James H. Doolittle

A Photo of James H. Doolittle (http://www.af.mil/shared/media/bio/doolittle_jh.jpg)

Who is a hero to you? A hero is someone who will risk everything to help others. Heroes need to be lifted up and revered. My hero is a man who lead a team of warriors to engage a enemy. He helped to move a country to victory against one of his nation’s enemy of the time. My hero is aviator James Harold Doolittle.

He was born on December 14th, 1896 in Alameda, California. He was at one point a street fighter. After a brawling charge he finished high school and joined the military. After a stint in WWI he resigned and left to get one of the first degrees in Aeronautics. Soon afterward he married Josephine E. Daniels. He died on September 27th, 1993.

The Doolittle Raiders (http://americanveteranscenter.files.wordpress.com/2007/04/doolittle-raiders.jpg)

He is most famous for the daring Doolittle raid. The mission was to retaliate to Japan for the Pearl Harbor bombing, with a bombing raid of the US’s. The bomber that would be used would have to be able to take off from a short runway of a aircraft carrier. Doolittle selected the Michel B-25. Its twin engines had the power to take off from a short runway. But the planes needed a way to carry more fuel since the carrier could only get them within 400 miles of Japan. So the raiders removed the belly guns of the planes and put in a rubber fuel bladder. The gun’s barrels were replaced with painted broomsticks to ward off attackers. The U.S.S. Hornet was spotted by a fishing boat that called in their position. Doolittle decided to launch the planes now to keep the casualties low, even though they were 600 miles from Japan. None of the crews made it to the Allied airfields.

A artist's idea of a B-25 (http://aviation-models.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/98178.jpg)

After they bombed their targets the raider flew until they ran out of fuel and bailed out of the plane. One person died when his chute did not open, eight were captured. Of the eight POWs, one died while traveling to the prison, three were killed and the rest remained POWs for the rest of WWII. Although the rest of the crews escaped into China, Doolittle thought the mission had failed when the other planes went down. He was expecting a court marshal when he returned to the States. Shat he got instead was a hero’s welcome!

Doolittle' headstone (http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/doolitt.jpg)

The physical damage was small but the mental effect was incredible. The Japanese withdrew most the planes to Mainland Japan, which proved disastrous at the Battle of Midway. This raid sent the Allies’ morale through the roof. To increase the propaganda the president claimed the planes came from a mythical place called Sangria. This why James Harold Doolittle is my hero.