I had the honor to meet and listen to Colonel Saylor when he spoke at our schools Veterans Day Assembly. You could hear a pin drop.
Afterwards he and I had coffee. I asked as, being on the last plane to take off, if he had it easier? He replied that the carrier’s island prevented takeoffs until the plane was past it. All the bomber had the same short part of the deck to take off. He also had to repair one of the plane’s engines. It was a depot level repair, accomplished on a tossing ship. Quite a man.

quote:

Originally posted by Icabod:

... He also had to repair one of the plane’s engines. It was a depot level repair, accomplished on a tossing ship. Quite a man.

That was part of his talk I listened to in 2014 as well. A complete tear down with borrowed tools from the Navy. They were told if it wasn’t fixed by whatever time deadline, the plane would be jettisoned into the ocean.

Truly an American hero.

Several years ago I had the very great honor of meeting two of these heroes during their annual meeting, this one in Omaha. There were only maybe 4-5 attendees at that meeting. Both that I met were humble and unassuming and the few words I shared with them were how great of an honor it was to meet them face-to-face.

Very sad to hear that their legacy is now one of memories only. RIP to all of these great warrior/gentlemen!

“Army pilots, man your planes!"

The end of an era for sure, these guys all had 50 lb brass balls!

I am amazed by the the discipline of those who flew over the Imperial Palace, but did not drop their bombs there because Col. Doolittle had ordered them not to. It is difficult to estimate how the course of the War would have changed had they injured or killed the Emperor that day.

Japan's current economic and political status as a solid member of the Western (!) alliance and one of the largest economies in the world is due to their loss of the war, and the historically unique occupation and governance by the United States afterward.
The first step in that victory by the US and allies was purely psychological, but it worked on the Japanese as well as on the Americans, I believe.

We owe so much to Doolitle's Raiders and all the victories great and small that followed that raid.
R.I.P.

quote:

Originally posted by deepocean:
It is difficult to estimate how the course of the War would have changed had they injured or killed the Emperor that day.

If the emperor had been killed, the Japanese would not have surrendered after the A-bombs were dropped.

RIP Sir. Your generation is greatly missed.

RIP Sir.

God bless, Godspeed, and thank you, Sir!