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"As an FYI, David Thatcher is the last surviving crew member of the B-25 "Ruptured Duck", commanded by Captain Ted Lawson, (the author of "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo" which the movie of the same name was based upon)."

I've read "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo" many, many times since I was a boy, and watch the movie every time it comes on.

All the raiders were great men.

(I have not served. My tagline honors my son and my cousin.)

A beginning thought this morning, it occurred to me last night that there was something bothering me about the coverage of the Doolittle Raid by the media, and it was something that had been irking me for a while now and the sudden application of coffee finally brought things into focus about something that needs to be emphasized as even the American Forces Press Service has slipped into this trap:

"The raid achieved little in terms of damage inflicted on Japan..."

While technically true as to the damage wrought against Japan's military-industrial base, one issue seldom addressed is the fact that after the Doolittle Raid, Japan was forced to divert military resources to the defense of the Japanese Home Islands, as Doolittle and his men had proven that the United States was capable of striking Japan from the air in any way, and at any time. Japan had no way of knowing when the next attack could take place, and the militarists in charge could not risk that the Japanese people might begin to doubt all their propaganda about the invincibility of Japan.

So when we hear or read that canned claptrap about "The Doolittle Raid didn't inflict a lot of damage", we can solidly respond that it wasn't how many targets got blown up that counted, it was the fact that Japan's warlords were proven to have weaknesses, Doolittle's Raiders exploited those weaknesses with a swift kick to the Nipponese groin, and the Japs had no choice but to double over and protect their family jewels until Colonel Tibbets and Major Sweeney came calling in August 1945.

I am astounded that after 64 years, there has been no initiative to make the anniversary of the Doolittle Raid a national holiday.

Those brave crews deserve that, and more.