I got the opportunity to make a prime time television special on the story of Jimmy Doolittle in the late 1980s. I got to spend a week interviewing him when he was in his early 80s and still very lucid with a spectacular memory for details and inability to express anything but the truth as he lived it. This scene also contains the memories of some of the Doolittle Raiders who are still alive at that time. All loved Jimmy and in my experience all were great storytellers.

The Doolittle Raid also known as the Tokyo Raid was an air raid on the Japanese capital of Tokyo during World War II, on April 18, 1942. It was the first air operation to strike the Japanese Home Islands and was planned to boost American and Allied morale while casting doubt on Japanese confidence about their ability to defend their homeland.

The raid was led by Lieutenant Colonel Doolittle and was carried out by sixteen B-25B Mitchell bombers each with a crew of five.

The bombers were not designed for a carrier takeoff. This required extensive training and precise execution. But on that morning, none of the pilots and crews had ever done this before and the weather was very far from perfect with heavy seas.

The crews had to navigate over open ocean and enemy territory, often in poor weather conditions. As the raiders flew a long distance they then had to bomb their targets and then hopefully, continue on to land or crash in parts of China and the Soviet Union since a return to the carrier was not possible. This put the crews at risk of running out of fuel.

Upon reaching China, the plan told the Raiders to land at airfields in Zhejiang. However, due to early detection they had to launch early an arrived in China at night with bad weather conditions and low on fuel. Fifteen of the aircraft crash-landed and the crew of the 16th aircraft bailed out. One aircraft landed in the Soviet Union where the crew was put in prison for more than a year.

What was the result of the Doolittle Raid?
The raid was a significant morale boost for the United States. Although the physical damage in Japan was relatively minor, it demonstrated that Japan was vulnerable to American air attack and provided an avenging strike for the attack on Pearl Harbor.

The raid caused the Japanese to recall combat forces for home defense and it contributed to Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto's decision to attack Midway Island in the Central Pacific—an attack that turned into a decisive strategic defeat of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) by the U.S. Navy in the Battle of Midway. The loss at Midway was a turning point in the Pacific War.

Of the 80 crew members, 3 were killed in action and 8 were captured by the Japanese. Of these captives, 3 were executed and 1 died in captivity. The remaining 69 men survived and eventually made it back to allied lines.

After the Doolittle Raid Jimmy" Doolittle continued to serve in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. He was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General, skipping the rank of Colonel, shortly after the raid and was later promoted to Major General in 1943. In recognition of his leadership and accomplishments, Doolittle was awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest military honor in the United States.

Doolittle was known for his aggressive and innovative tactics. Under his leadership the 8th Air Force was critical to the strategic bombing campaign against Nazi Germany.
After his military service, Doolittle worked in the private sector. He served as a director of several companies including Shell Oil and Mutual of Omaha. He also served as a special assistant to the president of North American Aviation, a major aerospace manufacturer.

Doolittle contributed to many scientific and aeronautical advancements both during and after his military career. He held a Sc.D. in Aeronautics from MIT, which he earned before the war, and continued to contribute to the field after his service. For his contributions to aeronautics, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1989.

Doolittle passed away in 1993 at the age of 96. His legacy lives on through his contributions to military aviation, his leadership during World War II, and his contributions to the field of aeronautics.

I would like to thank some of the advertisers who place their ads on this video. It helps keep me going presenting clips from my archive. Verizon military discount. Under Armor military discount. Apply for a VA home loan. Veterans administration Sepulveda. Fox nation for veterans. VA loan preapproval. Vehicles for veterans. VA home loan lender. Epic hero. Hero. Fighter pilot. War stories. Soldier. World War II veteran. Jimmy Doolittle.
David Hoffman Filmmaker

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