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48-467: On May 5, 1945, Reverend Archie Mitchell took his pregnant wife and five Sunday school children, from the Christian and Missionary Alliance church where he was minister, on a picnic and fishing trip. The group found the logging road they followed blocked, so they stopped next to Leonard Creek, eight miles (13 km) east of Bly near Gearhart Mountain . While Mitchell was unloading the food, he heard one of

96-455: A Japanese balloon bomb , one of approximately 9,000 balloon bombs launched from Honshū , Japan between November 1944 and April 1945. The balloons drifted across the Pacific Ocean to North America via the jet stream in about three days. The hydrogen-filled balloons were 33 feet (10 m) in diameter and carried five bombs, four incendiaries and one anti-personnel high explosive. It

144-517: A direct result of an Axis balloon bomb detonation. In 1976, Sakyo Adachi, a Japanese scientist who helped plan the balloon offense, visited the site and laid a wreath at the monument. He later sent a letter of apologies to the Patzke family for the loss of their two children. In 1995, Japanese students sent 1,000 paper cranes , a Japanese symbol of peace and healing, to the families of the victims. Six cherry trees were also delivered to Bly to be planted at

192-423: A fire line around the monument site. They also wrapped the shrapnel tree and the stone monument in a fire-resistant material similar to the material used for the firefighter's emergency shelters. As a result, when the fire passed through the adjacent forest, the monument was undamaged. The Mitchell Monument was erected by Weyerhaeuser in 1950. It was designed by Tom Orr, a Weyerhaeuser forester. The stone structure

240-805: A new pine among his specimens and coined the name Pinus ponderosa for its heavy wood. In 1836, it was formally named and described by Charles Lawson , a Scottish nurseryman. It was adopted as the official state tree of Montana in 1949. Pinus ponderosa is a large coniferous pine ( evergreen ) tree. The bark helps distinguish it from other species. Mature to overmature individuals have yellow to orange-red bark in broad to very broad plates with black crevices. Younger trees have blackish-brown bark, referred to as "blackjacks" by early loggers. Ponderosa pine's five subspecies , as classified by some botanists, can be identified by their characteristically bright-green needles (contrasting with blue-green needles that distinguish Jeffrey pine ). The Pacific subspecies has

288-432: A ponderosa. Various animals nest in the ponderosa pines, such as the piliated woodpecker . Pinus ponderosa is affected by Armillaria , Phaeolus schweinitzii , Fomes pini , Atropellis canker , dwarf mistletoe , Polyporus anceps , Verticicladiella , Elytroderma needle cast , and western gall rust . Pinus ponderosa is classed as a " wilding pine " and spreads as an invasive species throughout

336-464: A sharp point. Sources differ on the scent of P. ponderosa . Some state that the bark smells of turpentine , which could reflect the dominance of terpenes (alpha- and beta-pinenes, as well as delta-3-carene). Others state that it has no distinctive scent, while still others state that the bark smells like vanilla if sampled from a furrow. Sources agree that the Jeffrey pine is more strongly scented than

384-493: A solution to treat coughs and fevers. In the 19th and 20th centuries, old-growth trees were widely used by settlers as lumber, including for railroads. Younger trees are of poor quality for lumber due to the tendency to warp. Cultivated as a bonsai , ponderosas are prized for their rough, flaky bark, contorted trunks, flexible limbs, and dramatic deadwood. Collected specimens can be wildly sculpted by their environment, resulting in beautiful twisted trunks, limbs and deadwood. In

432-725: A two-year furlough, the Mitchells' third term of service would be their assignment at the Ban Me Thuot Leprosarium. On Wednesday evening, May 30, 1962, Mitchell and the rest of the staff of the leprosarium were preparing to meet at Dr. Vietti's house for their weekly prayer meeting. At dusk, around 7:45 p.m., a group of 12 members of the Viet Cong entered the leprosarium grounds, which was located about nine miles from Ban Me Thuot. The Viet Cong split up into three groups of four members each, and one group met Dan Gerber, who served with

480-698: Is Pinus ponderosa var. washoensis . An additional variety, tentatively named P. p. var. willamettensis , found in the Willamette Valley in western Oregon, is rare. This is likely just one of the many islands of Pacific subspecies of ponderosa pine occurring in the Willamette Valley and extending north to the southeast end of Puget Sound in Washington. The subspecies of P. ponderosa can be distinguished by measurements along several dimensions: Notes Names of taxa and transition zones are on

528-518: Is believed that as many as 1,000 balloons may have reached the United States and Canada . However, there were only 285 confirmed sightings on the west coast, and two balloons were later found in Michigan . Except for Elsye (aka Elsie) Mitchell and the five children killed near Bly, the bombs caused no injuries. These six individuals were the only Americans killed in the United States during World War II as

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576-628: Is characterized by the fewest needles (1.4 per whorl, on average); stout, upright branches at narrow angles from the trunk; and long green needles— 5 + 3 ⁄ 4 –7 in (14.8–17.9 cm)—extending farthest along the branch, resembling a fox tail. Needles are widest, stoutest, and fewest (averaging 2 + 1 ⁄ 4 – 2 + 3 ⁄ 4  in or 56–71 mm) for the species. The egg-shaped cones, which are often found in great number under trees, are 3–5 in (8–13 cm) long. They are purple when first chewed off by squirrels, but become more brown and spherical as they dry. Each scale has

624-739: Is generally associated with mountainous topography. However, it is found on banks of the Niobrara River in Nebraska. Scattered stands occur in the Willamette Valley of Oregon and in the Okanagan Valley and Puget Sound areas of Washington. Stands occur throughout low level valleys in British Columbia reaching as far north as the Thompson, Fraser and Columbia watersheds. In its Northern limits, it only grows below 4,300 feet (1,300 m) elevation, but

672-404: Is introduced in sapwood of P. ponderosa from the galleries of all species in the genus Dendroctonus ( mountain pine beetle ), which has caused much damage. Western pine and other beetles can be found consuming the bark. The seeds are eaten by squirrels, chipmunks, quail, grouse, and Clark's nutcracker , while mule deer browse the seedlings. American black bears can climb up to 12 feet up

720-621: Is most common below 2,600 feet (800 m). Ponderosa covers 1 million acres (4,000 km ), or 80%, of the Black Hills of South Dakota . It is found on foothills and mid-height peaks of the northern, central, and southern Rocky Mountains , in the Cascade Range , in the Sierra Nevada , and in the maritime-influenced Coast Range . In Arizona , it predominates on the Mogollon Rim and

768-526: Is scattered on the Mogollon Plateau and on mid-height peaks (6,000 to 9,300 feet; 1,800 to 2,800 m) in Arizona and New Mexico . Arizona pine ( P. arizonica ), found primarily in the mountains of extreme southwestern New Mexico, southeastern Arizona, and northern Mexico and sometimes classified as a variety of ponderosa pine, is presently recognized as a separate species. Ponderosa pine are also found in

816-645: Is the most widely distributed pine species in North America. Pinus ponderosa grows in various erect forms from British Columbia southward and eastward through 16 western U.S. states and has been introduced in temperate regions of Europe and in New Zealand. It was first documented in modern science in 1826 in eastern Washington near present-day Spokane (of which it is the official city tree). On that occasion, David Douglas misidentified it as Pinus resinosa (red pine). In 1829, Douglas concluded that he had

864-576: The Chisos , Davis , and Guadalupe Mountains of Texas , at elevations between 4,000 and 8,000 feet (1,200 and 2,400 m). The fire cycle for ponderosa pine is 5 to 10 years, in which a natural ignition sparks a low-intensity fire. Low, once-a-decade fires are known to have helped specimens live for half a millennium or more. The tree has thick bark, and its buds are protected by needles, allowing even some younger individuals to survive weaker fires. In addition to being adapted to dry, fire-affected areas,

912-526: The Fremont-Winema National Forests ). Additional property was added to the site in 1997. A small picnic area was developed around the monument. During the summer of 2021, the Bootleg Fire burned over the area surrounding Mitchell Monument. However, fire crews were able to save the historic site from the flames. As the fire approached, fire crews trimmed low hanging tree branches and built

960-530: The United States Forest Service and transported to Area 5 of the Nevada Test Site , where they were planted into the ground and exposed to a nuclear blast to see what the blast wave would do to a forest. The trees were partially burned and blown over. Pinus ponderosa is the official state tree of Montana. In a 1908 poll to determine the state tree, Montana schoolchildren chose the tree over

1008-522: The Mennonite Central Committee, and tied him up. A second group went to the Mitchell home, ordered Archie out of the house, tied him up, and led him away with Dan Gerber. This was witnessed by the members of the Mitchell family including his wife, Betty, and three of their four children, Rebecca (age 13), Loretta (age 10), and Glenn (age 8). The youngest Mitchell child, daughter Geraldine (age 4),

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1056-487: The buildings for any supplies they could use, including linens, medicines, clothing, and surgical equipment. At around 10:00 p.m. that evening the Viet Cong left the compound taking the prisoners (Mitchell, Gerber, and Vietti) and supplies with them. This all happened without any shots fired or any bloodshed. After their capture both American and South Vietnamese military intelligence agencies immediately discovered where

1104-478: The captives were probably being detained, and also confirmed that the Viet Cong used the missionaries' medical expertise to treat their own sick and wounded. While military intelligence was able to successfully track the movements of Mitchell, Gerber, and Vietti, the heavy and continuous Viet Cong presence in and around the area they were being held captive did not allow the military to mount a rescue mission. Missionary officials also attempted to negotiate for release of

1152-534: The captives. Although, by 1969, negotiations between the C&;MA and some Viet Cong soldiers appeared close to securing their release, the negotiations collapsed and never could be reconstituted. Ponderosa Pine Pinus ponderosa , commonly known as the ponderosa pine , bull pine , blackjack pine , western yellow-pine , or filipinus pine , is a very large pine tree species of variable habitat native to mountainous regions of western North America . It

1200-506: The ceremony. Here are the words from the monument plaque: WEYERHAUSER COMPANY EASTERN OREGON REGION IN MEMORY OF ELSIE MITCHELL AGE 26 DICK PATZKE AGE 14 JAY GIFFORD AGE 13 EDWARD ENGEN AGE 13 JOAN PATZKE AGE 13 SHERMAN SHOEMAKER AGE 11 WHO DIED HERE MAY 5, 1945 BY JAPANESE BOMB EXPLOSION ONLY PLACE ON THE AMERICAN CONTINENT WHERE DEATH RESULTED FROM ENEMY ACTION DURING WORLD WAR II Because it commemorates an important wartime event that occurred at

1248-405: The children say, "Look what I found!" His wife and the children ran to see what had been found. Moments later, there was an explosion. Mrs. Mitchell and the boys were killed instantly; one of the children, Joan, survived the initial blast but died minutes later. Rev. Mitchell's hands were burned from trying to put out Mrs. Mitchell's dress which had caught fire. The children had found the remains of

1296-470: The first and only American civilians to be killed by enemy action in the continental United States during World War II . In 1950, the Weyerhaeuser timber company built a monument at the site of the explosion. The Mitchell Monument is constructed of native stone and displays a bronze plaque with the names and ages of the victims of the balloon bomb explosion. Weyerhaeuser donated the monument along with

1344-514: The high country of New Zealand, where it is beginning to take over, causing the native species of plants not to be able to grow in those locations. It is also considered a "weed" in parts of Australia. Native Americans consumed the seeds and sweet inner bark. They chewed the dried pitch, which was also used as a salve. They used the limbs and branches as firewood and building material, and the trunks were carved into canoes. The needles and roots were made into baskets. The needles were also boiled into

1392-719: The longest— 7 + 3 ⁄ 4 inches (19.8 centimetres)—and most flexible needles in plume-like fascicles of three. The Columbia ponderosa pine has long— 4 + 3 ⁄ 4 –8 in (12–20.5 cm)—and relatively flexible needles in fascicles of three. The Rocky Mountains subspecies has shorter— 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 – 5 + 3 ⁄ 4  in (9.2–14.4 cm)—and stout needles growing in scopulate (bushy, tuft-like) fascicles of two or three. The southwestern subspecies has 4 + 1 ⁄ 2 – 7 + 3 ⁄ 4  in (11.2–19.8 cm), stout needles in fascicles of three (averaging 2 + 3 ⁄ 4 – 3 + 1 ⁄ 2  in or 68.5–89 millimetres). The central High Plains subspecies

1440-444: The lunch, the others were not far away and called to me they had found something that looked like a balloon. I had heard of Japanese balloons so I shouted a warning not to touch it. But just then there was a big explosion. I ran up there — and they were all dead. Killed in the explosion were Elsie Mitchell, 26, and the five children: Sherman Shoemaker, 11, Jay Gifford, 13, Edward Engen, 13, Joan Patzke, 13, and Dick Patzke, 14. They were

1488-451: The map. Numbers in columns were derived from multiple measurements of samples taken from 10 (infrequently fewer) trees on a varying number of geographically dispersed plots. Numbers in each cell show calculated mean ± standard error and number of plots. Pinus ponderosa is a dominant tree in the Kuchler plant association, the ponderosa shrub forest . Like most western pines, the ponderosa

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1536-576: The monument, the site offers fishing , hiking , and wildlife viewing opportunities. The site is normally open from mid-May until the end of October. Adjacent to the monument is the " shrapnel tree", a ponderosa pine still bearing scars from the explosion. In 2005, the State of Oregon designated the shrapnel tree at the Mitchell Monument site as an Oregon Heritage Tree . Archie E. Mitchell The Reverend Archie Emerson Mitchell (born May 1, 1918)

1584-435: The mountains they can be found growing in pockets in the rock, stunting their growth. The main challenge for this species in bonsai cultivation is the natural long length of its needles, which takes years of training and care to reduce. This species is grown as an ornamental plant in parks and large gardens. During Operation Upshot–Knothole in 1953, a nuclear test was performed in which 145 ponderosa pines were cut down by

1632-428: The ponderosa pine previously considered the world's tallest pine tree. Modern forestry research has identified five different taxa of P. ponderosa , with differing botanical characters and adaptations to different climatic conditions. Four of these have been termed "geographic races" in forestry literature. Some botanists historically treated some races as distinct species. In modern botanical usage, they best match

1680-553: The ponderosa pine. When carved into, pitch -filled stumps emit a scent of fresh pitch. The National Register of Big Trees lists a ponderosa pine that is 235 ft (72 metres) tall and 27 ft (8.2 m) in circumference. In January 2011, a Pacific ponderosa pine in the Rogue River–Siskiyou National Forest in Oregon was measured with a laser to be 268 ft 4 in (81.79 m) high. The measurement

1728-522: The rank of subspecies and have been formally published. Distributions of the subspecies in the United States are shown in shadow on the map. Distribution of ponderosa pine is from Critchfield and Little. The closely related five-needled Arizona pine ( Pinus arizonica ) extends southward into Mexico. Before the distinctions between the North Plateau and Pacific races were fully documented, most botanists assumed that ponderosa pines in both areas were

1776-478: The same. In 1948, when a botanist and a geneticist from California found a distinct tree on Mt. Rose in western Nevada with some marked differences from the ponderosa pine they knew in California, they described it as a new species, Washoe pine Pinus washoensis . Subsequent research determined this to be one of the southernmost outliers of the typical North Plateau race of ponderosa pine. Its current classification

1824-523: The site, the monument is of significant historical value. Therefore, the Mitchell Monument site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 20, 2003. Today, the Bly Ranger District maintains Mitchell Recreation Area as a day-use picnic area. The site covers 22.7 acres (9.2 ha). It is adjacent to Leonard Creek and is sheltered by large ponderosa pines . In addition to

1872-497: The site. One of the cherry trees was planted just north of the fenced monument site. The remaining trees were planted inside the fenced area. Later that year, over 500 people attended the 50th anniversary re-dedication ceremony at the Mitchell Monument site. The Mitchell Monument site was originally owned by Weyerhaeuser Corporation . In 1996, Weyerhaeuser donated land around the monument to the Fremont National Forest (now

1920-511: The species often appears on the edges of deserts as it is comparatively drought resistant, partly due to the ability to close its leaf pores. It can also draw some of its water from sandy soils. Despite being relatively widespread in the American West, it is intolerant of shade . Pinus ponderosa needles are the only known food of the caterpillars of the gelechiid moth Chionodes retiniella . Blue stain fungus , Grosmannia clavigera ,

1968-590: The surrounding land to the Fremont National Forest in 1998. The monument site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. On December 23, 1947, Mitchell with his new bride Betty (née Patzke, the older sister of two of the children killed by the fire balloon in Bly) sailed to Indo-China for what was the beginning of two five-year terms of service as missionaries to the Vietnamese people of Da Lat . After

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2016-503: The three have been seen since. Mitchell was born in 1918 in Nebraska to Glen Mitchell and his wife Daisy née Chaplin. The family moved to Ellensburg, Washington in 1939. He attended Simpson Bible College in Seattle , where he met his future wife Elsie Winters. They were married in her home town of Port Angeles in 1943, and in 1945, he began his missionary work and they moved to Oregon. On Saturday, May 5, 1945, Mitchell, who at that time

2064-422: The woods. While Mitchell was getting the lunch out of the car near Leonard Creek, the others called to him and said that they had found what looked to be a balloon. Unbeknownst to the group, this was a dangerous Japanese incendiary Fu-Go balloon bomb . As Mitchell was warning them not to touch it, there was a large explosion. Mitchell ran to the spot and found the whole group dead. As I got out of my car to bring

2112-588: Was a minister with the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA). He was born in Franklin, Nebraska. He attended Simpson Bible College and Nyack Missionary College . Mitchell served as a missionary to South Vietnam working on the staff of the Ban Me Thuot Leprosarium when he was taken captive by the Vietcong on May 30, 1962, along with Daniel Amstutz Gerber and Dr. Eleanor Ardel Vietti . None of

2160-430: Was already asleep in bed. Another group of Viet Cong went to Vietti's house and found her in bed. She was ordered to get up, dress, and she was led out of the compound, unbound, to join the other two captives. The Viet Cong planned to take Betty and the children captive as well, but were convinced by the missionaries that they would only fully cooperate if Betty and the children were left behind. The Viet Cong also ransacked

2208-499: Was built by Robert H. Anderson, a local monument builder and stonemason. It is constructed of native stone and displays a bronze plaque with the names and ages of the victims of the balloon bomb explosion. It commemorates the "only place on the American continent where death resulted from enemy action during World War II". Approximately 500 people attended the monument's dedication on August 20, 1950. Oregon Governor Douglas McKay spoke at

2256-482: Was performed by Michael Taylor and Mario Vaden, a professional arborist from Oregon . The tree was climbed on October 13, 2011, by Ascending The Giants (a tree-climbing company in Portland, Oregon ) and directly measured with tape-line at 268 ft 3 in (81.77 m) high. As of 2015, a Pinus lambertiana specimen was measured at 273 ft 9 + 1 ⁄ 2  in (83.45 m), which surpassed

2304-517: Was the pastor of the C&MA church (now called "Standing Stone Church of the Christian and Missionary Alliance") in Bly, Oregon , led a Sunday School picnic up into the nearby mountains of southern Oregon. Accompanying Mitchell was his five-months-pregnant wife, Elsie ( née Winters), and five children from the church. Up in the mountains, Mitchell drove the car around by the road, while the others hiked through

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