Thirty seconds over Tokyo

The Doolittle Raid.... yup I read all about that. Sadly, the pilots never made it home but ended up in China and Japan as POWs including Doolittle himself.

Most of them were brought out by the Chinese, INCLUDING Doolittle.  He later commanded in Europe.

BlackSheepTwoOneFour

...the pilots never made it home but ended up in China and Japan as POWs including Doolittle himself...

That's a bit of a misplaced modifier, my friend.  Doolittle did not end up a POW.

Black Sheep

Doolittle and other crews made it back thanks to friendly Chinese guerrillas, later becoming the Commander of the 12th AF in N. Africa. I believe that 4 airmen died while in Japanese captivity and 3 others died in parachute and crash landing accidents.

Get this book for a cool read from a first hand perspective by the pilot of The Ruptured Duck.

www.amazon.com/.../0743474333

I didn't even know it had been reprinted in paperback,,,,,,,,I read this book in the sixties as a library book, checked out in hardcover form.

Ted Lawson describes his experience from the training on a short runway, up to his loosing his leg (a bit ironic, considering the nose art) and in the very end talks about the pilots and crew that had died, been captured and interned in Russia.

I think, but am not positive, that this book is the basis for a movie,,,,,but, that stuff was a very long time ago in my memory.

Rex

I watch the movie every time it comes up.  Love the HUGE hornet's nest on the big branch in the briefing room (wardroom I believe)

Doolittle and most of the Raiders would return home to be lionized as the early war heroes that they were. Doolittle himself would be awarded the MOH and later take command of the 8th Air Force in the later portion of the war.

I meant of course "the ones that had those things happen to them",,,,,,,not the whole raiding force.

I think the movie Thirty Seconds over Tokyo stands up pretty well for being a war movie made in WW II.  Saw it first when I was 11 or 12, (1957 or 58?).

Yes, they did a great job recreating the training and the raid.

You know, you're right.  Doolittle was not a POW. Considering I read the book a couple years ago, I had forgotten about that tidbit. Ah well, that's what I get for reading far too many WW2 related books.

You and me both.  If you ever find a copy, sit down with "The Big E".  History/story of the Enterprise (CV6) throughout the war, with a little before and her trips after the end and her repairs.  I have to find another copy of that one.