Important WW2 Historic Memory

[pm3777]

FOUR MONTHS HAD PASSED SINCE THE VICIOUS ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR AND COLONEL JAMES DOOLITTLE HAD ONE THING ON HIS MIND...

As they prepared to take off from the Carrier Hornet on April 18, 1942. Jim Doolittle and his squadron were out to avenge the tragedy of Pearl Harbor: Their weapon? Complete surprise. Their target! Tokyo!

Doolittle was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor and promoted two ranks to Brigadier General a few days after the raid. Later the same year he would take command of the U. S. Fifteenth Air Force prior to the invasion of North Africo.



I first saw Doolittle at the Cleveland Ohio Air Races back in the mid thirties. There was several of the later famous Aviators in those Races Such as Howard Hughes. Also the old Navy fighter Bi Planes The Doolittle Raid was an important Morale boost for our Country at the early part of the war. Those races inspired me to get into the Aviation field . SF Gy///Msgt Moore

[Crazy Joe]

Doolittle was awarded the Medal of Honor. The CONGRESSIONAL Medal of Honor does not exist, and never has.

"Crazy Joe" Scholle
HMM-363

[pm3777]

Thanks, that is great news. Who Presents & congfirms the Award ??? That does not change the event !!!

[Crazy Joe]

The Medal of Honor gives the recipient a LIFETIME PENSION as set by Congress. Since the award is for the expenditure of money a bill must be introduced into the House of Representatives as would any spending bill. If it is approved it goes to the Senate for a vote. If approved there it goes to the President for signature as would any spending bill. Since the 1960's the President has presented the award to the recipient in the Oval Office although there is no legal requirement to do so at that location or by the President. It seems Presidents discovered there was good publicity in the presentation ceremony. The award is approved by Congress but ONLY because of the expenditure of money, not because of the bravery of the action. The official name of the award remains The Medal of Honor.

Hope this answers your questions.

"Crazy Joe" Scholle
HMM-363

[pm3777]

This subject of the medal was covered some time back. I Had no questions, however thank you for the update. My intent was memory of the important WW2 event & its effects. SF PM................................................ .Today 18 Apr in the TV News 4 Doolittle Raiders all in their 90 ies were honored at Dayton Ohio. They should all be in the Medal of Honor or at least the AF Cross category. They were than at the time of the Mission in the U.S. Army AF. In those Early Days the Marines on Wake Island than the Battle of Midway were the first & important Battles & the Doolittle mission that helped develope the huge war effort both in Morale & beginning the defeat of the Japanese War Machine.