Doolittle 2001

Air Classics, Aug 2001 by O'Leary, Michael

This event had to go right on time to satisfy air traffic control and at the appointed hour everyone was in their aircraft with props turning. I crawled back to the tail and watched the unusual sight so many B-25s rumbling down the taxiway. The takeoffs happened right on schedule and the bombers were soon on their way to a nearby lake where they would form up in the four vics before departing for San Francisco. The form-ups went really smoothly and the aircraft were soon crossing the rich farmland of California's massive central valley on a course to the coast. Cruising along at 4500 feet AGL, the formation certainly must have attracted some attention in the small towns being overflown.

Climbing to clear the coastal mountains, the formation settled back down to head up the coast with its spectacular scenery. Kermit's King Air was orbiting around the formation getting some great video. Also being used as a camera ship was the Confederate Air Force's Curtiss C-46 Commando. We were being accompanied by a Sea Fury, P-51 D, TBM Avenger, and F8F Bearcat which were acting as fighter escort.

Turning into the San Francisco Bay area, the usual coastal fog had thickened up quite a bit and moved in to cover the Golden Gate (one spire just barely stuck up above the fog) which changed plans to overfly the bridge. The formation settled down on a course headed directly to the Hornet and passed over the carrier with the lead Mitchell at 1500 ft AGL and the last element at 1000 ft AGL. Watching from my tail position in the Princess, it was a spectacular and moving sight. Kermit and Bruce were locked in tight and Kermit had the entire skyline of San Francisco directly behind him. I could see hundreds of people on the deck and around the carrier and certainly hoped they enjoyed the fly-by. By this time, Clay Lacy had joined up with his Astrovision Learjet and it was an education to watch this expert maneuver the Lear around the formation.

After 2:10 hours flying time, the Mitchells once again overflew Fresno and broke for landing. As can be imagined, there was much excited debriefing between the crews since all were thrilled to have been able to participate in the event That evening, the crews were all honored to be at a dinner hosted by the organizers for twelve Doolittle Raiders (there are 25 surviving members of the 80 crewmen that participated in the raid) as well as other veterans from the Hornet. Held in Fresno's atmospheric Hall of Valor (built by the Works Progress Administration in 1941 and housing a fabulous array of military memorabilia), the event was a sell-out and we were all fascinated to hear the veterans discuss that momentous time in history.

Saturday was public day and the gates opened early and spectators that had been standing in line poured in to check out the bombers, fighters, and many displays. The City of Fresno and its citizens really went out of their way to make this event happen. "Over the years, we have held several smaller B25/Doolittle events at Fresno," said Carl Scholl "and each gathering has been better and better thanks to the City and its residents."