Ezra Ross
On September 9, 1942 at sunrise,
an aircraft launched by the Imperial Japanese Navy submarine I-25 flew
over Cape Blanco and Port Orford en route the initial bombing raid on Oregon's
forests.
Standing watch that day at
the Coast Guard Station Port Orford was Seaman 2nd Class Ezra Ross, USCG
Reserve. Ross reported unidentified aircraft operating in the area,
enabling the IV Fighter Command to begin tracking the aircraft, eventually
resulting in a U.S. attack on the submarine later that morning.
For his actions that day,
Ross was specifically cited by the commanding general of the Fourth Air
Force. The citation reads, in part:
To: ROSS,
Ezra L. (514-582) Sea2c, U.S.C.G.R., Coast Guard Station, Port Orford,
Oregon.
"The Commandant, Thirteenth
Naval District, in is receipt of a letter from Brigadier General Barney
M. Giles, U.S.A., Commanding General, Fourth Air Force, San Francisco,
California, in which is cited the report of an unidentified plane from
the Coast Guard Station, Port Orford, Oregon, at 0635, 9 September, 1942,
as being of material assistance to the IV Fighter Command in the tracking
the plane in question, with the further request that this be brought to
the attention of the observer on duty.
"It has been learned that
you were the observer mentioned...."
Mr. Ross passed away in October
2003.
U.S.Forest Service Long
Ridge Lookout Post
After Seaman Ross reported
his sighting, the aircraft was again spotted over the forests east of Brookings,
Oregon by two U.S. Forest Service lookout posts, one at Mount Emily and
the other at Long Ridge, about 30 miles from Brookings. Lookout posts
were manned by Forest Service personnel who were also trained as air defense
observers.
Manning the Long Ridge post
that foggy morning were Ed Conley and his wife Esther.
Esther and Ed Conley with
son - 1942
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The road to the lookout
post
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The Conley's reported the
unidentified aircraft, resulting in the following citation from Brigadier
General Barney M. Giles, U.S.A., Commanding General, Fourth Air Force,
San Francisco, California: "...two of the observation posts were of material
assistance to this command through the reports they made on September 9th
of an unidentified airplane near Brookings, Oregon. ... The vigilance of
these two observers is highly commendable. The information they furnished
the IV Fighter Command was of great value...."
Mrs. Conley currently resides
in Port Orford, Oregon. Mr. Conley is deceased.
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