Doolittle Raiders

[Dave_G]

For those who don't follow history much, this week is very special to some. This week 60 years ago the Doolittle Raiders launched their B-25's from an aircraft carrier on a daring raid into Japan to turn the tide of world war II. About 15 years ago I had the pleasure of meeting General Doolittle at a small gathering in Monterey California. As a the evening was winding down I asked the general if he would sign an entry into my pilots log book as a memento. He gladly obliged and also personally autographed a photo for me. He was a true gentleman and a hero that we should all take some time out this week to remember.

Photo attached....

Dave

"I know it all, but I can't remember most of it..."

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[Jimmy8]

You know, I think a lot of people really never realized the size of what those guys did until last year when Pearl Harbor came out. What they did completely changed the outlook of the war, and I am glad that that movie could shed some more light on what those guys did and how important it really was. God Bless the USA, and all of our armed services.

Trophy Truck #15
www.jimmybeaver.com

[Waldo]

Dave, that is really bitchen! My step-father used to fly F-100's in the airforce. I also have a great uncle who was FDR's personal pilot when he was president. Talk about a man with many stories. He would enlighten us for hours when he would visit. He also met his wife in the white house who was one of FDR's secretaries.

BRAAAAAAAAP!

[pjc]

Doolittle was a bad ass!

On the flight to China after bombing Japan, his crew asked what they should do if they ran out of fuel over water. His answers were:

1) Try and ditch near a friendly ship.
2) If we have to ditch near an enemy ship, we'll board the vessel and kick their butts.

PJCinLV

[dcman008]

it's funny that you are talking bout jimmy Doolittle . this is the last place i wood think to hear about him. usually old people are all over my nutz when they find out he's my grandpapy.

live long 91 corica

[GoHardOrGoHome]

George Seeley's dad was a navigator for a B-26 Marauder (medium bomber) in the European Theatre. The History Channel is loaded with documentaries about the Air War in WWII. Pretty intense stuff.

ABC News did a piece on the Doolittle Raid reunion, which I videotaped:

http://more.abcnews.go.com/sections/...ers020419.html

http://www.msnbc.com/local/slt/a728434.asp

"Two flyers died in crashes and eight were captured and tortured by the Japanese. Three were executed. But the mission to Tokyo did wonders for American morale.
Since WWII, the surviving Raiders have met every year, and in a ceremony kept private until today, toasted their comrades alive and gone. They turn over 58 pewter cups to commemorate their comrades who have died. There are 22 Raiders alive today. Their final toast will be when there are only two."

"Politics makes strange bedfellows". . Strange that 50 yrs later, the former enemies are thriving business partners. Toyota, Honda, Kawasaki & others are all sponsors in desert racing. (Offroading was started by a bunch of guys messing around with jeeps in Southern California deserts. That led to offroad racing).

I was watching a documentary on Volkswagen Bug on History Channel. Yes, it was Adolf Hitler's concept vehicle for the German masses, which is the foundation of today's "formula desert cars". (Type 4 engine, transaxle with independent rear suspension, torson bar front) Hitler wanted an air-cooled engine for simplicity. Ferdinand Porsche also designed the legendary Tiger Tank (best open field tank of WWII), which "feasted" on the American Sherman tank.

That's right! Today's desert offroad racing owes its success to America's former WWII enemies: Germany & Japan. . They weren't kidding, when they say wartime industry jumpstarts the economy. Offroad racing was one of its spinoffs. I was watching a show on the History Channel about the development of the Jeep. They showed a clip of a jeep with a trailer, catching air over a jump. No kidding. That was a selling point to the military for its ruggedness. It lasted until the recent introduction of the HumVee.

"Go for the Gusto, Go for the Overall"
-- Robby Gordon, SCORE off-road champion

[scott]

Those guys had balls, especially flying those things off of an aircraft carrier... My Great Uncle from my Dads side was the Top Gunner on a B-25, and were jumped by...I believe some Me-109's, They shot all the structure down below him and he collapsed and fell all the way to the Bombay section, and broke his back... They carried on with the mission... Can you imagine the pain that guy was in... All in the days before Vicodin !!!!! Men like him and many others like him, that gave there life for freedom should be honored and never forgotten...