On April 18th, 1942....75 years ago today...

[RobesonsRme.com]

...Jimmie Doolittle and seventy-nine other U.S. Air Force crewman took off from the U.S.S. Hornet to bomb Tokyo and other Japanese cities in retaliation for the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

https://spectator.org/how-doolittle-did ... years-ago/

Charlie Noyes

[carrmillus]

..a great day in American history!!..isn't one of them still alive???...... ..............

[Colonel26]

A great group of Americans.

[RobesonsRme.com]

Yes. He's 101 years of age.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2017/04/ ... 492524671/

Charlie

[RobesonsRme.com]

Any WWII service member that was eighteen years of age and enlisted in 1941, would be about ninety-four years old today.

Charlie

[edge213]

Thanks for posting that Charlie. Amazing men they were.

[carrmillus]

Yes. He's 101 years of age.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2017/04/ ... 492524671/

Charlie

...thanks, Charlie!!..I was looking up ww2 stuff the other day and found out chuck yeager and his wingman, bud Anderson are still alive..both are getting close to 100!!!........ ...........

[Knife Nut]

A lone goblet remains upright.

Paul

[RobesonsRme.com]

Interestingly, the surviving member is Dick Cole, Colonel Doolittle's co-pilot.

Charlie

[vikingdog]

This is especially for my friend Carrmillus. I sent a copy of one of my Doolittle Raider books to Frank Kaeppler one of the Raiders, to sign back in 1998. He wrote back saying that if I didn't mind he'd hold onto my book and take it to the upcoming reunion and have all the Raiders sign it. He sent it back a few months later along with an interesting letter. It is signed by Gen. Doolittle's son and one of the Chinese who aided them when they crashed in China. Doolittle went from a Lt. Colonel to a Lt. General during the war. These guys were my heroes. God bless every one of them.

[Colonel26]

Wow Mike! That is amazing. What a treasure you have there.

[Quick Steel]

Congratulations Mike. That is a wonderful memento and the signature page is a historic document.

[Paladin]

Wow! is all I can think of to say. Wowie even! Like Wade said, that is a true treasure of a lifetime. Without those guys and others like 'em, where would we be today?

Ray

[vikingdog]

Thank you. After the 50th anniversary of the end of WWII I wrote to every surviving ace and noted WWII aviator I could think of and asked them to sign a book or photo for me. All of them replied and were very generous with their time often writing letters. I have Flying Tigers, Yamamoto Mission, Enola Gay crew etc signed memoriabilia. Dutch Van Kirk's, navigator of the Enola Gay hometown is near me and once he called my house and told me wife he was giving a talk on Memorial Day and if I'd come early we'd talk and he'd sign some things for me. That's the kind of guys they were. Old School, reared in The Depression, tough and capable yet considerate and friendly. I worshipped that generation, my Dad's generation and the world is a worse place without them.

[Paladin]

Thank you. After the 50th anniversary of the end of WWII I wrote to every surviving ace and noted WWII aviator I could think of and asked them to sign a book or photo for me. All of them replied and were very generous with their time often writing letters. I have Flying Tigers, Yamamoto Mission, Enola Gay crew etc signed memoriabilia. Dutch Van Kirk's, navigator of the Enola Gay hometown is near me and once he called my house and told me wife he was giving a talk on Memorial Day and if I'd come early we'd talk and he'd sign some things for me. That's the kind of guys they were. Old School, reared in The Depression, tough and capable yet considerate and friendly. I worshipped that generation, my Dad's generation and the world is a worse place without them.

They truly were the 'Greatest Generation'! Makes my monitor blur up just reading and typing this.

Ray

[carrmillus]

This is especially for my friend Carrmillus. I sent a copy of one of my Doolittle Raider books to Frank Kaeppler one of the Raiders, to sign back in 1998. He wrote back saying that if I didn't mind he'd hold onto my book and take it to the upcoming reunion and have all the Raiders sign it. He sent it back a few months later along with an interesting letter. It is signed by Gen. Doolittle's son and one of the Chinese who aided them when they crashed in China. Doolittle went from a Lt. Colonel to a Lt. General during the war. These guys were my heroes. God bless every one of them.

.....mike, thanks for sharing this with us!!!,that is a real treasure, I know you are proud to have it!!!........ .............................

[glennbad]

Just spent a few spare minutes reading this thread. Really good stuff. As a zoomie, we always heard Doolittle's name mentioned often, but sadly I did not know the details behind his raid. Thanks for sharing that.

Mike, that is amazing. Sadly, today's generation is more interested in Kim K's autograph than that of real heroes.

[bighomer]

Great story about real heros, thanks for sharing.

[royal0014]

Incredible story, Mike! Thanks for sharing.

[jerryd6818]

It never ceases to amaze me, the people I get to associate with just by being a member of AAPK. Some directly, some by proxy (the heroes mentioned in this thread), some uber smart, some very talented in one way or another but above all, most everyone is a good human being. Lucky me.

[carrmillus]

It never ceases to amaze me, the people I get to associate with just by being a member of AAPK. Some directly, some by proxy (the heroes mentioned in this thread), some uber smart, some very talented in one way or another but above all, most everyone is a good human being. Lucky me.

.........let me be the first to second this, jerry!!!!............ ......................