Chichi Jima - Crash Site of George H.W. Bush

The island was the site of a Japanese radio station during World War II, and was a frequent target of US attacks. The young George H. W. Bush was once shot down while on one of these raids. In 1944, all of the 6,886 inhabitants were ordered to evacuate from the Ogasawara islands. Japanese troops and resources from Chichi-Jima were used in reinforcing the strategic point of Iwo Jima before the historic battle that took place there from February 19 to March 24, 1945. The island also served as a major point for Japanese radio communication and surveillance operations in the Pacific, with two radio stations atop its two mountains being the primary goal of multiple bombing attempts by the US Navy.

Chichi-Jima was also the subject of a book by James Bradley entitled Flyboys: A True Story of Courage, a factual account of the lives of a group of young World War II fighter pilots, including George H. W. Bush.