Doolittle Raiders' 57th reunion

Flight Journal, Aug 1999 by Piecuch, William M

During the April 18 reunion of the Doolittle Raiders at Dayton, Ohio's, Wright-Patterson Air Force Museum, crew members and pilots of that legendary moment of brightness-during otherwise dark days-quietly retold their stories and kept their audience spellbound.

Though WW II created more havoc, caused more suffering and inflicted more causal/ties worldwide than any event in history, this "war of wars" also produced an abundance of heroes and courageous acts. Doolittle's daring raid on Tokyo is a prime example of those who volunteered to put their country before their own personal safety.

Today, 57 years after the fabled mission, 29 of the original 80 Tokyo Raiders survive, and 23 attended the reunion. Of the survivors, three had been prisoners of the Japanese and three POWs in Germany. The oldest Raider there was Jake deShazer, a spry, bright-eyed 86-year-old, and the youngest was David W. Pohl, 78, who was interned by the Russians for over a year during the War.

What made this reunion different was the unveiling of a B-25B Mitchell bomber that was configured exactly like those flown by the Raiders. In a short ceremony, the B-25B was officially dedicated to the Doolittle Raiders' memorial in the garden beside the Museum.

-William M. Piecuch