WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST PILOTS OF ALL TIMES AND RECEIVED THE HIGHEST HONOR THIS COUNTRY CAN GIVE, THE MEDAL OF HONOR
James (Jimmy) Doolittle was born in Alameda , California . His family left the warm, sunny state of California and Jimmy spent most of his younger years in Nome , Alaska . Although small, standing just 5 foot 6 inches, Doolittle was a determined competitor and was always at the top when awards for achievement were given out.
Jimmy returned to California where he attended the University of California at Berkeley . In 1917, he enlisted in the Signal Corps Reserve as a flying cadet. He trained at the California School of Military Aeronautics and was eventually commissioned as a second lieutenant at Rockwell Field. His skill as a pilot was so impressive to his superiors that they kept Doolittle in the United States as an instructor rather than have him go to France to participate in World War I.
When World War I was over, there was a large down-sizing of personnel. However, Doolittle qualified for retention and was commissioned as First Lieutenant on July 1, 1920. In 1922, he was allowed to finish his Bachelor of Arts Degree from U .of CA. at Berkeley . Doolittle went on to eventually earn a Doctorate of Science from M.I.T.
With his education behind him, Doolittle enrolled in a special training for high-speed seaplanes at the Anacostia Naval Air Station. In 1925, he set a new world record by winning the Schneider Cup in a Curtiss R3C with an average speed of 232 mph.
As a result of a crash-landing at an air show in a foreign country (where he broke both ankles), Doolittle returned the next day and was able to fly well enough to perform the infamous outside loop, a maneuver that had never been done before.
Jimmy Doolittle was known for many things, but one of his most important contributions to aviation was the development of instrument flying. At the time, they called it “blind flying.” He was the first man in history to taxi out, take off, fly, and land without seeing out of the cockpit; that is, he flew the entire flight using instruments alone. He helped develop one of the most important instruments still in use today: the artificial horizon. Jimmy also helped in the development of 100 Octane fuel, with Shell Oil Company. This research resulted in greater power for American aircraft later used in World War II.
In 1932, he set a world speed record for land planes at 296 mph and in flying the “pilot killer” GB R-1 (pictured below) which achieved a speed of 252 mph and won the Thompson Trophy Air Race in Cleveland, Ohio.
Jimmy gained world-wide fame in 1942 when he led 16 B-25 bombers on a raid to bomb Tokyo , Japan . The planes launched from the carrier USS Hornet. This daring, one-way mission gave America a great boost in morale. He crash-landed in China and was helped to return to the U.S. by guerillas and an American missionary. Sadly, several B-25 crews lost their lives in this raid. For his daring planning and leading the raid, President Roosevelt awarded Jimmy the Medal of Honor. This raid was featured in two American movies, “Thirty Seconds over Tokyo ,” (1944) and “ Pearl Harbor ” (2001).
During WWII General Doolittle held several high-level commands, including the 15tth Air Force in Italy , and the Eighth Air Force in England . He was scheduled to be transferred to Okinawa when the war ended in Europe, but the atomic bomb raids on Hiroshima and Nagasaki , Japan , ended the war against the Japanese.
After the war, General Doolittle continued to serve and over his career received many awards for meritorious service. He married Josephine E. Daniels in 1917 and had two sons, James Jr. and John. Both sons became military aviators. General James H. “Jimmy” Doolittle died in California in 1993. He is buried next to his wife at Arlington National Cemetery . He is truly one of America ’s greatest aerospace pioneers.
Younger youth. It should come as no surprise to anyone that Jimmy Doolittle didn’t indulge in drugs. He made a commitment to himself early on to dedicate himself to the world of flying, and he certainly realized that abuse of drugs would ruin any chance at achieving his many goals, as well as destroy him personally. He accrued a significant list of accomplishments that furthered the development of manned flight in its earliest days. But perhaps his single most important role was that of warrior, and particularly as commander of a flight of 16 B-25s loaded with bombs and fuel that launched from a small aircraft carrier in stormy seas— a task considered impossible by many— to conduct a daring daylight raid over Tokyo. He was uniquely suited for this critically important wartime task, and he realized the importance to be mentally and physically fit for the mission. One can only wonder where we might be today without the many accomplishments of General Doolittle in the fantastic world of flight. Jimmy Doolittle lived an exemplary life that was drug-free. Drug-free. Way to be!
Older youth. Jimmy Doolittle was a daring man with many firsts to his credit. No one had ever taken off from an air craft carrier in a plane nearly as large and heavy as a B-25 loaded to the max with bombs and fuel. Many senior officers considered it impossible. But the need to conduct an air raid against Japan ’s home territory was critical, as war news up until that time had been largely bad, and many Americans were afraid. They needed a boost to their morale, and a raid against the Japanese homeland was the perfect remedy. Even more importantly, such a raid also scared the Japanese, who considered their homeland secure and impregnable—it was just inconceivable that Americans could ever successfully pull off such a daring attack. But Jimmy Doolittle had news for the Japanese-- bad news. His 16 B-25 crews successfully launched from the USS Hornet, despite bad weather, pitching seas, and the need to launch earlier at a much greater distance from Japan than had been planned—a Japanese ship had spotted their convoy and they needed to take off before the Japanese Navy might be alerted to intercept them. Even so, American bombers successfully penetrated Japanese airspace and flew over Japan ’s capital city, dropping bombs in broad daylight— the raid was successful in every respect. While relatively few bombs actually fell on Tokyo , and damage was slight, the raid forced the Japanese to re-think their strategy and to refocus their defense, reducing their capability to fight the allies in the Pacific. (The Japanese never did learn that the B-25s had launched from a US air craft carrier, and they believed that the planes had instead launched from a secret American base in Shangri-La, as announced by American propagandists. In fact, there is no such place as Shangri-La, but the Japanese announced just weeks later that they had bombed the secret base at Shangri-La, destroying the American bombers.) The raid proved a major boost to American morale and helped to sustain the war effort for the next three years. Jimmy was uniquely qualified for this important mission. He knew full well the need to be mentally alert and physically fit in order to be the best pilot and best commander possible for this war-critical task. He also knew and respected the importance of avoiding abuse of alcohol and drugs. There is probably nothing that could have destroyed his effectiveness any faster or more completely than irresponsible substance abuse of any kind. Jimmy knew the importance of staying drug-free. Drug-free. Way to be!
This is a replica of the GeeBee R-1 flown by Jimmy Doolittle. It was built by Delmar Benjamin Photo courtesy EAA
This curriculum is sponsored by the Drug Demand Reduction
Program of the Civil Air Patrol National Headquarters
Maxwell AFB, Alabama
