Doolittle Raiders return to Eglin

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jeremy Larlee
  • Air Force Print News
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFPN) --  Hundreds of people and seven Doolittle Raiders assembled to witness three B-25 Mitchell bombers perform a reenactment of the war heroes' historic training mission at Duke Field here, May 31.

The reenactment was one of the last events of the Doolittle Raiders Homecoming celebration held May 28-31. Funds raised during the event will go towards the operation of a new Fisher House being built at Eglin.

Raiders attending the event with their highest rank attained and rank at the time of the raid were:Maj. Gen./Capt. Davy Jones, Col. / Lt. William M. Bower, Lt. Col./Lt. Robert E. Cole, Lt. Col./Lt. Robert L. Hite, Maj./Lt. Thomas C. Griffin, navigator; MSgt./SSgt. Ed Horton and SSgt/Sgt. David J. Thatcher.

Homecoming events took place throughout the Fort Walton Beach, Fla., area and included several dinners, a panel discussion and book signings. People of all ages were given the opportunity to meet the national icons face-to-face.

Major Griffin, who served as the navigator for crew nine during the raid, said it was nice to be back in Florida where the crew trained for their mission and he was surprised by how much the area has grown in 66 years

"It is great to be back here under these circumstances," he said. "We received some great training out here. It really brings back memories to see this place."

This training prepared Major Griffing and his fellow aviators for a grueling bombing run over Japan. On April 18, 1942, Lt. Col. James H. "Jimmy" Doolittle and a select team of 80 pilots, gunners, navigators and bombardiers of 16 B-25 Mitchell bombers assembled to execute a surprise attack over the islands of Japan. The attack raised the morale of the nation after the devastating events at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.

It was a mission that left no room for error -- the bombers would only have 500 feet of runway to take off from aboard the carriers. Because of this, Major Griffin said the coastline of Northwest Florida served as the perfect location to train for the historic mission. 

The training paid off and Major Griffin's B-25 successfully took off from the carrier deck on the day of this mission. 

But the problems did not end there. 

After Major Griffin's aircraft safely launched, the navigator did not have fancy instruments to guide the aircraft to its destination.

"When we first took off it was an overcast day and I had to use the wind to guide us," he said. "Luckily, a few hours later it cleared up and I was able to use the sun as a guide for the rest of the mission."

Another major obstacle for the Doolittle Raiders was the low amount of fuel they had for the mission. Even though the bombers had been modified to carry more fuel, there was not enough for the crews to return to the carrier. The plan was for the men to bail out over China after they had completed their objectives. Several of the raiders were then captured as prisoners of war, many of whom died in captivity.

Their deeds are something that today's Airmen can learn a lot from ,said Maj. Gen. David Eidsaune, commander of the Air Armament Center at Eglin.

"You look at our core value of service before self and the Doolittle Raiders really epitomized that," General Eidsaune said. "They had a mission to accomplish and they worked tirelessly to accomplish it with no thought of their own welfare."

The general said that the homecoming also showed off the great teamwork between Eglin and the Fort Walton Beach community.

"This has been a wonderful week and Eglin is so proud to be part of this celebration," he said. "The base and the local community here are so close."

Kathy Houchins, chairman of the board for the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce, said it was great to welcome back the Doolittle Raiders and she was proud her area had served as their training grounds. She said she really enjoyed meeting them and was surprised by how vigorous they still are after all these years.

"I'm in awe and humbled to have the opportunity to get to know them," she said. "To be able to see that sparkle in their eyes that make them what they are has been a thrill."

Larry Gregory, president of the Lone Star Flight Museum located at Galveston, Texas, piloted one of the three B-25s at the reenactment. In his position at the museum he educates visitors about the deeds of the Doolittle Raiders on a daily basis. 

He said it is amazing the Raiders are still actively supporting their country.

"These guys are 90 years old," he said "Nobody would expect them to even leave their homes. But they are out here signing everything put in front of them and talking to everybody with no complaints. I find it absolutely amazing that 66 years later they still feel the desire to serve their nation."