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One week after Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt began pressing the U.S. military to immediately strike the Japanese homeland. The desire to bolster morale became more urgent in light of rapid Japanese advances. These included victories in Malaya, Singapore, the Philippines, Wake Island, Guam, and the Dutch East Indies, as well as sinking the British battleships Prince of Wales and Repulse.Only improbable, audacious ideas warranted consideration, because submarines confirmed Japan placed picket boats at extreme carrier aircraft range. One idea even involved launching four engine heavy bombers from China or Outer Mongolia to strike Japan and fly on to Alaska. Captain...

Valor. When things were their darkest for the U.S. after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, the Doolittle Raiders gave the nation hope. Sixteen B-25s, each with a five-man crew, were lined up on the aircraft carrier USS Hornet. This had never been tried in war—sending heavy bombers off a carrier. Because the Japanese military had learned of the strategy, the planes had to take off from farther out in the Pacific than had been planned. Their mission was to hit Tokyo, but now they would lack enough fuel to reach safety beyond Japan’s borders. They went anyway. They bombed Tokyo,...

[AP, so no excerpt, the plane was shot down by the Germans July 10, 1943]

The North American B-25 crashed Saturday evening a few miles southeast of the Stockton Metropolitan Airport. Three people were on board. One person walked away and two others were taken to hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. The aircraft was extensively damaged. (San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office via AP)

One week after Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt began pressing the U.S. military to immediately strike the Japanese homeland. The desire to bolster morale became more urgent in light of rapid Japanese advances. These included victories in Malaya, Singapore, the Philippines, Wake Island, Guam, and the Dutch East Indies, as well as sinking the British battleships Prince of Wales and Repulse. Only improbable, audacious ideas warranted consideration, because submarines confirmed Japan placed picket boats at extreme carrier aircraft range. One idea even involved launching four engine heavy bombers from China or Outer Mongolia to strike Japan and fly on to Alaska....

One week after Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt began pressing the U.S. military to immediately strike the Japanese homeland. Desires to bolster moral became more urgent in light of rapid Japanese advances. Victories in Malaya, Philippines, Wake Island, and Dutch East Indies included sinking the British battleships Prince of Wales and Repulse as the Japanese conquered Singapore. Only improbable ideas warranted consideration, because submarines confirmed Japan placed picket boats at extreme carrier aircraft range. One idea even involved launching four engine heavy bombers from China or Outer Mongolia to strike Japan and fly on to Alaska. Captain Francis Law, a submariner,...

B-25 bombers fly in to Ohio to honor the daring American fliers who 70 years ago took part in the Doolittle Raid on Japan The B-25 bomber barely missed clipping the top of the mountain as its engines started to sputter. Its crew knew it was time to jump into the dark somewhere in eastern China. With only faint moonlight to guide him down, Lt. Tom Griffin’s parachute snagged a mountainside treetop. There the Army Air Force navigator hung for several hours until dawn with only the sound of occasional pistol fire breaking the night’s silence. Griffin could only hope...

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4/21/2010 - WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFNS) -- Vintage B-25 Mitchell bombers fly during a memorial honoring the 68th Doolittle Raiders reunion here April 18.A vintage B-25 Mitchell bomber flies near the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, April 18, 2010, during a memorial flight honoring the Doolittle Raiders. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Jacob N. Bailey) View the slideshow

In a flight test reminiscent of the early days of the historic X-15 program 50 years earlier, the X-51A Waverider was carried aloft for the first time over Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., Wednesday, Dec. 9 by an Air Force Flight Test Center B-52H Stratofortress. The "captive carry" test was a key milestone in preparation for the X-51 to light its supersonic combustion ramjet engine and propel the WaverRider at hypersonic speed for about 5 minutes, before plunging into the Pacific Ocean. That flight test is currently planned in about two months, said Charlie Brink, X-51A program manager with the...

Nolan Herndon, a member of the famed Doolittle Raiders who bombed Japan in 1942, has died. He was 88. Herndon died Sunday of pneumonia, Edgefield Mercantile Funeral Home director David Burnett told The Associated Press on Monday. Herndon, a Texas native, enlisted on July 27, 1940, after attending two years of college, according to the Web site http://www.doolittleraider.com. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant about a year later. He also graduated from navigator training and completed bombardier training. Herndon participated in one of the most daring air raids in American history, when 16 B-25 bombers took off from an...

Lt. Col. Chase J. Nielsen, a Utah man and member of the famed "Doolittle Raiders" who bombed Japan in 1942 -- in a retaliation attack from Pearl Harbor -- passed away on Friday at the age of 90. Nielsen was a navigator in one of the most daring air raids in American history, when 16 B-25 bombers took off from an aircraft carrier and bombed Tokyo on April 18, 1942. Nielsen and his crew -- named "Crew 6," because of the order in which they left the aircraft carrier -- ditched the plane off the coast of China after it...

Lord, Keep our Troops forever in Your care Give them victory over the enemy... Grant them a safe and swift return... Bless those who mourn the lost. . FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time. ...................................................................................... ........................................... U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues Where Duty, Honor and Countryare acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated. Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel...

World War II bomber revived as 'living memorial' http://www.portales-news.com/engine.pl?station=portales&template=storyfull.html&id=8117 http://tinyurl.com/fu9fh By Marlena Hartz: Freedom Newspapers marlena_hartz@link.freedom.com Created on: May 27, 2006 - 6:13AM - 8117 In a San Antonio junkyard, the B-25 Pacific Prowler idled, bird nests and cobwebs cluttering her insides. That was until Jim Terry rescued her. Three years ago, the retired Air Force pilot restored the famous World War II bomber, built in August 1944. “It was a ghost,” said Terry, a Fort Worth, Texas, resident. No longer, however, is the plane a ghost. Its metal exterior glints in the sunlight, oiled for the brilliant shine. When...

If you've ever dreamed of sailing the skies in a World War II bomber, there may be no time like the present in Tucson. But it'll cost ya. Four vintage bombers will touch down in the city in April, offering rides at about $400 a pop. The events are sponsored by two nonprofit foundations that use the money to help keep the rare old warplanes running. The Old Pueblo has become a favorite stopover for such outfits because our warm-weather city has all the attributes they look for. "Tucson is a hot spot because it has so many retirees and...

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE - Planning for the upcoming open house on Oct. 22 and 23 is hitting a fever pitch as base officials finalize one of the most diverse air shows to hit the Antelope Valley and Los Angeles area in years. This year there will be just under seven hours of continuous flying featuring nearly 34 separate flight demonstrations; more than triple those of most shows common to southern California. Some highlights include a special performance by aviation legend Chuck Yeager flying a P-51 Mustang, the same type of aircraft Yeager flew when he became an ace in...

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. (May 23, 2005) -- Panchito, a vintage B-25 named for the fighting rooster featured in a 1945 animated musical, graced event goers with its presence May 20-22 during the Cherry Point Air Show. In addition to charming air show guests with its classic paint scheme and powerful engines, the aircraft brought a message of awareness for Disabled American Veterans. The B-25 boasts a dynamic history. Best known for its role in Jimmy Doolittle's famed 1942 raid over Tokyo, the aircraft now enjoys the position of air show jewel. From wartime and post-World War...

Lord, Keep our Troops forever in Your care Give them victory over the enemy... Grant them a safe and swift return... Bless those who mourn the lost. . FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time. ...................................................................................... ........................................... U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues Where Duty, Honor and Countryare acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated. Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel...

Lord, Keep our Troops forever in Your care Give them victory over the enemy... Grant them a safe and swift return... Bless those who mourn the lost. . FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time. ...................................................................................... ........................................... U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues Where Duty, Honor and Countryare acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated. Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel...

WWII raiders land Doolittle fliers back in Tucson for 62nd reunion It was a welcome befitting some of World War II's most famous aerial heroes. Four vintage B-25 bombers and a B-17 bomber thundered through Tucson's blue skies Wednesday to greet the last of the silver-haired Doolittle Tokyo Raiders as they arrived here for their 62nd annual reunion. The historic aircraft touched down with precious cargo: 80 silver goblets the Raiders received as a tribute from the citizens of Tucson in 1959, and which have been used ever since to commemorate their mission.