COMBINED ARMS TRAINING CENTER, CAMP FUJI, Japan -- Every October members of CATC Camp Fuji hold a memorial ceremony to honor in those who lost their lives, were injured, and assisted during the Camp Fuji Fire tragedy that happened on October 19, 1979.
During the Typhoon Tip, winds damaged a 5,000 gallon fuel bladder so severely, that it ruptured and sent fuel gushing downhill towards Quonset huts, housing more than 1,200 Marines and sailors.
The fuel caught fire and wreaked havoc.
The fire burned 15 huts and the camp laundry facility.
It wounded dozens of people at the camp, including Japanese civilians.
It killed 13 Marines.
Overall, the fire impacted the lives of the Marines and civilians of Camp Fuji, members of Takigahara garrison who housed the Marines during the crisis, local hospitals who treated the injured, and other military installations, such as Yokota Air Base, who assisted in the medical evacuation and treatment of the Marines and sailors.