Doolittle Raiders take off on their surprise bombing missions in our first srtike at Japan, in 16 B-25B Mitchell Bombers. Each bomber is crewed by 5 men. You have the Pilot, Co-pilot, Navigator, Bombardier and an Engineer/Gunner. Ultimately 8 men were captured by the Japanese, four were executed by firing squad and starvation, the other 4 were rescued at wars end. A crew ended up in the Soviet Union and were placed in prison as Hostiles of the Soviet Union. This crew escaped and wound up being smuggled into I think Turkey. Or so as a new book out on them says so. Doolittle Raiders Roster: Plane #1: P: Lt.Col James Harold Doolittle, (46) b. Alameda California. CoPi: Lt. Richard E. Cole, (26) b. Dayton Ohio. N: Lt. Henry A. Potter, (23) b. Pierre South Dakota. B: Sgt. Fred Anthony Braemer, (25) b. Seattle Washington. Engineer/Gunner: Sgt. Paul John Leonard, (29) b. Roswell New Mexico. Plane #2: P: Lt. Travis Hoover, (24) b. Melrose New Mexico. CoPi: Lt. William N. Fitzhugh, (27) b. Temple Texas. N: Lt. Carl Richard Wildner, (26) b. Holyoke Massachutsetts. B: Lt. Richard Ewing Miller, (26) b. Ft. Wayne Indiana. Engineer/Gunner: Sgt. Douglas V. Radney, (25) Mineola Texas. Plane #3: (Whiskey Pete) P: Lt. Robert Manning Gray, (22) b. Killeen Texas. CoPi: Lt. Jacob Earl Manch, (28) b. Staunton Virginia. N: Charles John Ozuk Jr. (25) b. Vesta Heights Pennsylvania. B: Sgt. Aden Earl Jones, (21) b. Flint Michigan. Eng/Gunner: Corporal Leland D. Faktor, (21) b. Plymouth Iowa. Plane #4: P: Lt. Everett W. Holstrom, (25) b. Cottage Grove Oregon. CoPi: Lt. Lucien Nevelson Youngblood, (23) b. Pampa Texas. N: Lt. Harry C. McCool, (23) b. La Junta Colorado. B: Sgt. Robert J. Stephens, (27) b. Hobart Oklahoma. Eng/Gun: Corporal Bert M. Jordan, (22) b. Covington Oklahoma. Plane #5: P: Captain David M. Jones, (28) b. Marshfield Oregon. CoPi: Lt. Rodney A. Wilder, (25) b. Taylor Texas. N: Lt. Eugene Francis McGurl, (25) b. Belmont Massachuttsetts. B: Lt. Denver Vernon Truelove, (22) b. Claremont Georgia. E/G: Sgt. Joseph W. Mansky, (21) b. Gowanda New York. Plane #6: (Green Hornet) P: Lt. Dean Edward Hallmark, (28) b. Robert Lee Texas. CoPi: Lt. Robert John Meder, (24) b. Cleveland Ohio. N: Lt. Chase Jay Nielsen, (25) b. Hyrum Utah. B: Sgt. William J. Dieter, (29) b. Vail Iowa. E/G: Sgt. Donald E. Fitzmaurice, (23) b. Lincoln Nebraska. Plane #7: (Ruptured Duck) P: Lt. Ted W. Lawson, (25) b. Fresno California. CoPi: Lt. Dean Davenport, (23) b. Spokane Washington. N: Lt. Charles C. McClure, (25) b. St. Louis Misouri. B: Lt. Robert Stevenson Clever, (25) b. Portland Oregon. E/G: Sgt. David J. Thatcher, (20) Bridger Montana. Plane #8: P: Captain Edward J. York, (29) b. Batavia New York. CoPi: Lt. Robert G. Emmens, (27) b. Medford Oregon. N/B: 1st Lt. Nolan A. Herndon, (23) b. Greenville Texas. E: S-Sgt. Theodore H. Laban, (27) b. Kenosha Wisconsin. Gunner: Sgt. David W. Pohl, (20) b. Boston Massachuttsetts. Plane #9: (Whirling Dervish) P: Lt. Harold Francis Watson, (26) b. Buffalo New York. CoPi: Lt. James N. Parker, (22) b. Houston Texas. N: 1st Lt. Thomas Carson Griffin, (24) b. Greenbay Wisconsin. B: Sgt. Wayne Max Bissell, (20) b. Walker Minnasota. E/G: S-Sgt. Eldred V. Scott, (34) b. Atlanta Georgia. Plane #10: P: Lt. Richard Outcalt Joyce, (22) b. Lincoln Nebraska. CoPi: Lt. J. Royden Stork, (25) b. Frost Minnasota. N/B: Lt. Horace Ellis Crouch, (23) b. Colombia South Carolina. B: Sgt. George Elmer Larkin Jr. (23) b. New Haven Kentucky. E/G: S-Sgt. Edwin Weston Horton Jr. (26) b. North Eastham Massachuttsetts. Plane #11: (Hari-Kari-er) P: Captain Charles Ross Greening, (27) b. Carroll Iowa. CoPi: Lt. Kenneth E. Reddy, (21) b. Bowie Texas. N: Lt. Frank Albert Kappler, (28) b. San Francisco California. B: S-Sgt. William L. Birch, (24) b. Galexico California. E/G: Sgt. Melvin J. Gardner, (22) b. Meza Arizona. Plane #12: (Fickle Finger of Fate) P: Lt. William M. Bower, (25) b. Ravanna Ohio. CoPi: Lt. Thadd Harrison Blanton, (23) b. Archer City Texas. N: Lt. Willaim R. Pound, (23) b. Milford Utah. B: Sgt. Waldo J. Bittner, (36) b. Houlton Maine. E/G: S-Sgt. Omer Adelard Duquette, (26) b. West Warnick Rhode Island. Plane #13: P: Lt. Edgar E. McElroy, (30) b. Ennis Texas. CoPi: Lt. Richard A. Knobloch, (23) b. Milwaukee Wisconsin. N: Lt. Clayton J. Campbell, (25) b. St. Maries Idaho. B: Sgt. Robert G. Bourgeouis, (24) b. Le Compte Louisiana. E/G: Sgt. Adam Ray Williams, (22) b. Gastonia North Carolina. Plane #14: P: Major John A. Hilger, (33) b. Sherman Texas. CoPi: Lt. Jack A. Sims, (23) b. Kalamazoo Michigan. N/B: Lt. James Herbert Macia Jr. (26) b. Tombstone Arizona. E/B: Sgt. Jacob Eierman, (24) b. Baltimore Maryland. G: Sgt. Edwin V. Bain, (24) b. Greenboro North Carolina. Plane #15: P:Lt. Donald G. Smith, (27) b. Oldham South Carolina. CoPi: Lt. Griffith Paul Williams, (21) b. Chicage Illinois. N/B: Lt. Howard Albert Sesser, (24) b. Boston Massachuttsetts. E/B: Sgt. Edward Joseph Saylor, (22) b. Brusset Montana. G: Lt. Thomas Robert White, (33) b. Haiku Maui Hawaii. Plane #16: (Bat Out of Hell) P: Lt. William G. Farrow, (23) b. Darlington South Carolina. CoPi: Lt. Robert L. Hite, (22) b. Odell Texas. N: Lt. George Barr, (25) b. Brooklyn New York. B: Corporal Jacob Daniel DeShazer, (29) b.st Stayton Oregon. E/G: Sgt. Harold A. Spatz, (20) b. Lebo Kansas. Today there are appx 21 of these men still living. [ 18. November 2002, 07:22 PM: Message edited by: C.Evans ]
Twas very noisy here at the library today--I couldnt concentrate on my postings with all these screaming kids running around. This took me aroundd 3 hrs to post when it should have been maybe 45 minutes.
Interesting Raider site to visit: At the Air Force Academy, there is a cubby hole type case. In each cubby hole there is a chalace for each raider with a bottle of brandy (I think) in the center hole. When each raider dies, his chalace is turned upside down. The last two will drink a toast from the bottle to their fallen comrades. It is a quite moving site.
Really, really interesting, Carl! Many thanks! ha! I thought that libraries were places where people must be very, very quiet.