[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 57 (Thursday, April 14, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S2096]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 74TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DOOLITTLE RAID

  Mr. THUNE. Madam President, today I would like to recognize the 74th 
anniversary of the Doolittle Raid.
  Following Japan's deliberate attack on Naval Station Pearl Harbor on 
December 7, 1941, the United States was looking for a way to retaliate 
and boost morale. General Henry Arnold, the chief of the Army Air 
Corps, and U.S. Navy ADM Ernest King, the Navy Chief of Operations, 
were tasked with organizing a raid on mainland Japan that would act as 
the United States' return salvo. They needed an extraordinary airman 
and leader to execute the raid, and they found one in Army Air Corps 
Lieutenant Colonel James ``Jimmy'' Doolittle, a well-respected pilot 
who they believed could inspire his fellow airmen as they carried out 
this dangerous mission.
  Doolittle immediately began selecting crew members for the mission, 
eventually recruiting 80 flyers who would later be nicknamed the 
Doolittle Raiders. The Raiders volunteered without knowing any 
specifics of the mission, but they trusted Doolittle enough that they 
were willing to follow him anyway.
  The geographic isolation of the Japanese mainland posed numerous 
logistical challenges while planning the raid. Doolittle decided to use 
B-25 bombers launched from the U.S.S. Hornet, which would be positioned 
about 500 miles away from Japan. The B-25 bombers were an inspired 
choice, as they were mid-range bombers that were not normally launched 
from the decks of aircraft carriers and had limited fuel reserves. 
Despite these risks and the unprecedented nature of the raid, the 
Raiders began their mission.
  On April 18, 1942, the task force was spotted by the Japanese, nearly 
200 miles from the planned launch point. All 16 B-25 bombers were able 
to launch from the deck of the U.S.S. Hornet, but they lacked the time 
or fuel necessary to enter into formation, necessitating individual 
strikes that caused only minor military and industrial damage to Japan. 
All but one of the B-25 bombers made crash landings or had their crews 
bail out. The remaining plane made an emergency landing in Russia, and 
the crew was interned. Eight soldiers were captured by the Japanese in 
China, three of whom were executed. Still, the Doolittle Raid was the 
first successful attack on the Japanese mainland in over 700 years, and 
it shook the confidence of their military.
  The Doolittle Raid changed the course of the war, and the courage and 
bravery of the Doolittle Raiders is inspiring, even after 74 years. 
Three of the squadrons that participated in the Doolittle Raid, the 
34th, 37th, and 432nd squadrons, are now stationed in Ellsworth Air 
Force Base near Rapid City, SD. I am proud to have squadrons with such 
a historic legacy stationed in my State, and I know that the example of 
the Doolittle Raiders will continue to inspire airmen everywhere.

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