[M. Espinola]

An early good morning. Snippy you have another fine thread here.

Crew of Plane 1. Henry Potter, James Doolittle, Fred Braemer, Richard Cole, Paul Leonard.

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General Marshall; "The President is going to give you the Medal of Honor."

I was shocked and quickly said, "General, that award should be reserved for those who risk their lives trying to save someone else. Every man on our mission took the same risk I did. I don't think I'm entitled to the Medal of Honor."

Hap flushed and I could see he was angry. General Marshall, obviously displeased at my remark, scowled and said, "I happen to think you do."

There was no further discussion. In all our later association, this was the only time Hap ever got mad at me and General Marshall ever spoke sternly to me. The Highest-ranking man Army uniform had made his decision. It was neither the time nor the place for me to argue.

Jimmy Doolittle

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In 1985 the 88-year-old legend returned to the White House where he had received the Medal of Honor nearly half-a-century earlier. Under special legislation, pushed through Congress by Senator Barry Goldwater, Jimmy Doolittle received his fourth star. It was the first time any reserve officer achieved 4-star rank. President Ronald Reagan joined Senator Goldwater in pinning that fourth star on General Doolittle.

Four years later Doolittle was back at the White House, this time to be honored by yet another American President. When George H. W. Bush presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Jimmy Doolittle, he became the first and to date the ONLY Medal of Honor recipient in history to also earn his Nation's highest civilian honor. Jimmy Doolittle passed away on September 27th, 1993, at the age of 96.

[M. Espinola]

Movie: -'Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo'- (1944)

Spencer Tracy, Van Johnson and Robert Walker

Most of the cast

Spencer Tracy as Col. Doolittle briefing the men

Note in the cast listing, Robert Mitchum, & also Stephen 'Horance' McNally.

David Thatcher, Mervyn Leroy and Robert Walker

Robert Walker with the "real" David Thatcher visiting set

OFFICERS AND ENLISTED MEN WHO RAIDED JAPAN - APRIL 18th 1942, LISTED BY PLANE CREWS IN ORDER OF TAKEOFF

2005 Reunion 63rd Doolittle Raiders Reunion, Mystic, Conn

[snippy_about_it]

Thanks for the pics and captions, wonderful.

[capitan_refugio]

Out here in Ventura Co., CA, we have a very active "Warbirds" society. Several guys (part of the organization formerly known as the "Confederate Air Force"(!)) keep and fly vintage warbirds and WWII-era trainers from a couple of the local airports (Santa Paula and Camarillo). They even had, until it left recently for Europe, a flying Super Constellation in "United States of America" livery ("Camarillo Connie").

Every year there is a fairly good-sized airshow here and it is not unusual to find a Liberator, Flying Fortress, and even a Mitchell circling the area for paying customers. It is a sight (and a sound) to behold.