Doolittle's raid on Tokyo April 18, 1942

President Reagan and Sen. Barry Goldwater present Gen. Jimmy Doolittle with his rank of four-star general, a promotion created by an act of Congress in 1985.

On April 18, 1942 Lt. Col. James (Jimmy) Doolittle led an intrepid group of aviators, flying 16 B-25 medium bombers on a daring raid to the heart of the Japanese Empire, providing a badly needed boost to the morale of the American people in the early months of the war, following the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941.

A B-25 like those used on the Doolittle Raid takes off from McCook's Ben Nelson Regional Airport. (Bruce Crosby/McCook Gazette)

In the first months of World War II America was in need of heroes, larger-than-life men, who would show that America could prevail and survive the difficult days of all-out war, on a world-wide basis. Lt. Col. James "Jimmy" Doolittle was just such a man.

Jimmy Doolittle was born in Alameda, Calif., in December 1896, the son of Frank and Rosa Doolittle. Frank was a carpenter, but also a dreamer, who succumbed to the rumors of great wealth in the Alaskan gold rush of the early years of the 20th century. The Doolittles moved to Nome Alaska in early 1900.

Frank practiced his trade as a carpenter, and Jimmy learned to defend himself against the taunts and attacks of bullies. But Frank always wanted to share more in the gold rush as a prospector, which led to Rosa and son, Jimmy returning to California in 1910 so that Jimmy could attend high school in a more normal manner..

In high school, in Los Angeles Jimmy distinguished himself as a gymnast and as a very scrappy lightweight boxer. After high school, he enrolled in the University of California Berkley School of Mines, with the goal of rejoining his father in Alaska. But, as happened with so many young men of that pre-World War I era, Jimmy fell in love with airplanes and flying, just a few years after the invention by Wilbur and Orville Wright.

When the United States entered World War I against the Germans, Jimmy joined the Army, with the goal of flying fighter planes against the enemy in France. Instead, Doolittle became a flight instructor, and in spite of repeated requests for overseas duty, he served his time during World War I teaching others to fly at various Army flying schools in the United States.

Following World War I there were loud calls for the demolition of military units in the U.S. Army. Three superior officers recommended that Doolittle be retained in the Army and during the 1920s Doolittle and his unit; were busy patrolling the Mexican border for smugglers.

In 1921 Doolittle became something of a celebrity and earned a reputation as an expert airman when he took part in an unusual air rescue. An Air Corps plane, returning from a transcontinental mission along the Mexican border made a forced --landing on the canyon floor in a very wild and remote part of Mexico. Doolittle and four mechanics made their way to the stricken plane and found it serviceable. Communicating by carrier pigeon, Doolittle arranged for a new motor to be parachuted to the site. Doolittle was able to take off from a makeshift 400-yard strip that the natives and four mechanics had hacked out of the jungle canyon floor.

In the years between the wars, Doolittle became one of the best known aviators in the world, testing planes to their utmost, and achieving world speed records. Believing that there should be more communication and understanding between the theoretical airplane engineers and the pilots that fly the planes, Doolittle embarked, with the Army's blessing, on a path that took him to become the first person in the United States to achieve a Doctorate in Aeronautical Science(from MIT). In the years leading up to World War II, Doolittle was invaluable in his work with various agencies in inventing and perfecting instruments for airplanes.

But Doolittle was always interested in speed and testing planes. A few of his record-setting flights: In 1921, using primitive instruments Doolittle set a cross country record of 21 hours 19 minutes for a flight from Florida to San Diego.

In 1925, flying a Curtiss R3C, Doolittle won the Schneider Cup Race, with an average speed of 232 MPH. For this feat he was awarded the MacKay Trophy for the outstanding flight by an Air Corps pilot for the year. (Note: This is the same award that was given some years later to McCook's own Dick Trail.) In 1926, Doolittle was the first person to perform the dangerous "Outside Loop," which up to that time was thought to be an impossible maneuver.

In 1940 Doolittle retired from the Air Corps to become President of the Institute of Aeronautical Science, but this civilian job was destined to be short-lived.

By July of 1940 Doolittle returned to the Air Corps as a Major, working with auto manufacturers on getting their factories converted to the manufacture of fighting airplanes. By 1941 he was a member of a mission gathering information in Europe about the air forces and aviation build up of European nations

In January 1942 Doolittle volunteered for and was selected to head up a secret mission, which became known as the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo. On April 16, 1942 Doolittle led a group of 16 medium bombers, who successfully flew off the deck of the U.S. Carrier Hornet on a bombing mission to hit the Japanese mainland at Tokyo and several other targets -- no fighter escort. (Note: After the raid Roosevelt was asked from whence the bombers had started their mission. Keeping the secrecy of the mission, with a twinkle in his eye the President answered, "From Shangri La," the fictional paradise in James Hilton's popular novel, Lost Horizon. Within the year, a U.S. carrier was built with the name of Shangri La.) There was no plan for the bombers to return to the carriers after the raid. Fuel for the planes was marginal and the plan was for Doolittle's squadron to land at friendly airstrips in mainland China.

Most of the American firepower was dropped on Tokyo, abandoning strikes on the alternative targets; but the mission was deemed a great success. The surprise was complete and the raid showed the Japanese that their mainland was vulnerable to air strikes.

After the raid 15 of the crews headed for their pre-arranged landing strips in China; one went on to land in Russia. One plane crash landed in a rice paddy. That crew was aided through Japanese lines by missionaries and friendly Chinese.

Four crew members were killed after being captured by the Japanese. Three were killed in crashes or shot while parachuting to safety.

Doolittle received the Medal of Honor from President Roosevelt for his part in planning and executing the raid. He went on afterwards to fly many more missions as Commander of the 12th Army Air Corps in North Africa. Other American flyers who took part in the raid were decorated and served in various capacities in Africa and Europe throughout the war.

Doolittle stayed in the Air Force for some years after the war, even resigning from the Air Force Reserve in 1972. In civilian life he served on the boards of directors of a number of large corporations as well as the board of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, among a number of others.

However, he never did leave his involvement with all phases of the Air Force. He was always available to perform a special mission for the president, and frequently served as a spokesman for the Air Force, before Congress or the general public. He became a Four-Star General in 1985, when President Ronald Reagan promoted him to that rank.

Gen. Doolittle died in California in 1993, at the age of 93, the holder of most of the Air Force decorations.

He is buried in Arlington Cemetery in Washington D.C., next to his wife, Josephine. At his funeral ceremony there was a fly-over of Air Force planes in his honor, including one Mitchell B-25 bomber, of the type that made the Tokyo Raid in 1942.

Looking back at Doolittle's Raid, historians have concluded that the damage inflicted on the Japanese war machine was minor.

Still the raid must be considered a major morale building event for the United States. It caused the Japanese military to "lose face" (very important in Asian minds) because it proved that the Japanese mainland was vulnerable to air strikes, and their leaders were forced to withdraw a number of air units back to Japan for defense, and the raid led directly to the bold stance of the Americans in the Battle of Midway, of July 1942.

Source: World War II History.com