By Gary Laechelin
Thursday was the 71st anniversary of the April 18th, 1942 Tokyo Bombing Raid on Japan by the heroic Jimmy Doolittle’s Tokyo Raiders. I haven’t seen one article in the news about this heroic historical event. Let’s not forget this “Greatest Generation”.
16 B-25B’s lead by Doolittle took off from the USS Hornet and headed for the first strike against Japan’s homeland. Although their bombing did not cause substantial damage to Japan’s military complex, it did create a shock to the Japanese that their homeland was not a fortress. This caused the Japanese to return a number of their naval resources back to guard the homeland which helped an American victory at Midway a few months later. This was the “tipping point” for an American victory in the Pacific.
In 1993 and in Tucson, I had the opportunity to spend some time with Charles McClure, the navigator on plane #7 – the “Ruptured Duck”. You might remember this crew from the movie “Thirty Seconds over Tokyo”. In 2004 and in Tucson, The Doolittle Raiders had their 62nd Reunion which I attended (two day event) and got to meet all of the Raiders who were still alive and healthy enough to attend. I was fortunate enough to get their autographs next to their pictures as well as Mrs. Ellen Lawson’s, the widow of Ted Lawson – pilot of the “Ruptured Duck”.
What can I say, they were all great gentlemen and American hero’s gathered in one spot
Tucson has had a history with the Doolittle Raiders. In 1958, the Air Force wanted a B-25B (the Doolittle model) displayed at the Air Force Museum Dayton, Ohio. What they found in pretty good shape was a Marine B-25 D model located in the “Bone Yard” at Davis Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson. The plane was taken back to North American Aviation (original manufacture) in Inglewood, California were they converted it to a “B” model. It is now in the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio.
In 1959, the City of Tucson presented the Raiders with a beautiful display case holding 80 silver goblets, one for each of the participants in the raid. The goblets are on display in Arnold Hall at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. When a raider dies, his goblet is inverted. When only two men remain, they will toast each other and their comrades with a special bottle of cognac. At this time from what I have read, I believe there are only 4 remaining raiders still alive today. One is Richard E. Cole (Doolittle’s Co-Pilot) who lives just north of San Antonio in Comfort, Texas.
In April of 2007, the Doolittle Raiders had a Reunion in San Antonio. My wife Karen and I just happen to be there and staying at a hotel on the River Walk. Our room was on the 5th floor overlooking the Alamo. I’m looking out the widow and all of sudden this B-25 (in WWII Olive Drab Colors) flies right over the Alamo. My jaw drops from the surprise and beauty of the event and what it symbolized. It was also personal because my parents came to mind. Both my Mom and Dad where in the Army Air Force during WWII, they had hopped a flight on a B-25 from Pampa Air Field down to Kelly Air Field in San Antonio in December of ’44 for Christmas in Seguin with the family. They married two weeks later.
Here is Jimmy Doolittle’s granddaughter giving a talk on the history of Doolittle Raid and her grandfather: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgt8PMoRGG8&list=PL62277FA9AE152714