432nd Bomb Squadron T-Shirt

Part of our Doolittle Raiders series.

On April 18th, 1942, 80 men set off on a mission.

The Doolittle Raid - named after Lieutenant Colonel James "Jimmy" Doolittle who planned and led the raid - was the first air attack on the Japanese Home Islands that demonstrated the vulnerability of the Japanese mainland.

16 B-25's launched from the USS Hornet without fighter escort, with the plan to bomb the military targets in Japan, then continue to a safe landing in China.

15 aircraft reached China, but all crashed, the 16th landed in the Soviet Union and the crew members interned, until being "released" into Soviet controlled Iran.

Eight airmen were captured by the Japanese Army in China, with three on those men being executed later.

Fourteen complete crews of five, except for one crewman who was killed in action, returned either to the United States, or to American forces.

Col. Richard E. Cole, co-pilot of Doolittle, is the only living member of the Raiders, aged an impressive 102 years old. We highly recommend researching these impressive men.

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