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Many anniversaries today:
Today the United States wields far-reaching global military muscle as the sole remaining superpower. So it is difficult for younger people to realize how desperate and battered Americans felt in the early months of World War II.Four months after the attack on Pearl Harbor.That is why a daring mission 63 years ago today -- with strength and numbers that might have caused it to be discountenanced as a stunt -- had such a powerful effect not only on Americans but also the Japanese leaders and people.
On April 18, 1942, 16 Army Air Force B-25s took off from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Hornet on what became known as the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo.
More here - including the fate of the Raiders:
It was never part of the plan for the bombers to return to the fleet. While they could take off from a carrier's deck, it was much too short for landing. An airfield in China had been selected for the planes' landings, but with the early takeoff it was much too far.Since it's also the anniversary of the death of Ernie Pyle I can't help but wonder how the modern media would cover similar events today.One plane turned north and surprised the Soviets by landing near Vladivostok. The other 15 crashed or ditched in China. Remarkably, most of the 80 fliers survived the raid. Of the eight captured, three were executed by the Japanese and one died in captivity. Four others were killed during the mission.