76 Years Ago Today....

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76 Years Ago Today....

Post by Designer »

I found this on one of the Websites I support:


80 Men Helped Lift the Spirits of a Nation
Jim Roberts [space] American Veterans Center

April 18, 1942. Exactly 76 years ago today, a moment during one of the darkest hours of World War II would change the course of history.
Watch PFC James Crump's Story

It was four months following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The attack left the United States reeling; ships were sunk, planes were lost, and troops were forced to surrender. The nation was in desperate need of a morale boost – to raise spirits at home and to send a message to the Japanese military that they were not invincible.

A plan was conceived to bomb the Japanese mainland. It would not be easy.

U.S. Army bombers would need to be outfitted to launch from aircraft carriers. Without escort, they would fly over hundreds of miles of enemy territory. If they even reached their targets, they would need to race toward friendly territory in China. Returning to the USS Hornet, the ship from which they would launch would not be an option.

Only one man could be trusted to lead such a mission: the famed aviator Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle. He led his men on what would become one of the most daring and legendary missions in history, 76 years ago today.

Eighty crewmen on 16 B-25 bombers launched from the deck of the USS Hornet, deep in enemy waters in the Pacific. Their target: Tokyo.

Sitting beside Doolittle in Plane #1 was co-pilot Richard E. Cole. Like all of the Doolittle Raiders, he volunteered for this secret mission, the first attack on Japan following America's entry into World War II. Like all of the Raiders, he knew the odds. Like all of the Raiders, he was given the option to back out when it became clear it could well be a suicide mission. And, like all 80 of the Doolittle Raiders, he took off anyway.

On this special anniversary commemorating one of the most legendary moments in World War II history, take a moment watch this video telling their story. Follow this link to watch the American Veterans Center's documentary vignette honoring Richard E. Cole and the Doolittle Raiders, narrated by Mike Rowe.

Eighty men took part in the Doolittle Raid. Sixty-two would survive World War II. As the years passed, so did the Doolittle Raiders, with Doolittle himself passing away in 1993.
Today, at 102 years of age, only Lieutenant Colonel Richard Cole survives. He is the last witness to an impossible mission that changed the course of a war, and defined a generation.

The 80 men who took part in the Doolittle Raid did so because they believed in a cause larger than themselves. They embodied the honor, valor, courage, and willingness to sacrifice that has been the backbone of the United States military since its beginning.



Though not required for a civilian to do so, I would Salute Colonel Richard Cole,.....in fact ALL the men who took part for that matter.
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Re: 76 Years Ago Today....

Post by KAJUN »

can you put yourself in their shoes for one minute??? That minute when Doolittle asked for volunteers to bomb Tokyo...
Would you have put your hand up and said Yes I'll go....They call them the greatest generation and that's mildly put...
No one has greater love for his fellow man then to lay down his life for his fellow man..or his country for that matter :rag: :clap: :clap: :clap:
The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.

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Re: 76 Years Ago Today....

Post by DevilsFan »

Been totally into WWII history as of late. Love all these stories. I'm even watching "Hitler's Circle of Evil" on Netflix as I type this. ("WWII in Color" is also on Netflix and awesome!!!)

Also finished the Shaara series on WWII and now reading "Patton and his 3rd Army" by Brenton Wallace. I read O'Reilly's "Killing Patton", which was excellent, but this book get's very technical with troop movements and such. And, wow!!! Patton was "The Man"!!!
There will be a time where you will no longer be able to use, "But...I didn't know!", as an excuse. And if you're exiled from society, well, you were warned.

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Re: 76 Years Ago Today....

Post by Catman »

A great book about this subject is Target Tokyo, by James M. Scott.

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Re: 76 Years Ago Today....

Post by KAJUN »

DevilsFan wrote:Been totally into WWII history as of late. Love all these stories. I'm even watching "Hitler's Circle of Evil" on Netflix as I type this. ("WWII in Color" is also on Netflix and awesome!!!)

Also finished the Shaara series on WWII and now reading "Patton and his 3rd Army" by Brenton Wallace. I read O'Reilly's "Killing Patton", which was excellent, but this book get's very technical with troop movements and such. And, wow!!! Patton was "The Man"!!!


hey DF.... I am also a advocate of WW II.....

If during your many reads.... If you ever run across the term "AF".....it will give you an insight to the many quirks and twists of the Pacific war

That will lead you to the reason why the Japanese Navy lost 4 aircraft carriers in the span of 48 hours..
.and turned the tide in the War in the Pacific.
The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.

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Re: 76 Years Ago Today....

Post by KAJUN »

KAJUN wrote:
DevilsFan wrote:Been totally into WWII history as of late. Love all these stories. I'm even watching "Hitler's Circle of Evil" on Netflix as I type this. ("WWII in Color" is also on Netflix and awesome!!!)

Also finished the Shaara series on WWII and now reading "Patton and his 3rd Army" by Brenton Wallace. I read O'Reilly's "Killing Patton", which was excellent, but this book get's very technical with troop movements and such. And, wow!!! Patton was "The Man"!!!


hey DF.... I am also a advocate of WW II.....

If during your many reads.... If you ever run across the term "AF".....it will give you an insight to the many quirks and twists of the Pacific war

That will lead you to the reason why the Japanese Navy lost 4 aircraft carriers in the span of 48 hours..
.and turned the tide in the War in the Pacific.

And ole Blood and Guts was born for war.
The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.

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