FACTS ABOUT JIMMY DOOLITTLE

1. James Doolittle was born on Dec. 14, 1896. He saw his first plane at age 14 and was bitten by the aviation bug.  He started making homemade gliders.  He left college in 1917 to enlist in the Army Signal Corps Reserve as a flying cadet.  He spent WWI in America as a flying instructor.
2. He became famous in the 1920’s as an aviation pioneer and air racer. In 1922, he was the first to fly across the continent (Florida to California).  He made one stop for refueling and finished in 21 hours and 19 minutes.  He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.  In 1925, he set a world record when he won the Schneider Cup at 232 MPH.  In 1927, he became the first human to perform an outside loop.  In 1931, he reduced the transcontinental record to less than 12 hours.  In 1932, he set the speed record at 296 MPH.
3. In the 1920’s, he got his doctorate from MIT. He was the first to get a doctorate in aeronautical engineering.
4. He participated in Billy Mitchell’s bombing of German battleships to prove the effectiveness of air power.
5. On Sept. 24, 1929, he greatly advanced aviation safety by making the first “blind flight”. He took off and landed without being to see outside the cockpit. He proved you could do this using only instruments.
6. In 1940, with American involvement in WWII approaching, he convinced friend Hap Arnold to put him back on active duty. He was given command of the mission to bomb Tokyo using army bombers flying off an aircraft carrier.  He convinced Arnold to let him lead the mission.  He was awarded the Medal of Honor for what became known as the Doolittle Raid.  He was given a rare two rank promotion from Lt. Col. to Brigadier General.
7. He commanded the 12^th Air Force in North Africa, the 15^th in the Mediterranean, and then the 8^th Air Force in Great Britain. He made the decision to untie the fighters from the bombers.  His P-47s and P-51s were allowed to engage enemy fighters to shoot them down.  This led to air superiority over the Western Front.
8. After the war, he returned to Shell Oil company, but served in various capacities for the government. He supported the development of the space program and worked with Robert Goddard on rocket development.
9. In 1989, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Pres. George H.W. Bush. He was the first to receive both the Medal of Honor and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.  He and Douglas MacArthur are the only Americans to have the Medal of Honor and a knighthood from Great Britain.

https://gazette665.com/2018/09/21/10-things-to-know-about-general-jimmy-doolittle/

https://biography.yourdictionary.com/james-harold-doolittle

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Doolittle