Posted on 09/05/2013 7:34:04 AM PDT by Little Ray
WARBIRD RADIO - The National Museum of the United States Air Force along with the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders announced this morning that the U.S. Air Force will host the famed Doolittle Tokyo Raiders’ final toast to their fallen comrades during an invitation-only ceremony on Nov. 9 at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.
On April 18, 1942, 80 men achieved the unimaginable when they took off from an aircraft carrier on a top secret mission to bomb Japan. Led by Lt. Col. James H. “Jimmy” Doolittle, these men came to be known as the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders. Today, just four of the men survive: Lt. Col. Richard E. Cole, co-pilot of Crew No. 1; Lt. Col. Robert L. Hite, co-pilot of Crew No. 16; Lt. Col. Edward J. Saylor, engineer-gunner of Crew No. 15; and Staff Sgt. David J. Thatcher, engineer-gunner of Crew No. 7. At this time, all four Raiders are planning to attend the event. According to Museum Director Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Jack Hudson, the Doolittle Raid was an extremely important event in the development of American air power because it marked the first combat use of strategic bombardment by the U.S. Army Air Forces in World War II.
(Excerpt) Read more at warbirdradio.com ...
Someday I’m going to put together a post on all the extraordinary things that the US Army has done, from this heavy bomber Aircraft Carrier raid, the Air delivered soldiers, to the largest amphibious landings and having a large Army Navy, to putting us in space, even the Indian Code talkers of WWI and WWII.
Those involved fought WWII honorably, but assigning them the "The Greatest Generation" label is inaccurate not to mention very arrogant.
Hardly.
Mine, too.
Coincidentally, I watched “30 Seconds Over Tokyo” a couple of weeks ago. A true classic, made in 1944.
When I saw this thread, I knew I just had to join in.
I am in awe of the Doolittle Raiders as well as the guys who flew the B-17's out of England. They committed to 25 missions, even though in the beginning it was statistically impossible to complete 25 missions. I am also in awe of the F-105 pilots who flew the aircraft I loaded in Vietnam. They flew the missions, even though the R.O.E. was designed to help the enemy shoot them down over Hanoi and Haiphong.
david brokaw did that in order to sell his book of the same name.
The greatest generation has given us the aarp marketing machine, zombie democrat voters, dead voters, nursing home legally incapacitated voters, social security fear mongering, condo commandos, and the “I don’t care about the next generation” deficits.
There are rugged individuals who make things of relevance happen. Sadly it is the old axiom, defeat is an orphan and victory has many claim credit.
And I think I'll go watch it again myself...
while militarily insignificant in terms of damage, it was monumental in setting the tone of the war. contrary to what the japanese thought, the US was never going to allow Japan to stay behind a defensive perimeter while the US sued for peace. the doolittle raid showed that, it tagged the japanese homeland as the target. that shocked the japanese and forced them to recalc the need for home defense.
but to me, the most significant thing was that the raid was basically a suicide raid. it showed the USA would do whatever it took, at any cost, to acheive total victory. that was the essence of the japanese miscalculation, they totally missed that aspect of US culture.
could they have really conceived that less than 5 years after the pearl harbor raid, there country, and particularly the top 20 cities would be in absolute ruin, including two nuclear strikes?
one never knows where war will go.
Yes, I am confused as well, I thought it was to go to the last man.
My uncle was a navigator on a B-17 out of England and made all his return flights. Uncle Lloyd received the Silver Star (among other medals) at the end of his tour.
My dad was a civilian pilot and other than the medical care, got no recognition.
“Thud’s”, right? I read “Thud Ridge” many years ago, and was extremely impressed with these brave men. Talk about the rules being stacked against you... God Bless them, and all of you who served with them.
You got that right. I got the same email several weeks ago as well.
Actually, it should have been painfully obvious.
There were more paved roads in California than in all of Japan. I don’t even want to guess how we compared for miles of railroad. Or steel production.
The first A6M “Zero” prototype was carried from the factory to the airfield in an oxcart. Using trucks damaged the aircraft (remember the roads?). Subsequent production aircraft traveled the same way or in horse-drawn carts.
The US GDP was over four times that of Japan in 1941.
Probably a wise decision. As elderly as the 4 survivors are, it’s a real possibility all would be gone by next year, which would be sad not to have them share the final toast as planned.
david brokaw did that in order to sell his book of the same name.
The greatest generation has given us the aarp marketing machine, zombie democrat voters, dead voters, nursing home legally incapacitated voters, social security fear mongering, condo commandos, and the “I don’t care about the next generation” deficits.
There are rugged individuals who make things of relevance happen. Sadly it is the old axiom, defeat is an orphan and victory has many claim credit.
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Absolutely...Good points all.
And don’t forget the good ol boy corrupt politicians like LBJ, another guy from Texas who brought us the epic “Great Society” leftist socialism.
thats not jimmy dolittle, thats spencer tracy
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