“A real wild man. A boxer, gymnast, world class flier, war hero, pioneer aeronautical engineer, and...Hell raiser!”
I hadn’t realized he was a gymnast or a boxer but he had the attitude for both. The boxer wants to physically punish his opponent using strength, speed, conditioning and superior tactics.
The gymnast is constantly seeking perfection of form and strength.
I knew Doolittle cut the fighters loose from the bombers. He wanted to shoot down so many German planes none could rise to harass the bombers. That couldn’t happen if the fighters were playing nursemaid.
Jimmy Doolittle kept up his hellraising well after the war. He and his surviving Raiders had a reunion every year after the war. The toll on man and property was ferocious for years until MRS Doolittle stepped in and invited the wives to the reunions. The fellas kept drinking hard but property was safe with the watchful Josephine “Joe” Doolittle keeping the ringleader in line.
Jimmy and “Joe” were married on 12/24/1917 and stayed married for exactly 71 years until Joe’s death on 12/24 1988.
The Aviators?
Gonna have to get that book.
I highly recommend the book, if you are an aviation enthusiast as I am, it is one of the best.
Also...after reading it, I understood wholly why Eddie Rickenbacker was an American Hero to generations.
He was a stud.