The Doolittle Raid was launched on the morning of 18 April 1942, 150 miles further from mainland Japan than originally planned. At 0843 hours, Lt. Ted William Lawson took flight in “The Ruptured Duck” B-25B # 40-2261, of the 95th Bomber Squadron/17th Bomber Group.
Lt. Ted W. Lawson
“A Navy man stood at the bow of the ship with a checkered flag. He gave Doolittle [the lead plane] the signal to begin racing his engines again. Doolittle gave his engines more and more throttle until I was afraid he’d burn them up. A wave crashed at the bow and sprayed the deck.
leaving the USS Hornet
“The man with the flag was waiting, timing the dipping of the ship for it’s take-off. The man gave a new signal. Navy boys pulled the blocks from under the wheels. We watched him like hawks, wondering what the wind would do to him…
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A daring and important raid of WW2. It was imperative to strike back at the Japanese, and to let them know that they were not immune from attack. These brave fliers showed the world that the USA had the determination to bring the war to the enemy, at any cost.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Thank you, Sarah. I believe Lt. Lawson deserves his own posts – don’t you?!
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