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Chaplain’s thoughts ... Doolittle Raid: a look back

by Chaplain
(Lt. Col.)
R. JOHN by on Pearl Harbor, it was also a stra- completed the mission, but the Japanese forces spotted the ship.
BOYER JESSICA LAWSON tegically planned mission to bring carriers had to be nose to nose with In response, Col. Doolittle revised
“shock and awe” to the people of Ja- the Japanese to make the flight. the plan and the USS Hornet
56th FW Chaplain 944th Fighter Wing historian
pan. The Japanese Empire, at the The solution came in the form of stopped 650 miles off the coast
As an Air Force A little over four months after time, did not believe that America bringing the worlds of long-range of Japan.
chaplain, it’s such a the bombing of Pearl Harbor on was able to retaliate without the bombers and carrier aircraft to- Sixteen B-25 bombers took off
blessing and joy to Dec. 7, 1941, the United States Empire first knowing about and gether. The Army Air Force had the from the Hornet and made their
care for Luke AFB began secretly planning a reprisal stopping it. B-25 Mitchell Bomber that could way to Tokyo. The raid was a suc-
Airmen and their attack on the Japanese Empire. In The U.S. government had to make a long-range flight from an cess and the bombers managed to
families! Chaplain fact, the initial plan was already think outside the box to pull this aircraft carrier, but this had never hit their targets in Tokyo, Kobe,
Corps members underway and the U.S. Army Air off. They had long-range bombers, been attempted. Yokosuka, and Osaka. Waning fuel
get a chance every Forces had begun to train their like the B-17, but those aircraft Many thought the plan was levels meant the pilots needed to
day to make a posi- pilots for this incredibly dangerous had to be far enough away to impossible and doomed to fail but head toward China, where they
tive impact in the and covert operation. launch undetected. The most ad- if the United States wanted to had plans in place to travel back
Courtesy photo
lives of so many. The mission that these men vantageous locations had limiting send a message to Japan, this was to safety. Unfortunately, fifteen of
Whether it’s host- chose to accept was to bomb the factors that would jeopardize the the only possibility. The mission the aircraft crash-landed or the
ing a resiliency retreat to Grand Canyon for our single Japanese capital city of Tokyo. A mission. The Navy had aircraft received the blessing of President crew had to bail out. The remain-
Airmen fresh out of high school living on their own for strike in retaliation for the attack on their carriers that could have Roosevelt and training began. ing plane made it to Vladivostok,
the first time, conducting a marriage resiliency weekend Col. Jimmy Doolittle, a re- Russia, but the plane and the crew
for military couples at beautiful Sedona, or visiting our nowned pilot in the Army Air were interned. Three other crew-
maintenance Airmen on the flightline where our chapel Forces, took over training the members died, and the Japanese
volunteers feed hundreds of Airmen a free home-cooked pilots that would be flying this took eight prisoners.
meal, there are so many opportunities to make an impact unusually large aircraft off an Strategic planning and absolute
in the lives of thousands of Airmen each month. High- aircraft carrier, the USS Hornet. dedication shown by Col. Doolittle
lights include: workplace visitation, weekend worship The pilots would have to push the and his crew led to what will for-
services, Vacation Bible School, family and marriage planes to their max to get them off ever be known as one of the great-
retreats, the Fall Harvest Festival and so much more! the carrier. est surprise attacks in modern
Hosting these events costs money, and unfortunately, After just a few weeks of train- times. The resolve and patriotism
the COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult for those ing, they were out to sea. The plan of these brave aviators has gone
who normally give financially and tithe toward our called for the carrier to be 400 down in history as making the
Chaplain Corps ministries during our worship services miles off the coast of Japan, but impossible a reality.
to do so.
One of the questions I’m often asked, and is impor-
tant now more than ever, “Chaplain how can I help give Courtesy graphic
back financially to support all these you’ll be directed to a secure Chaplain Corps website tion, etc.). Donations can be made using Visa, Master-
great opportunities you all host for where you can enter your donation! Or, on a smartphone Card, American Express or Discover. One hundred
Airmen?” enter: https://secure.acceptiva.com/?cst=Mu3yDq. STEP percent of your donation goes to Luke AFB Chapel.
The easiest way to give is through 2: Fill out the quick form. Use the comment section to Thanks for your generosity in partnering with us to
online donations. STEP 1: Wave let us know how you’d like the donation to be used (i.e. make the greatest impact possible in the lives of Luke
your phone over this QR code, and flightline feast, Single Airmen, unit/workplace visita- AFB Airmen and their families.
Courtesy photo
The aircraft carrier Hornet had 16 AAF B-25s on deck, ready for
the Tokyo Raid.
STrikE (from Page 2) safe evacuation of the growing numbers ers keen to press home their advantage. number of assets so numerous that it
of wounded was up to my special tactics I watched this unfold with a sense that far exceeded normal training scenarios.
This was no low-level commander and his teammates in close-range gun battles ‘this is how it happens … this is how I don’t know exactly how many of the The Tokyo Raid
men: this place was ‘ISIS-K’s Pentagon.’ with the enemy – literally fighting room aircraft get shot down.’ Yet, the enemy wounded would have died without imme-
I am aware of at least three previous to room. During the fight, the combat wasn’t able to get a single shot off as the diate medical evacuation, but I can say
assaults against this position that were controller with the lead element of the patients were extracted, one by one. The with certainty that the medical evacu-
quickly defeated by virtue of the enemy’s assault force reached out for help, and reason there will be no memorials for ation aircrew would have been among “Give ‘em hell for me” — Seaman Robert Wall
elaborate defense, high degree of training got Spooky 41 on the radio. three separate medical evacuation, or the casualties if it weren’t for the fires
and commitment, and skillful application In short order, I heard the bark of the MEDEVAC, aircrews is because Spooky provided by Spooky 41.
of firepower against friendly forces. Still reeling from the shock of the attack on Pearl Harbor, The U.S.
In my 20-plus years of training and AC-130U’s guns. I distinctly remember 41’s fires were so responsive and so I personally took fire the following Navy and Army Air Forces devised a plan to strike at the Japanese
experience in the art of attacking and wondering whether they were shooting precise that the enemy was effectively day and the enemy’s expert gunnery mainland. With the cooperation of Gen. Henry “Hap” Arnold and Admiral
defending ground objectives, I have at the right target, given the speed of neutralized. put the bullets within arm’s reach. Had Ernest J. King, American bombers would launch from an aircraft carrier
seen few more formidable defensive their reaction – in 10 years as a JTAC, At least three members of my team they been allowed to get a shot off at to attack five major cities. Arnold chose Lt. Col. James H. Doolittle to
positions – or ones more daunting to at- I’d never seen any kind of fire support were relaying information on two dif- the MEDEVAC helicopters, we’d have lead the mission.
tack. I would have to reach for examples as responsive. Sure enough, the first ferent nets in an effort to coordinate air lost aircraft. But again – after the ini- The USS Hornet got under way on April 1, 1942, loaded with 16 B-25
like Normandy, Iwo Jima or Hamburger rounds were right on target – a good and ground movement. Looking back, I tial gunshots and improvised explosive bombers. On April 18, the task force sighted a Japanese patrol boat and,
Hill to appropriately convey the degree thing, because the enemy was so close to am amazed that Spooky 41 managed to device blast injuries, no further harm fearing discovery, decided to launch the aircraft 150 miles farther from
to which the enemy were prepared and the assault force. track everyone so effectively. Even with befell Americans or our Afghan allies Japan than the plan intended. All planes took off and six hours later
ready for our assault. The enemy now had a problem on my high degree of situational awareness that night. completed their bombing runs over 16 military and industrial targets.
The enemy stayed hidden until the as- their hands. They had probably figured as the man on the ground and with my Spooky 41’s legendary airmanship is With the exception of one bomber, (which landed in Russia) the planes
sault force drew close. The result was an that their proximity to friendlies would degree of experience, I had a hard time the reason why – period. crash-landed or were ditched after running out of fuel in Japanese-
intense firefight where the lead elements mitigate our ability to bring fires to bear keeping it all straight. At several points I resolved that the first thing I would occupied China.
found themselves under fire from not on them. Now, they were being heavily they were engaging different targets do upon getting back to Bagram Airfield Of the 80 men who volunteered for the mission, three died in action Courtesy photo
only all sides, but also three dimensions. attacked by the AC-130U’s weapons. simultaneously and on different nets. I was to seek out each of them and thank (two drowned, one died after bailing out) and eight were captured by Airmen of the U.S. Army Air Forces, led by Lt. Col. James H. (Jim-
The enemy had prepared apertures in The precise application of fires al- had one net in each ear – I watched and them for what they did for us that night. the Japanese. Of these, three were executed and one died in prison. One my) Doolittle, carried the Battle of the Pacific to the heart of the
floors and ceilings, and used barricaded lowed friendly forces to establish a de- listened as they delivered salvo after I’ve been to far too many memorials and crew of five was interned by the USSR but eventually returned. The very Japanese empire on April 18, 1942, with a surprising and daring raid
shooters to devastating effect. By using fensive perimeter and turn to the task salvo of fires with zero error. seen far too many folded flags. I didn’t last survivor of the raid, retired Air Force Lt. Col. Richard Cole, passed on military targets at Tokyo, Yokohama, Yokosuka, Nagoya, and
networks of subterranean passageways, of evacuating the wounded. The terrain A colocated teammate directed a few have to do that on this trip because in- away on April 9, 2019. Kobe. This heroic attack against these major cities was the result of
the enemy would reappear behind our prohibited the helicopter from landing, F-16 Fighting Falcon strikes during stead of Americans giving their lives for Although the raid achieved very little tactically, it seriously damaged coordination between the Army Air Forces and the U.S. Navy, which
forces even after they’d cleared buildings. so they performed hoist lifts of the most this time and I worked with Spooky 41 their country that night, Spooky 41 made Japanese confidence in her military’s ability to protect the homeland. carried the 16 North American B-25 medium bombers aboard the
Despite our numerical superiority, the critical patients. This entailed coming to integrate the fires. It felt almost like the enemy die for theirs – on time, on Strategically it gave an enormous morale boost to America and her al- carrier USS Hornet to within take-off distance of the Japanese Is-
situation was dire. From my support-by- to a hover within machine-gun-range of a weapons-school exercise, in that the target, and in the most complex environ- lies and set up a series of events that lead to the spectacular Japanese lands. Here, a pair of alert escorts follow the USS Hornet to protect
fire position, I could do little to help. The dozens, if not hundreds, of enemy fight- degree of difficulty was so high and the ment I’ve ever seen – training or combat. defeat at Midway. her lethal cargo of B-25 bombers.