The Doolittle Raid April 18, 1942

Self | April 18, 2020 | Self

[Retain Mike]

Jimmy Doolittle's co-pilot, retired Air Force Lt. Col. Richard “Dick” Cole, was the last living raider and died April 7, 2019 at 103 years. I knew so many men like him as I grew up and throughout my years. I knew an ace who served in the Flying Tigers, a ranger who scaled Point-Du-Hoc, a UDT sailor who cleared surf obstacles before the Okinawa landing, and a man with the 10th Mountain Infantry who received two silver stars and was the only one of eight officers in his company to land in Italy and soldier through the102 days until the Germans surrendered.

Now like Richard Cole all the men I knew have passed as well. I do not plan to forget them and will post this story annually to help others remember.

[rey]

They didn’t call it off for the flu?

[fso301]

That was an amazing raid.

[fella]

“30 Seconds Over Tokyo” is one of my all time favorite films.

[llevrok]

So many brave acts in WW2. But to my thinking, this was perhaps one of THE most audacious

[MRadtke]

Thank you for posting this. I got to meet one of the Raiders many years ago in Oshkosh. By the way, it was on this date in ‘96 that I took and passed my private pilot check ride!

[VeniVidiVici]

Since you post this every year you’ve probably heard me say this but I had the honor to talk with General Doolittle for a whole hour in 1985.

At his house in Carmel, CA, a fellow linguist and myself were honored to chat with him in his home on a variety of topics from the raid to current events at that time under President Reagan.

Definite hero worship on my part. It was an experience I’ll never forget.

And I’ll never forget the picture on his wall of President Reagan awarding Doolittle his fourth star!!

[Captain Walker]

And an incredibly costly one in terms of Chinese lives; some quarter of a million Chinese were killed by the Japanese in retribution for this raid. (This isn't simply looking at history with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight; the planners were well aware that the Japanese would realize the pilots would have to continue on to China, and that the Japanese counterattack against the Chinese would be vicious.)

www.smithsonianmag.com

[Theophilous Meatyard III]

I saw film showing reporters standing around FDR’s desk, repea5edly asking where the B-25s came from. Finally he looked around at them with a wide grin, and said, “They came from shangri-la.” That place was featured in the movie “Lost Horizon,” released in 1937.

[Captain Peter Blood]

Read James Scott's, “Target Tokyo”, the best book written on this subject.

[Huskrrrr]

Some of the bravest men to serve our Country. Backlash of the raid was the extermination of 250,000 Chinese by the Japs. Remember that all you folks arguing against the use of Atomic bombs that ended WWII.

[Captain Walker]

Although there is a certain irony in the bombing raid against Japan that resulted in the highest loss of life being the one that took the lives of our allies...

[Captain Walker]

That’s the book excerpted in the Smithsonian article I linked to above.

[Spruce]

Tim Blotz, a news anchor in the twin cities, has a cool blog post about his grandfather’s role in the preparation that occured in Minneapolis. With some great photos!

https://timothyblotz.com/tag/minnesota-doolittle-raid/

[HighSierra5]

Bravery,courage and patriotism was a commodity that was not in short supply. When Americans were men and women were women. Hubba hubba.

[TMN78247]

About 2 decades ago, I attended a gun-show at Dallas Market Hall.- When an announcer said on the public address system that a DOOLITTLE RAIDER was present, the gun-show shopping almost came to a “screeching halt”, as just about everyone wanted to meet him & shake his hand.

The Raiders were “GIANTS walking on the Earth”, imo.

Yours, TMN78247

[stratman1969]

I went to an event in Fairfield, CA in 2003 as part of the Doolittle Raiders reunion. I’d grown up reading Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo in elementary school and bought it, Mrs. Lawson (the author’s widow), Gen. Doolittle’s son, and the surviving Raiders in attendance autographed it.

[ConorMacNessa]

"Doolittle Raiders on board USS Hornet - 18 April 1942"

"I am an American fighting man. I serve in the forces guarding our country and our way of life.
I am prepared to give my life in their defense."

[SmokingJoe]

And an incredibly costly one in terms of Chinese lives; some quarter of a million Chinese were killed by the Japanese in retribution for this raid

Worth remembering in light of the sometimes overwrought anti Chinese sentiment over coronavirus.
Not making any excuses for the Chinese government. Just saying.

[Huskrrrr]

Yes, I see your point. The psychological effect on the Japanese people and Imperial Japanese armies and navy after the Tokyo bombing is hard to measure. At the very least it resulted in a more defensive posture for the Japanese forces. It also set up the game changing battle of Midway.