vet who trained regularly at Camp Fuji, has written a complete, comprehensive, and moving account of the fire and its aftermath titled Fuji Fire: Sifting Ashes of a Forgotten U. S. Marine Corps Tragedy. It’s compelling reading and fascinating storytelling by a man who understands both the action and emotions involved. Anyone who is interested in how we mold Marines capable of the kind of courage, commitment and steadfast devotion to their fellows needs to read this book. https://chashenry.com/fujifire/ or https://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/potomac-books/9781640126459/fuji-fire/.

Onto other things: As much as I’ve enjoyed writing this semi-regular column and engaging with readers, I’m going to call a halt for a while. I started sharing this personal opinion stuff back in 1973 when I was writing for base newspapers and other in-house publications. In those hidebound and lockstep days, enlisted Marines were not supposed to have opinions, much less share them in public media. Checkpoint Delta, often humorously critical of the establishment or off the official kilter, was a bit of a pioneer in military journalism. I’m thankful for the seniors who stood up to authority and said let the man blather, it’s good reading. I’ve tried to continue making Checkpoint all that and more over the years.

But it’s that time of year (Veterans Day/Marine Corps Birthday, etc.) that puts a lot of pressure on my time. Seems like I’m almost always winging across the country making speeches, meeting my fellow veterans or telling showbiz stories at one celebratory event or another. Those are the type of demands that I really don’t want to ignore, so I’m putting Checkpoint Delta on pause for a bit. I’ve got a new movie project that will take me overseas for the first few months of 2026. Look for Checkpoint Delta when I return and special thanks to all readers who have followed my musings over the years.

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