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on June 5, 1945 473 B-29s carried out a mid altitude day flight fire raid on Kobe. 11 B-29s were lost on the mission. B-29 44-69769 (k57) of 330th Bomb Group was critically damaged over the target. A/C Schlitz turned SE heading for Sea of Kumano. Six crew members parachuted over Joyo City between Nara and Osaka. Five of crew perished when K-57 attempted a landing along the Kisu River adjacent Joyo City. During my March 2002 return visit to Japan I was asked to speak and visit at a memorial service in Shin Koji Temple in Joyo City. Elder priest Shunrei Takeda and Fellow Temple members have established a memorial within their temple honoring the five B-29 crewmen who died that day June 5, 1945. A large group of Temple members participated in the ceremony. They too are looking for closure of memories of War 57 years ago. That was both a sad but very special and memoriable day. None of the crew of K57 came home after the end of War.

Interior of Shinokji Temple in Joyo City (Nara- Kyoto area). Chief priest Shunrei Takeda and fellow Temple members created this memorial to dead crew members of B 29 of 330th Bomb Group that crashed nearby following large raid on Kobe on June 5, 1945. I was an invited guest and spoke and visited with assembled Temple members in March 2002. It was a sad; yet very special day.