76 Years Ago Today....
Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2018 10:08 am
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.
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.
