Last Doolittle's Raiders Reunion

[Grey Ghost]

Eighty men took off in those planes that April day in '42. Only four are still living. They vowed to hold a reunion for the living every year and to remember those that had gone before. A few weeks ago they held their last reunion. The remaining men are well into their 90s. I read all the books and watched the movies. They didn't cause a lot of damage. But, gave the public a much needed moral boost from the raid.

Crowds line up to meet Doolittle's Raiders for last time - CBS News (http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57581997/crowds-line-up-to-meet-doolittles-raiders-for-last-time/)

:USA: I hate to see them leave us.

[DukeAllen]

:USA: I hate to see them leave us.

:iagree: We're losing them at a pretty fast rate now. It won't be too long until WW2 is no longer a living memory.:sadangel:

[ApexOversteer]

It's amazing they got off the USS Hornet, what with being overloaded with bombs and fuel, not to mention the enormous balls they all had. :patriot:

[GreyGhost]

:USA:

[Fastguy]

I am always amazed at the footage of those planes leaving the flight deck and dropping down towards the ocean before they start to climb.

[ApexOversteer]

Doolittle Raid Launch Footage (1942) - YouTube

[Dan Dlabay]

I went to the Doolittle reunion when it was at the Air Force Museum at Wright Patterson Air Force base in 2011. They had 16 B-25's there. True American heroes.:patriot::patriot::patriot:

[MEC5LADY]

:iagree: We're losing them at a pretty fast rate now. It won't be too long until WW2 is no longer a living memory.:sadangel:

They aren't teaching History in schools anymore like they used to so this generation has no clue about history. If the school does teach history, it's no more than a mention of this and that like it didn't matter.

[Grey Ghost]

I went to the Doolittle reunion when it was at the Air Force Museum at Wright Patterson Air Force base in 2011. They had 16 B-25's there. True American heroes.:patriot::patriot::patriot:

THAT was one of the best ! I never made it to one, but heard about that one and the one last year as being the best.

[jda67gta]

:flag:

[RedLS1GTO]

Mostly on topic... a 1:350 USS Hornet that I built a couple of years ago in Doolittle transit configuration. It took some research but I do believe I have the correct transit order and position for all of the B-25s as well as the others on deck.

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p90/botch1980/Hornet/Done/IMG_1232.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p90/botch1980/Hornet/Done/IMG_1234.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p90/botch1980/Hornet/Done/IMG_1241.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p90/botch1980/Hornet/Done/IMG_1249.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p90/botch1980/Hornet/Done/IMG_1260.jpg

They were lined up nose to tail for transit:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/USS_Hornet_(CV-8)_with_USS_Gwin_(DD-433)_during_Doolittle_Raid_1942.jpg

and then turned to get as much room as possible for launch:

http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/h53000/h53420.jpg

[BADRACR1]

:USA:

[DukeAllen]

They aren't teaching History in schools anymore like they used to so this generation has no clue about history. If the school does teach history, it's no more than a mention of this and that like it didn't matter.

Schools today are too PC to teach about those evil Americans who attacked the poor defenseless Japanese and Germans.

[Kevin_73]

For my birthday several years ago my dad bought me a ride in a B25 in Galveston.

The planes name is Doolittle Raiders.

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd18/KWHITLOW/Galveston%20trip/Galvestontrip60.jpg

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd18/KWHITLOW/Galveston%20trip/Galvestontrip68.jpg

It was a great experience.
This was the view from the bombardier's position in the nose:
http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd18/KWHITLOW/Galveston%20trip/Galvestontrip145.jpg

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd18/KWHITLOW/Galveston%20trip/Galvestontrip146.jpg

My ugly mug while sitting in the tail gunner's position:
http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd18/KWHITLOW/Galveston%20trip/Galvestontrip109.jpg

I thought it was really cool that you could see the reflection of the entire front of the plane in the prop spinners:
http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd18/KWHITLOW/Galveston%20trip/Galvestontrip156.jpg

The Doolittle raid was a daring mission at a time when the country really needed some good news.
Every man involved in that mission was a hero. :flag:

If any of you are looking for a good book about a great American get Jimmy Doolittle s autobiography "I Could Never Be So Lucky Again".
He was an amazing human being! :yesnod:

[RedLS1GTO]

If any of you are looking for a good book about a great American get Jimmy Doolittle s autobiography "I Could Never Be So Lucky Again".
He was an amazing human being! :yesnod:

:yesnod:

There are quite a few good Doolittle books out there if one were so inclined.