RIP David Thatcher, Doolittle Raider

[Batman]

David Thatcher, one of the last two surviving airmen who participated in the Doolittle Raid over Tokyo in April 1942, died Wednesday in Montana. He was 94.
Those guys had balls the size of church bells.
He also flew 26 other missions over Italy and Yugoslavia.
Had never heard his name before this, but RIP to a genuine American hero.

Missoula's Doolittle Raider dead at 94

 

[albert77]

You're right. There is no overstating how huge Doolittle's Raid was. In terms of actual damage, it didn't do much, but psychologically, on both sides, the impact was enormous. For America, it was the first piece of positive news after nearly five months of unrelenting defeat and disaster. For Japan, it forced them to realize how vulnerable they were as long as the U.S. still had a functioning carrier fleet, and that led them into the catastrophe at Midway.

 

[Starman]

The movie "Pearl Harbor" was a cheese fest, but the Doolittle's Raiders part of it was pretty cool.