[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 54 (Monday, April 16, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S2326]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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 SENATE RESOLUTION 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

  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:

                              S. Res. 418

       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 8 Raiders who were captured, 3 were 
     executed, 1 died of disease, and 4 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; and
       (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.

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