The number of heroic actions throughout the history of our country are far too numerous to share so I'll mention one that isn't often covered.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, there was a lot of anger for what they did and our military wanted to attack Japan immediately. One of our options for going on a quick offensive was to attack some of the main Japanese islands and their various military installations. The thing was, it wasn't the Air Force or Navy pilots who were ready for the operation, it was Army's Air Service (fighter pilots and bombardiers), who were sent on the mission.
Their bravery was immense as the distance they had to travel to drop their bombs was so far that they wouldn't have enough fuel to fly back. Their hope was to make it into China where Japan hadn't taken over, or to ditch their planes in the South China Sea and hope for a friendly rescue.
The mission was led by Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle and it was called: "Doolittle's Raid." The top secret attack included sixteen B-25 Bombers from the famous aircraft carrier "USS Hornet," with targets in Tokyo, Kobe, Yokohama, Osaka and Nagoya. Remarkably only seven pilots died, four tortured and murdered by the Japanese and the other three from plane crashes. Doolittle and the rest of the team were helped by the Chinese to get them safely out of the country and there was also an American missionary who helped as well. Japan killed around 250,000 Chinese civilians for supporting the Americans.
Members from this raid received all kinds of honors and they continued to meet every year to keep their bond going. Unfortunately, the reunions ceased last year as there are no longer any surviving members of "Doolittle's Raid."
There are so many brave men and women who are responsible for where we are today. If it weren't for a prepared military, California would've been captured by the Japanese and of this there is no doubt. What in the world would our country look like if that did occur? Thank God we have such a mighty military force.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, there was a lot of anger for what they did and our military wanted to attack Japan immediately. One of our options for going on a quick offensive was to attack some of the main Japanese islands and their various military installations. The thing was, it wasn't the Air Force or Navy pilots who were ready for the operation, it was Army's Air Service (fighter pilots and bombardiers), who were sent on the mission.
Their bravery was immense as the distance they had to travel to drop their bombs was so far that they wouldn't have enough fuel to fly back. Their hope was to make it into China where Japan hadn't taken over, or to ditch their planes in the South China Sea and hope for a friendly rescue.
The mission was led by Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle and it was called: "Doolittle's Raid." The top secret attack included sixteen B-25 Bombers from the famous aircraft carrier "USS Hornet," with targets in Tokyo, Kobe, Yokohama, Osaka and Nagoya. Remarkably only seven pilots died, four tortured and murdered by the Japanese and the other three from plane crashes. Doolittle and the rest of the team were helped by the Chinese to get them safely out of the country and there was also an American missionary who helped as well. Japan killed around 250,000 Chinese civilians for supporting the Americans.
Members from this raid received all kinds of honors and they continued to meet every year to keep their bond going. Unfortunately, the reunions ceased last year as there are no longer any surviving members of "Doolittle's Raid."
There are so many brave men and women who are responsible for where we are today. If it weren't for a prepared military, California would've been captured by the Japanese and of this there is no doubt. What in the world would our country look like if that did occur? Thank God we have such a mighty military force.
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