May 012012
On April 18, 2012, twenty Billy Mitchell WWII era B-25 bombers gathered at the United States Air Force Museum in Dayton, OH, to participate in the 70th reunion of the Doolittle Raiders –
http://www.doolittleraider.com/
I took all the following photos at that event. At the appointed time, all started their engines preparing to takeoff and fly formation passes, and finally, the “missing man” formation.
Bob Punch
(this was submitted by Walt House)
I CAN STILL REMEMBER THAT APRIL 18, 1942 DAY. I WAS IN THE 5TH GRADE IN A COUNTRY SCHOOL WEST OF BURRTON, KS. I THINK IT WAS THE NEXT DAY WHEN THE NEWS WAS ANOUNCED, SOMEONE DROVE TO THE SCHOOL AND TOLD THE TEACHERS. ALL OF THE KIDS WERE CHEERING AND JUMPING UP AND DOWN. THERE ARE SOME OTHER EVENTS THAT HAPPENED THAT MONTH, MOST WERE NOT SO HAPPY.
APRIL 9————-GEN KING’S BATAAN SURRENDER OF 12,000 AMERICANS (MOSTLY ARMY AIR FORCES) AND 18,000 PHILIPPINE SCOUTS, THE DEATH MARCH AND THE BEGINNING OF THREE YEARS OF UNBEARABLE PRISONS AND TORTURE. I REMEMBER AFTER THE NEWS ON THE RADIO, MY MOTHER WRINGING HER HANDS AND CRYING “WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO ALL OF THOSE MEN”.
APRIL 11-13——–GEN RALPH ROYCE’S LONGEST BOMB RAID OF WW II. 10 B-25C’S AND 2 B-17E’S FLEW 1,100 MILES CHARTERS TOWERS, AUSTRALIA TO DARWIN, 1,500 MILES DARWIN TO MINDANAO, PI. REMOVED BOMBAY TANKS AND LOADED BOMBS AND BOMBED JAPANESE TARGETS 500 MILES TO NORTHERN PHILIPPINES INCLUDING MANILA AND LUZON. THEN 2,600 MILES BACK TO CHARTERS TOWERS.
WALTER HOUSE