Mitchell Monument

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An Oregon connection to World War II

A stone monument is set in a beautiful ponderosa pine forest, 10 miles north of Bly in Klamath County.The Mitchell Monument commemorates the only people killed in the mainland of America during World War II. The deaths were caused by a Japanese balloon bomb. Archie Mitchell and his pregnant wife, Elsie, were joined on a picnic by five of his Sunday school students. While Archie was parking the car, his wife and the kids gathered around a strange object that they found in the woods. An explosion left Mitchell as the only survivor.

The monument is constructed of native stone and displays a bronze plaque with the names of the victims. The Weyerhaeuser timber company built the monument and later donated the land to the Fremont National Forest. A small picnic area is adjacent to the monument.

From Bly, Oregon, go 1½ miles east on Highway 140, and turn left on County Road 1259. Take County Road 1259 for ½ mile, then turn right on Forest Road 34. Go on Forest Road 34 for approximately 8 miles. The day use area entrance sign is located on the right.

Keywords: Historic, Everyone, Summer (June - August), Fall (September - November), Spring (March - May)