[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 418 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 418

 Commending the 80 brave men who became known as the ``Doolittle Tokyo 
  Raiders'' for outstanding heroism, valor, skill, and service to the 
 United States during the bombing of Tokyo and 5 other targets on the 
    island of Honshu on April 18, 1942, during the Second World War.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 16, 2012

   Mr. Brown of Ohio (for himself, Mrs. Hutchison, Mr. Inouye, Mrs. 
   Murray, Mr. Alexander, Mr. Tester, and Mr. Baucus) submitted the 
  following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Armed 
                                Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Commending the 80 brave men who became known as the ``Doolittle Tokyo 
  Raiders'' for outstanding heroism, valor, skill, and service to the 
 United States during the bombing of Tokyo and 5 other targets on the 
    island of Honshu on April 18, 1942, during the Second World War.

Whereas 80 brave American airmen volunteered for an ``extremely hazardous 
        mission'' without knowing the target, location, or assignment and 
        willingly put their lives in harm's way, risking death, capture, and 
        torture;
Whereas the mission was the first offensive action by the United States military 
        following the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941;
Whereas the Doolittle Raid represented the first time in which the Army Air 
        Corps and the Navy collaborated in a tactical mission by flying 16 Army 
        B-25 medium bombers off of the USS Hornet;
Whereas the flying of bombers from a Navy carrier had never been done before, 
        making the mission extremely hazardous from the very start;
Whereas after encountering Japanese picket ships 170 miles from the prearranged 
        launch point, the Raiders, led by Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle, 
        proceeded to launch 650 miles from the target of Tokyo;
Whereas by launching more than 170 miles early the Raiders deliberately accepted 
        the risk that the B-25s might not have enough fuel to make it beyond the 
        Japanese lines in occupied China;
Whereas the additional risk virtually sealed the fate of the Raiders to crash 
        land in China or on the home islands of Japan, subjecting them to 
        imprisonment, torture, or death;
Whereas because of that deliberate choice, after hitting their military and 
        industrial targets in Tokyo and five other cities on the island of 
        Honshu, low on fuel and in setting night and deteriorating weather, none 
        of the 16 airplanes reached the prearranged Chinese airfields;
Whereas the total distance traveled averaged 2,250 nautical miles over a period 
        of 13 hours is the longest combat mission ever flown in a B-25 Mitchell 
        bomber;
Whereas of the eight Raiders who were captured, three were executed, one died of 
        disease, and four came home; and
Whereas, the Doolittle Raid led the fight for the eventual victory of the United 
        States in the Second World War: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) commends the 5 living members and 80 original members 
        of the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders for their participation in the 
        Tokyo bombing raid of April 18, 1942;
            (2) recognizes the valor, skill, and courage of the Raiders 
        that proved invaluable to the eventual defeat of Japan during 
        the Second World War; and
            (3) acknowledges that the actions of the Raiders helped to 
        forge an enduring example of heroism in the face of uncertainty 
        for the Army Air Corps of the Second World War, the future of 
        the Air Force, and the United States as a whole.
                                 <all>