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Doolittle Raiders Month Ciwor\(/est Cohrnbia Bidgirrg Pau, Present and Fuure Proclamation Doolittle Raiders Month Whereas, during World War II, the United States of America launched the fnst air raid on the Japanese home island of Honshu to demonstrate that Japan was vulnerable to Allied air attack and as retaliation for Japan's unprovoked attack of Pearl Flarbor on December 7 , l94l1' ard Whereas, the air attack was planned and led by Lieutenant Colonel James 'Timmy' Doolittle, USAF, whereby 16 B-25 Mitchell bombers would be launched from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet deep within enemy waters to hit military targets in Japan; and Whereas, on April 18, 1942, while still about 650 miles from Japan, the USS flornet was sighted by a Japanese patrol boat which radioed a waming to Japan, forcing the decision to launch the B- 25 bombers even though the aircraft did not carry enough fuel to retum to the carrier; and Whereas, after bornbing their targets all 16 aircraft were 1os1 166rrgh crash landings in Chinn or ditching at sea" and of the 16 five-merrber crews who took off tom the USS Hornet,l l men were killed or capured, with 69 men eventually retuming safely to the United States or to Allied control; and Whereas, through the courageous actions of 80 brave men" who knew when they lifted off from the USS Hornet tlnt they could not possibly return, a sipificant and demoralizing blow was stuck at Japan resulting in both material damage to specific targets and psychological repercussions to the Japanese leadenhip; and Whereas, on April 16, 17 , and 18, 2009 the Doolittle Raiders 67h annual reunion will be held in Columbi4 SC to commemoraG the bravery and sacrifice of the 80 crewmen who took offfrom the flight deck of the USS Hornet and flew their aircraft into American history. Nowr Therefore, the City Council of the City of West Columbia does hereby proclaim April 2009 as Doolittle Raiders Month in the City of West Columbia" South Carolina and salutes the six remaining members: Colonel William M. Bower, Lt. Colonel Richard E. Cole, Major Thomas C. Griftr, Lt Colonel Robert L. Hite, Lt. Colonel Edward J. Saylor, and S/SGT David J. Thatcher, for their unselfish devotion to their country and their courage beyond the call of duty. Proclaimed this 7e day of April 2009 in meeting duly assembled. Attest: Marta Valentino McKinnon, CMC, City Clerk Mardi McKinnon From: Bobby Horton Sent; Tuesday, April 07, 2009 1:57 PM To: Mardi McKinnon Subject: Doolittle Raiders Mardi..forgot to glve thls to you. The 6 remaining members of the Raiders who are coming to Columbia on April 1G18s are: Colonel William M. Bower, Lt. Colonel Richard E. Cole, MajorThomas C. Grifffn, lt. Colonel Robert [. Hite, Lt Colon€l Edward J. Saylor, S/SGT David J. Thatcher. Presidera Roos€velt wanted his military leaders to flnd some way to strlke ba&258 Medium bombers off the deck of the carrier U.S.s. Hornet Cv{. The task force was discovered 2fi) miles further out from Japan than plan and the plans had to take off knowint they would not have enough fuel to return to friendly tenitory. All 16 reach€d thelr targets and the origlnal plan was to head to China and bail out at n8ht or ditch off shore. Two cr€wman died swimmin& one was killed on bail out one landed safely in Russia, was interned but managed to escape, 8 were captured by the Japanese, 3 of whom were executed after a mock trial. The r€maining five who were capturcd wer€ tortured, starved and placed in solftary confinement until 1945 when they were released by membeE of the OSS. Each of the Ralders rec€ived the Dlstlngulshed Flylng Cross, 2 received the Silver Star and Doolittle received the Medal of Honor by President Roosevelt. The Raiders began training for their mission at the Columbia Army Airbase and Lake Murray. bobby Doolittle Raid - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia Page I of 13 Doolittle Raid From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (Redirected from Doolittle raid) Doolittle Raid The Doolittle Raid, 18 April 1942, was the first air Pacific raid by the United States to strike a Japanese home Part of World War Il. War island (Honsh[) firing World War II. It demonstated that Japan itself was vulnerable to Allied air attack and provided an expedient means for U.S. retaliation for Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December, 1941. The raid was planned and led by Lieutenant Colonel James "Jimmy" Doolittle. Dooliule would later recount in his autobiography that the raid was intended to cause the Japanese to doubt their leadership and to raise American morale: The Japanese had been told they were invulnerable. An attack on the Japanese homeland would cause AB-25 taking offfrom Hornet for the raid confusion in the minds of the Japanese people and Date 18 April 1942 sow doubt about the reliability of their leaders. Location Tokyo, Japan There was a second, equally important Result First attack on Japanese Home Islands Tactically Indecisive psychological reason for this attack. ..Americans badly needed a morale boost.[l] Belligerents ffi United States I Japan Sixteen B-258 Mitchell bombers were launched Commanders from the aircraft carier USS Hornet deep within James H. Doolittle plan enemy waters. The called for them to hit Strength military targets in Japan, ffid land in China although 16B.-25 Mitchells, 80 Unknown number of one B-25 landed in Soviet territory and the crew was airmen (52 officers, 28 troops and homeland interned in the Soviet Union for more than a year. enlisted) defense All 16 aircraft were lost and 1l crewmen were either Casualties and losses killed or captured. The crews of 14 aircraft, in their 3 dead, About 50 dead, 400 entirety returned safely to the United States or to 8 POWs (4 died in injured Allied control.[2ll3l captivity) 15 B-25s Contents T 1 Origins I 2 Training I 3 B-25 aircraft of the Doolittle Raid I 4 The Raid t 5 Aftermath r 5.1 Fate of the missing crewrnen r 5.2 Service of the returning crewrnen 6Impact hup ://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Doolittle_raid 4t7 /2009 Doolittle Raid - V/ikipedia" the free encyclopedia Page 2 of 13 7 Postwar r 7.1 Surviving Members r 7.2Legacy r 7.3 Doolittle Raiders exhibit r 7 .4 Doolittle Raiders re-creation I I Populm culture I 9 References r 9.1 Notes r 9.2 Bibliography 10 External links Origins The raid had its start in a desire by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, expressed to Joint chiefs of staff in a meeting at ttre white House on 21 December, 1941, that Japan be bombed as soon as possible to boost public morale after the disaster at Pearl Harbor,la] The concept for the attack came from Narry Captain Francis Low, Assistant Chief of Staff for Anti-submarine Warfare, who reported to Admiral Ernest J. King on 10 January 1942, that he thought that twin- engined Army bombers could be successfully launched from an Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle aircraft carrier after observing several at a naval airheld in Norfolk, (second from left) and his painted Virginia" where the runway was with the outline of a carrier crew pose in front of aB-25 deck for landing practice.[s] It was subsequently planned and led by on the deck of the USS Hornet Doolittle, a famous civilian aviator and aeronautical engineer before the war. Require,me,nts for the airsraft for a cruising range of 2,400 miles (3,900 km) with a 2,000 pound (900 kg) bomb load resulted in the selection of the North American B-25B Mirchell to carry out the mission. The 8-26 lvlarauder, B-18 Bolo, and B-23 Dragon were also considered,t6l but th" 8-26 had questionable takeoffcharacteristics from a curier decl and the B-23's wingspan was nearly 50/o greater tban the B- 25's, reducing the number tlat could be taken aboard a carier and posing risks to tlrc ship s island. The B-18, one ofthe final two types considered by Doolittle, was rejected for the same reason.Fl Subsequent tests wilh B-25s indicared they could firlfill the mission's requirements. Doolittle's first report on the plan suggested that the bombers might land in Vladivostoh shortening the flight by 6(X) miles (l,fiD km), on the basis of tuming over the B-25s as Lend-Lease.[E] However, negotiations with the Soviet Union (which was not at war with Japan) for permission were fruitless.[9] Training When planning indicated that the B-25 was the aircraft best meeting all specifications ofthe mission, two were loaded aboard the aircraft carrier USS llornei at Norfo$ Virginia, and subsequently flown ofrthe deck without difficulty on 3 February, t 9+2.t101 the raid was immediately approved and the 1 7th Bomb &oup (Medium) chosen to provide the pool of crews from which vohmteers would be recruited. The lTth BG bad been the first http : //en.wikipedia. org/wikilDoolittle-_raid 41712A09 Dooliule Raid - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia Page 3 of 13 group to receive B-25s, with all four of its squadrons equipped with the bomber by September 1941. The 17th not only was the first medium bomb group of the Army Air Corps, but in the spring of 1942, also had the most experienced B-25 crews. Its fnst assignment following the entry of the United States into the war was to the U.S. Eighth Air Force.ll U The lTth BG, then flying antisubmarine patrols from Pendleton, Oregon, was immediately moved cross-country to Lexington County Army Air Base, Columbia, South Carolina, ostensibly to fly similar patrols offthe east coast of the United States, but in actuality to prepare for the mission against Japan.
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