| In the background of fierce protest, there were the deafening roars of B-52s taking off. On November 19, 1969, a B-52 bomber crashed during take-off on the northern runway of Kadena Military Base. After the crash the apprehensive citizens of Okinawa inaugurated the Joint Struggle Committee calling for general strikes and a protest rally near the base at Kadena. The protest drew 40,000 people including members of teacher's unions and resident groups. February 1969 Photograph courtesy of Okinawa Times Publishers "Shashin Kiroku, Okinawa Sengoshi" |
