My uncle was there eighty years ago.

[Jinglebob]

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Eighty years [/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]ago [/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]today[/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif], [/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]o[/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]n April 18, 1942, 16 B–25s struggled off the deck of the [/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]USS Hornet[/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif] to bomb Tokyo. Forced to launch earlier than planned because of an enemy sighting, the pilots knew their chances of a successful landing were small—yet they went anyway, clawing their way into history off that pitching 467-foot deck, wing tips clearing the superstructure by no more than six feet. [/FONT]​

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[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]My uncle served as a [/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Navy [/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]aircraft mechanic [/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]abo[/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]ar[/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]d[/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif] the [/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]USS [/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Hornet, the carrier that launched the [/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Doolittle[/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif] raid. [/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]He [/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]often told[/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif] the story of watching th[/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]ose B–25s[/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif] leave the deck.[/FONT]​

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[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]A bit of trivia passed on by my uncle. Because of the extremely short take off run, the planes needed all the speed they could muster. In the early morning hours on the day of launch, the mechanics were ordered to increase the aircraft's tire pressure to above maximum. The reason being that the amount of rolling resistance impacts speed. As tire pressure increases, rolling resistance decreases. [/FONT]​

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[FONT=Arial, sans-serif] [/FONT]​

​

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

The world should have learned: When you sucker punch America, she hits back, again and again!

To the brave men of the Dolittle Raid, You have our everlasting gratitude!

Ivan

 

[John_M52]

The Greatest Generation

 

[DWalt]

Unfortunately, the Japanese killed 250,000 Chinese in retribution for the Doolittle raid.

 

[PALADIN85020]

Those guys willingly flew into the jaws of hell itself. This was an incredible mission.

John

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

Unfortunately, the Japanese killed 250,000 Chinese in retribution for the Doolittle raid.

Can't give this a like. But having read "30 Seconds over Tokyo" as a Teenager, I appreciate their sacrifice, and what the Chinese gave to try and keep our pilots alive!

Ivan

 

[THE PILGRIM]

At that time, My FIL was stationed in West Africa.
He met Jimmy Doolittle there.
Jimmy was taking the West Route home.

 

[martyd]

What has happened since the Greatest Generation, 1900 - 1930?

The Boomers still love America and have the American Spirit and would defend the US at the drop of a dime.

Latest polls, past 3 weeks, show that maybe, about 45% of Americans would defend our country if invaded like Ukraine.

I just do not know what has happened to our society and family values, it is so sad.

I am a Boomer and proud of it.
I would not hesitate to defend my country, period!
God Bless the United States of America!

What is interesting to me is; it appears Senator McCarthy R-Wisconsin was correct in labeling Hollywood a bunch Communists in the 1940s.

 

[Jessie]

Unfortunately, the Japanese killed 250,000 Chinese in retribution for the Doolittle raid.

They probably would have done that anyways.
Was Nanking part of that retribution?

 

[DWalt]

The Greatest Generation

They probably would have done that anyways.
Was Nanking part of that retribution?

The rape of Nanking was five years earlier.

 

[fordson]

They probably would have done that anyways.
Was Nanking part of that retribution?

No, the "Rape of Nanking" happened in Dec, 1937, almost five years before the raid. Some three hundred thousand Chinese civilians and military were systematically "eliminated ".

Ref: The Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang

 

[fordson]

In addition to "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo " I would recommend:
* Target Tokyo by James M. Scott
* Doolittle's Tokyo Raiders by Carroll V. Glines

 

[Greyman50]

Japs were in China in 1933. Having read and studied WWII since the 60's do not recall ever hearing an accurate number of Chinese killed other than several million. Then Mao did his killing.

 

[jaguargolf]

Didn't Japs put a captured crew on trial and behead a few guys?

 

[Jinglebob]

Didn't Japs put a captured crew on trial and behead a few guys?

Three airmen captured by the Japs were executed by firing squad:

Lt. Dean E. Hallmark – Pilot – Executed by Japanese Oct. 15, 1942
Lt. William G. Farrow – Pilot – Executed by Japanese Oct. 15, 1942
Sgt. Harold A. Spatz – Engineer/Gunner – Executed by Japanese Oct. 15, 1942

 

[BC38]

...The Boomers still love America and have the American Spirit and would defend the US at the drop of a dime.

Latest polls, past 3 weeks, show that maybe, about 45% of Americans would defend our country if invaded like Ukraine...

The good news is it wouldn't take nearly 45% of us fighting back to make a takeover of our country impossible. If even the 120 million (estimated) gun owners all put up resistance it would be impossible for any force on earth to subdue us. And the 120 million gun owners is only about 35% of the population.

45% would be more than enough.

 

[tops]

What is interesting to me is; it appears Senator McCarthy R-Wisconsin was correct in labeling Hollywood a bunch Communists in the 1940s.

It's unreal to me the number of people that have not heard about him. Larry

 

[Jinglebob]

It's unreal to me the number of people that have not heard about him. Larry

That's because history is not taught in our schools like it once was.

 

[tops]

It is sad but probably true that in reality all gun owners would not resist and some gun owners would be on the other side. Larry

 

[smoothshooter]

The good news is it wouldn't take nearly 45% of us fighting back to make a takeover of our country impossible. If even the 120 million (estimated) gun owners all put up resistance it would be impossible for any force on earth to subdue us. And the 120 million gun owners is only about 35% of the population.

45% would be more than enough.

The problem now is that it would not take a lot of shooting to subdue 75% of the US population. Cyber hacks on power grids, communications, municipal water supplies, food distribution chains, mass transit and air travel would pretty much shut us down.
Add the fact that every year fewer and fewer of our younger people feel any obligation to help save their country because they have been taught that we deserve to conquered as payback for past sins.
As our population becomes more culturally diverse there are fewer common values that we can unite around in times of crisis.
When this is on my mind I am glad I am old, and will soon be gone.
I couldn't bear to be around to watch what is almost certainly coming in the not-too-distant future.
But, maybe I am wrong.