308Z Fall 2026 Fall for the Book: Fuji Fire: Sifting Ashes of a Forgotten U.S. Marine Corps Tragedy

In Fuji Fire: Sifting Ashes of a Forgotten U. S. Marine Corps Tragedy, journalist and decorated Marine veteran Chas Henry brings the story of the largest peacetime disaster into focus. On the slopes of Mount Fuji in October 1979, the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded propelled 5,500 gallons of gasoline into corrugated steel huts housing U.S. Marines, injuring sixty people and killing thirteen. Author Ralph Peters says this thoroughly-researched book “[portrays] victories of the human spirit, immense sacrifice, inspiring camaraderie, and personal transcendence. Impeccably researched, skillfully written. . . Chas Henry has written a fine book and created a worthy memorial to the living and the lost.” 

Chas Henry served as an active-duty Marine from 1976-1996, rising in rank from private to captain. He was decorated for his actions during the 1991 Gulf War. Journalistic assignments over the years have taken him to more than 30 nations on five continents. He is the author of Fuji Fire.