Fuji Fire: Sifting Ashes of a Forgotten U.S. Marine Corps Tragedy

by Chas Henry

On October 19, 1979, the largest, most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded propelled 5,500 gallons of gasoline into corrugated steel huts filled with U.S. Marines. The gas ignited, injuring seventy-three people, thirteen of them fatally. The Marine Corps commandant, a veteran of combat in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, was stunned as he met scores of horribly burned survivors. "Having witnessed a lot of bad things, ugly things," the general declared, "none can compare to that experience." And yet this 1979 catastrophe on the slopes of Japan's iconic Mount Fuji remains all but forgotten except by those directly affected.

Now, the fruits of Chas Henry's exhaustive four-year, two-continent investigation provide insight into what many have called the U.S. Marine Corps' worst-ever peacetime disaster. Fuji Fire shares the compelling and intimate stories of heartbreak and inspiration forged by these events while bringing to light new, critical analyses of the incident's causes and effects.

328 pages, Hardcover

Published June 1, 2025

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mass Effect. September 11. Small Exurban Atlanta, Georgia. A Blimp Commonly Seen At Major US Sporting Events. All Connected By One Event. Many, many years ago - nearly as far back as the fire at the heart of this book, though I'm not quite *that* old - I attended a Family Day (or whatever they called it at the time) at the Goodyear plant in Rockmart, Ga, just outside metropolitan Atlanta at the time. My dad and several uncles all worked for Goodyear at one of their two plants in my hometown of Cartersville, just up the road, and for whatever reason this year (and maybe one other?) Goodyear was combining the event for all three plants. Little did I know that in attending that event, I would have a direct - if extremely remote - connection to a fire that killed 13 US Marines and injured nearly 50 other people when my dad was 19 and just before my mom's 19th birthday, nearly a year before they wed and within 5 yrs before my birth. To the level that given my family and community connections, it is at least somewhat likely that I actually know people who know the people who likely never even knew that something they had made had unfortunately indirectly caused so much devastation.

And little did Henry know that in including the tiny detail of who made the fuel bladder that leaked the fuel that burned and caused these casualties, he would instantly make this tale that much more personal to a reviewer who had never heard of this tragedy before seeing this book.

But there are wider connections here, both more in the aftermath than the setup. One issue Henry dives into for a page or two (of just barely 230 pages of actual text here) actually connects directly to an issue explored early in the first Mass Effect game in an encounter that is almost unavoidable, but to reveal which one would be a major spoiler for the discussion at this point of the book, as they are in fact identical, with identical reasonings if not identical particulars.

The other, perhaps even most surprising connection of all, is actually that this 1979 USMC tragedy along the slopes of Mount Fuji in Japan is directly connected to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City - and directly helped save lives in 2001. All because one doc in particular was there in 1979 trying to save the lives of as many of these Marines as he could and learned lessons that became directly applicable that Tuesday in New York.

Read this book to learn of the Marines tragically lost over those two months in late 1979. Their stories have rarely been told outside of Marine circles, and everyone deserves to be remembered and have their stories known. Read this book to learn of the mistakes that were made that caused this calamity - or certainly exacerbated it, at minimum - and what we can do better both in the military (which *has* updated and clarified the relevant regulations over the intervening decades) and as a society in response to emergency and traumatic situations. Read this book to learn of the selflessness and heroism of so many working to save as many people as possible, and of the Marines themselves who were so often so much more worried about their fellow Marine than their own body. Read this book because so few of us have ever heard these stories, yet the sacrifice and courage of so many truly deserve to be more well known by so many more of us.

And yes, after you read this book... leave your own review. Tell the world what you thought of Henry's reporting here (reads like a thriller, even as you know it is all too real) or the events shown here (I think I've been clear on that point). Help get the word out about this book so that the world can see what happened in 1979... and since.

And then go hug a loved one, because as this tale so poignantly points out... you never really know when it will be the last time you have a chance to do so.

Very much recommended.

PS: The star deduction? Unfortunately there was no bibliography at all in the Advance Review Copy edition of the book I read, and while I understand that this is original investigation, even by my more relaxed bibliographic requirements of nonfiction books these last few years I still really need to see at least around 15% of the text be bibliography, as that does seem to be a rough industry standard and is the standard I've been judging nonfiction books by for quite some time.

[Sarah Jensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

🔥 Fuji Fire: Unearthing the Inferno That Consumed a Marine Corps Brotherhood – A Haunting Chronicle of Neglect and Valor - Chas Henry’s Meticulous Exposé of the U.S. Marine Corps’ Deadliest Peacetime Disaster

📖 Book Description
In Fuji Fire: Sifting Ashes of a Forgotten U.S. Marine Corps Tragedy, investigative journalist Chas Henry resurrects the harrowing events of October 19, 1979, when a catastrophic fire at Camp Fuji, Japan, claimed the lives of 13 U.S. Marines—a tragedy overshadowed by history and institutional silence. Blending forensic reportage with oral histories, Henry dissects the systemic failures and raw heroism buried beneath official records, offering a searing indictment of bureaucratic neglect and a tribute to fallen brothers.

🔍 Comprehensive Analysis

⚡ Structure & Flow
Forensic Chronology: Reconstructs the fire minute-by-minute, intercut with broader context (Cold War-era military culture, Camp Fuji’s vulnerabilities).
Dual Narrative: Alternates between visceral survivor accounts and damning archival revelations—reads like a courtroom drama meets war diary.
Pacing: Deliberately slow-burn (like the smoldering aftermath), crescendoing in a gut-punch finale.

👥 Characters & Voice
The Marines: Profiled with aching intimacy—their youth, dreams, and final moments rendered in unsentimental detail.
Chas Henry’s Voice: Razor-sharp yet elegiac; his journalist’s precision amplifies the tragedy’s emotional weight.

✒️ Style
Tone: Investigative but deeply human—Spotlight meets Thin Red Line.
Jargon: Military terms clarified for civilians; survivor quotes raw and unfiltered.

🎯 Ideal Readers

For: Military historians, true-crime enthusiasts, accountability advocates, and readers of Into the Fire or The Looming Tower.

Not For: Those seeking triumphalist military tales or light nonfiction—this is a requiem steeped in anger and grief.

⭐ Star Breakdown (0-5)
Research/Accuracy: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) — Henry’s decade-long investigation is exhaustive.
Emotional Impact: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ (4.5/5) — Survivor testimonies linger like smoke.
Narrative Cohesion: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5) — Timeline jumps may challenge linear readers.
Originality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) — First full account of a suppressed tragedy.
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5) — A vital, if devastating, corrective to history.

📢 Reviewer Remarks
- Henry ignites a long-overdue reckoning—proof that some fires burn for decades in the dark.
- The Silent Spring of military exposés—a blistering wake-up call.
- Reads like a thriller, lands like a war crime tribunal.

🙏 Acknowledgments
Thank you to NetGalley and the University of Nebraska Press for the ARC. This review reflects my honest evaluation.

💡 Final Thought
Fuji Fire isn’t just about how 13 Marines died—it’s about why America forgot them. Henry doesn’t just document a disaster; he lights a pyre for the truth.

One line Description:
The Flames the Marines Couldn’t Escape—And the Bureaucracy That Tried to Bury Them

[Sarah Coulter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is tough to rate, and tough to read. It’s based on a historical event, and it’s not dramatized to add any fluff. That does mean some parts are a little slow and sometimes hard to follow. However, it really captures the tragedy in detail, and you can appreciate the work that went into it to be accurate. If you are looking for fluff or entertainment, skip this. But if you want a very well written account of a historical tragedy, this is for you.

[Dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

This well researched book should be on all services noncommissioned officer (NCO) and command reading lists. It is a story of safety, risk, and resilience. It follows the story of a fire in the Camp Fuji cantonment area, the response across the joint force and Japanese community.

[Melissa Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a tough read. A close college friend was in the middle of this disaster, but never discussed it with me. I now know why.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book about a little known event even in the Marine Corps that should be told and isn't. Well researched and presented.