Tyndall meets historic Doolittle Air Force family

Published Dec. 7, 2006
By Chrissy Cuttita
325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- During Jonna Doolittle Hoppes' book signing event here Tuesday, many people were able to get a glimpse into the lives of well-known Air Force heroes.

Hoppes' "Calculated Risk: The Extraordinary Life of Jimmy Doolittle" is a memoir of her famous grandfather, retired Air Force Gen. Jimmy Doolittle. Retired Master Sgt. Ed Horton, who worked for the general as one of the famous "Doolittle Tokyo Raiders," attended the events here and autographed books.

"As a child growing up in the Doolittle household, I was relatively unaware of the public personas of my grandfather and grandmother," said Ms. Hoppes. "To me, they were simply Granny and Gramps, and their home was Doolittle Central, a place of unconditional love and laughter."

General Doolittle, retired in May 1946, was a Medal of Honor recipient, pioneer holder of speed records, leader of the first aerial attack on the Japanese mainland and famed World War II air commander.

Fourteen hours of flying over the Sea of China in a B-25 is a memory that sticks with Sergeant Horton, then armament chief who maintained 50 and 30 caliber guns and bombs until July 1943.

"One time after we landed, I remember General Doolittle there to greet us with a hand shake," said Sergeant Horton. "He was always so busy we never had the opportunity to see him much."

The general was already a well known aviator before the first U.S. air retaliation attack in response to the attack on Pearl Harbor. He planned the mission of 16 B-25 medium bombers, which took off from the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Hornet with targets in Tokyo, Kobe, Osaka and Nagoya, Japan.

The daring one-way mission April 19, 1942, electrified the world and gave America's war hopes a terrific lift, according to General Doolittle's official biography.

"My grandfather felt the (Doolittle) Raiders were a family, his 'boys,'" said Ms. Hoppes. "The remarkable thing about him was that he was well known, but he was down to earth and humble so he didn't play on it."

Ms. Hoppes remembered the Doolittle home as a "hub of interaction," full of visitors from all levels of the aviation profession.

"When you are a child of someone who achieves that much, expectations are high and there is sometimes a fear of failure," said Ms. Hoppes about growing up in the Doolittle household. "He kept aviation in the forefront and had a full career."

Outside of flying with his "boys," Ms. Hoppes remembers her grandfather telling her stories about barnstorming and stunt flying, the additional duties he took on to better study the art and science of aviation.

The greatest storyteller was Joe Doolittle, said the author about her grandmother.

"She is an enormous role model for military spouses," said Ms. Hoppes. "My grandmother had the patience of a saint. She stood by him (General Doolittle)throughout his life, usually beside him, but occasionally prodding from behind and sometimes in the lead. She was gentle, kind, intelligent, loving and equally determined."

Hundreds of letters written by Mrs. Doolittle to her husband, hours and hours of questioning her father about what it was really like and referencing numerous published articles and books about General Doolittle were all sources Ms. Hoppes relied on to write her book.

"I want to keep alive the memory of my grandparents as the people I knew," said Ms. Hoppes. "I also tour (with the book) to get as many veterans as possible to tell and record their story."

"I want to give back what they gave to us," said Wes Fields who often escorts Sergeant Horton to events like the one held here. "We have things in common, being that I was a gunnery sergeant too. I escort World War II veterans whenever I get the chance. It's an honor."

Sergeant Horton has been traveling with Mr. Fields for five years.

"The most significant story Ed (Sergeant Horton) will tell you about is flying more than 14 hours in the rainy dark sky out of gas and having to bail out," Mr. Fields said.

According to Ms. Hoppes, the planning and execution of the Tokyo raid was based on calculation and study, hence she gave her book the title "Calculated Risk."

"He (General Doolittle) was the master of calculated risk," said Ms. Hoppes. "Every man on that mission had a reason to believe that he had a good chance of returning home safely. Calculated Risk is a biography, journal of historical events, memoir and love story. It is a window to the public and private lives of Jimmy and Joe Doolittle as world citizens, parents and grandparents."

Meeting a "Raider"