The Japanese Fu-Go Bombing Campaign

The Japanese Fu-Go bombing campaign took place from November 1944 to April 1945. The Fu-Go operation consisted of the Japanese sending “balloons” with bombs attached into the jet stream to eventually land in North America. The devices were made of: a paper balloon measuring 30 feet in diameter, several ropes approximately 50 feet in length, numerous bombs, and sandbags with an automatic altitude control device. The Japanese released approximately 9,000 balloons in six months, but only 300 balloons were identified in North America. The United States government kept the Fu-Go bombs a secret because the government wanted to avoid panic and avoid helping Japan by not releasing the locations of where the bombs landed. Under the Espionage Act of
The government was clever in hiding the information from Japan because Japan never heard any news about the destruction they were hoping for and eventually stopped the operation. With the “press blackout,” the government wanted to keep the bombs censored to avoid panic. Although they were successful in avoiding panic, citizens of the United States have the right to know what is happening in their own country today. The past can teach the United States about protecting American citizens by allowing the censorship of information during critical times, such as the Fu-Go bombings, as long as the censorship shields the citizens from harmful information. Many citizens of the United States are still unaware of the Japanese Fu-Go bombings today, which is not acceptable. All information should be released to the public after the critical time is over with an explanation of why the government kept evidence away. If the government had an explanation of censorship, citizens would not mind events being censored if the people were protected. The citizens of the United States should be told about the past so the country can learn and keep moving