AFMC Command News

Doolittle Raiders remember fallen comrades, leader at 64th reunion

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Micah Gardner
  • Aeronautical Systems Center Public Affairs
DAYTON, Ohio --  "We knew we were doing something special, but then again, there was a war going on," recalled retired Col. Bill Bower.

Along with 78 other Airmen, Colonel Bower followed then Lt. Col. James H. Doolittle off the deck of a naval aircraft carrier in 16 B-25 Mitchell land-based bombers to raid Tokyo April 18, 1942. The Doolittle Raid, as it came to be known, was the first response to Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor. The group affectionately became known as the Doolittle Raiders.

This week, eight of the remaining 16 legendary Doolittle Raiders gathered at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force here for their 64th reunion. Reunion activities included a memorial service and wreath-laying ceremony April 18 to commemorate the actual day the Doolittle Raiders made history.

Retired Lt. Col. Chase Nielsen spoke on behalf of the group and, referring to the United States, declared, "There isn't a better place in the world to live, believe me." He said, "I am proud to have been on the Doolittle Raid. I am more proud to have been of service to my country."

The reunion was particularly special because the group retired the 80 silver goblets, each inscribed with a Raider's name, used to toast their fallen comrades since 1959. The goblets were gifts from the city of Tucson, Ariz., and during an annual ceremony, the goblets of the men who passed away during the year were formally inverted.

"Since the war we have lost 35 other people, so we are now down to 16," said Colonel Nielsen. "And from my calculation of things, in another year, of the 16, 11 of us will be in our 90s. I don't think we're going to live forever."

The goblets have been on display at the Air Force Academy for more than 40 years, but the group has chosen to place them on public display in the museum in hopes that more people will see them and learn the history of the Doolittle Raiders.

"We appreciate the purpose of the museum, the educational facilities they have, the amount of people that come through here," Colonel Nielsen said. "I hope and I pray that what we Doolittle Raiders have done will be an inspiration to you people.

"I hope and pray that our young men and young women who are serving in the service today will be protected; that they will live their lives in accordance with the military rules and laws of war, that they will do their best and that they will appreciate their country and protect their flag as we tried to do ourselves," said Colonel Nielsen.

Gen. Doolittle and his team are a part of aviation and American history. Dr. Tung Sheng Liu, a Chinese student who served as a translator for one crew that bailed out over

China, said, "Each one of the Raiders' stories is a heroic, patriotic story and ought to be taught to our young generation."

One Raider, Frank Kappeler, who was a lieutenant at the time, shared his memories of joining the team. "I was in Pendleton, Oregon at Pendleton Air Field. I got permission to go downtown, and when I came back, I checked into base operations. They told me they had a requirement for a very secret mission that was going to occur shortly and needed a volunteer for it. They knew I would volunteer if I was there, so they volunteered me."

"I realized that Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle, at the time, was world-renowned for all the things he had done in aeronautics, so I thought it must be a very important mission. We didn't know until we got aboard the aircraft carrier Hornet just what our mission was going to be."

After boarding the carrier, the group was briefed on their mission. They were going to be the first U.S. military response to Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor.

Colonel Bower said, "I was energized that we were going to do this."

A B-25 had never taken off a carrier before, but Tom Griffin, another Raider and lieutenant at the time, said, "We had a great leader to train us and tell us this was going to work."

"I had grown up admiring Jimmy Doolittle because he could do things with airplanes that nobody else could do, and it was such a thrill to be working with him," said Colonel Bower.

"He took the first plane off [the 400 foot carrier] and showed us that it could be done. We followed him," Mr. Griffin added. "It takes a great leader to get men to follow him like that."