2020.10.21 20:50
We must never forget the sacrifice of these military men or the hard work and sheer grit that produced all the war machinery needed by our military. I fear we have never continued to give sufficient credit.
Seems Impossible Carefully study this artwork. Then, read what we did. Not only is the picture awesome, but so are the statistics!
During the 3-1/2 years of World War II that started with the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor in December of 1941 and ended with the surrender of Germany and Japan in 1945, "We the People of the U.S.A." produced the following: 22 aircraft carriers 8 battleships 48 cruisers 349 destroyers 420 destroyer escorts 203 submarines 34 million tons of merchant ships 100,000 fighter aircraft 98,000 bombers 24,000 transport aircraft 58,000 training aircraft 93,000 tanks 257,000 artillery pieces 105,000 mortars 3,000,000 machine guns and 2,500,000 military trucks We put 16.1 million men in uniform in the various armed services, invaded Africa, invaded Sicily and Italy, won the battle for the Atlantic, planned and executed D-Day, marched across the Pacific and Europe, developed the atomic bomb and, ultimately, conquered Japan and Germany. It’s amazing what America did in those days Many of you already know the story, here is the update.
THE FINAL TOAST The text below references the movie “Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo” There is a second film made in 1944 that details the “show” trials of the 11 airmen that were captured & tortured by the Japanese titled “The Purple Heart.” Three were executed as war criminals, a fourth died in captivity. The FINAL TOAST! They bombed Tokyo 78 years ago.
After Japan's sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, with the United States reeling and wounded, something dramatic was needed to turn the war effort around. Even though there were no friendly airfields close enough to Japan for the United States to launch a retaliation, a daring plan was devised. Sixteen B-25s were modified so that they could take off from the deck of an aircraft carrier. This had never before been tried -- sending such big, heavy bombers from a carrier.
who himself flew the lead plane off the USS Hornet, knew that they would not be able to return to the carrier. They would have to hit Japan and then hope to make it to China for a safe landing. The Raiders were told that they would have to take off from much farther out in the Pacific Ocean than they had counted on. They were told that because of this they would not have enough fuel to make it to safety.
Four planes crash-landed; 11 more crews bailed out, and three of the Raiders died. Eight more were captured; three were executed. Another died of starvation in a Japanese prison camp. One crew made it to Russia .
and to the rest of the world: We will fight. And, no matter what it takes, we will win. Of the 80 Raiders, 62 survived the war. They were celebrated as national heroes, models of bravery. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer produced a motion picture based on the raid; "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo ," starring Spencer Tracy and Van Johnson, was a patriotic and emotional box-office hit, and the phrase became part of the national lexicon. In the movie-theater previews for the film, MGM proclaimed that it was presenting the story........ "with supreme pride."
to commemorate the mission. The reunion is in a different city each year. In 1959, the city of Tucson , Arizona , as a gesture of respect and gratitude, presented the Doolittle Raiders with a set of 80 silver goblets. Each goblet was engraved with the name of a Raider.
Each time a Raider passes away, his goblet is turned upside down in the case at the next reunion, as his old friends bear solemn witness.
The year is not happenstance: 1896 was when Jimmy Doolittle was born.
they would open the bottle, at last drink from it, and toast their comrades who preceded them in death. As 2013 began, there were five living Raiders; then, in February, Tom Griffin passed away at age 96.
What a man he was. After bailing out of his plane Over a mountainous Chinese forest after the Tokyo raid, he became ill with malaria, and almost died. When he recovered, he was sent to Europe to fly more combat missions. He was shot down, captured, and spent 22 months in a German prisoner of war camp.
the Cincinnati Enquirer obituary for Mr. Griffin that, on the surface, had nothing to do with the war, but that was emblematic of the depth of his sense of duty and devotion: "When his wife became ill and needed to go into a nursing home, he visited her every day. He walked from his house to the nursing home, fed his wife, and at the end of the day brought home her clothes. At night, he washed and ironed her clothes. Then he walked them up to her room the next morning. He did that for three years until her death in 2005."
Dick Cole (Doolittle's co-pilot on the Tokyo raid), Robert Hite, Edward Saylor and David Thatcher. All are in their 90s. They have decided that there are too few of them for the public reunions to continue. The events in Fort Walton Beach marked the end. It has come full circle; Florida 's nearby Eglin Field was where the Raiders trained in secrecy for the Tokyo mission. The town planned to do all it can to honor the men: a six-day celebration of their valor, including luncheons, a dinner and a parade.
have tended to it in a way that is worthy of their sacrifice? They don't talk about that, at least not around other people. But if you find yourself near Fort Walton Beach this week, and if you should encounter any of the Raiders, you might want to offer them a word of thanks. I can tell you from first hand observation that they appreciate hearing that they are remembered. The men have decided that after this final public reunion they will wait until a later date -- sometime this year -- to get together once more, informally and in absolute privacy. That is when they will open the bottle of brandy. The years are flowing by too swiftly now; they are not going to wait until there are only two of them. They will fill the four remaining upturned goblets. And raise them in a toast to those who are gone.
Their 70th Anniversary Photo
" I Stand To Honor, I Kneel To Pray " " One Nation, Under GOD." |
2020.10.22 05:44
2020.10.22 06:40
Thank you, Professor, for sharing the story of true heroes with us.
Just reading it would give ordinary folks like me the courage to deal with small daily challenges.
One of my neighbors, JS, 89. one of the Korean War veterans, recently passed away.
He was one of the marines who participated in the Incheon landing at age 20.
He and his wife couldn't be nicer and friendlier to me and my wife.
One of the first things he said to me was "Hahn, in case you didn't know, you are a handsome guy."
By saying that he wanted to put me at ease among all-white neighbors.
He never led me to believe he was a dying man although I suspected.
He was full of smiles and friendly chats until a few weeks before his death, once again
showing me an example re. how to face the eventuality.
As an old man myself, I can only say all of us ordinary folks are lucky to find the rare courageous
men and women around us and in our history like the heroes in the story
and JS as a guiding post in our own life.
2020.10.22 07:40
Most of the soldiers who fought in World War II and the Korean War were drafted.
And they were 18 to 20-year-old young men. World War II veterans were well trained.
When the War was over, the U.S. had become the richest country in the world.
GDP of the U.S. was over 50% -70% of the world's GDP. It was the booming peacetime.
Drafted young men did not want to have hard military training.
They played sports instead. U.S. government decreased weapon production.
Soldiers were poorly equipped and they are not very proficient in handling weapons that they have.
Congress supported the peacetime defense policy that relaxed military discipline.
In 5 years, they had to go to Korea to fight against communists. They did not know
how to fight in combat. All of a sudden they had to save their own lives from the enemy's assault.
They were helpless. They learned it in the real world of war.
Thousands of words are not enough to thank American veterans who fought during
Korean War. Many of them blew away the blessed days of marriage, having family
with kids and unlimited potentials in the rest of their lives in exchange for prosperous
democracy in South Korea.
2020.10.22 08:09
I am so glad you guys like this story, I got from my classmate! Thanks, Drs. Ohn and Lee HJ to share your feelings on this unique story, Steve kindly helped me to upload to this website to share with you all.
It was so moving story to me but I was wondering whether it would be OK/worthy to use the space here on this website so that I asked Steve to choose. Thanks to Steve to overcome such complicated technical maneuvers to upload this story safely!
Indeed, the memories of the Korean War were so deeply embedded in my brain though I was only in the 6th grade so that I always felt grateful to the U.S. soldiers, especially the young ones who had nothing to do with fucking Koreans but died for them. So, I gave special attention to visiting one special group/ward of disabled veterans, mostly from the Korean War, first, whenever I was rotated to McGuire VA Hospital during my residency at Richmond, and spent some times chatting with them and heard so many hidden stories from them directly- the common theme was how bitterly cold the weather was!-. I also made my farewell round as the chief resident through the last rotation to the VA Hospital, ending at the ward of these disabled group of Korean War veterans to express my deep appreciation to them one last time.
I used to keep one unusual crooked-looking special spoon designed for the paraplegic patient to use while in the wheelchair; one Korean War veteran who designed it gave to me as a farewell souvenir but I lost it while moving to Washington DC from Columbia, SC breaking my heart.
Anyhow, as a benefactor of young American soldiers to fight for Koreans, I volunteered to give a free service to Walter Reed Hospital (only one of three civilian consultants then) right after I got back home from Korea in 2004 to resume my work/post at USUHS (Uniformed Services Univ of HS) at Bethesda with priority.
Yes, how could I forget such eternal debt as one of Koreans with the normal brain - the only bastard like the idiotic Tramp with the shit head would forget!!!-?
BB Lee
2020.10.23 05:15
The Pacific Second World War has to be the America's last romantic war.
We heard the speech of General MacArthur, "I shall return." at the time of the hurried deaprting Phillippine.
We read the savage fights at the Battle of Guadalcanal, the Battle of Midway, Firebombing of Tokyo, etc, etc.
There was a time I wanted to be a soldier to fight against the Red Chinese 되놈들.
I was once a fervant fan of war stories dating from Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Hannibal, all the way down to Napoleon Bonaparte who made a long march from France to Rome through the Alps, not Mao Tse Tung by all means.
I always say that America is the greatest savior for Koreans at least twice in a row.
Thanks a lot for this great story, BB.
Kwan Ho
I am surprised Doolittle raiders are still living.
They knew that there wouldn't be enough fuel left after the raid to come back
to the aircraft carrier, but volunteered to carry out the mission.
After the raid, they flew to China. Then, most of China was under siege by the Japanese.
For them, the nation's pride was the priority of their own lives.
https://youtu.be/nhK4_czihCQ
"last mission to Tokyo", the book published.