General James H. "Jimmy" Doolittle - Grave of a Famous Person on Waymarking.com

James H. “Jimmy” Doolittle was born in Alameda, California on December 14, 1896. He developed an interest in aviation and was the first to fly a DH-4 from Pablo Beach, Florida to San Diego, California. He accomplished the feat in 21-hours and 19-minutes. During his career he held a number of speed records including the Schneider Cup for seaplane racers. A speed of 232 miles per hour was the fastest a seaplane had ever flown. He also received the Mackay Trophy for this feat. During his military career Jimmy Doolittle planned the first aerial raid on the Japanese Mainland. Doolittle not only planned the daring raid but also lead the mission which utilized 16 B25 bombers that originated from the U. S. S. Hornet. The mission began on April 18, 1942 and was highly successful resulting in attacks on Tokyo, Kobe, Osaka and Hagoya. Doolittle received the Medal of Honor for the planning and participation in this daring attack. During the war, Doolittle not only received the Medal of Honor, but also two Distinguished Service Medals, the Silver Star, three Distinguished Flying Crosses, Bronze Star, four Air Medals. In July 1942, as a brigadier general Doolittle was assigned to the 8th Air Force and in September became commanding general of the 12th Air Force in North Africa. He was promoted to major general in November and in March 1943 became commanding general of the North African Strategic Air Forces. He took command of the 15th Air Force in the Mediterranean Theater in November and from January 1944 to September 1945 he commanded the 8th Air Force in Europe and the Pacific through the end of the war. General Jimmy Doolittle retired from Air Force duty Feb. 28, 1959 but continued to serve his country as chairman of the board of Space Technology Laboratories. General Jimmy Doolittle died on September 27, 1993 at the age of 96. He is resting in Section 7 at Arlington National Cemetery.

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Description: James Harold Doolittle was born in Alameda, California, on December 14, 1896. He was educated in Nome, Alaska, Los Angeles Junior College, and spent a year at the University of California School of Mines. He enlisted as a flying cadet in the Signal Corps Reserve in October 1917 and trained at the School of Military Aeronautics, University of California and Rockwell Field Calif. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Signal Corps' Aviation Section March 11, 1918. He flew a DH-4, equipped with crude navigational instruments, in the first cross-country flight, from Pablo Beach, Fla., to San Diego, Calif., in 21 hours and 19 minutes. He made only one refueling stop at Kelly Field. The military gave him the Distinguished Flying Cross for this historic feat. In the same year he received his bachelor of arts degree from the University of California. He won the Schneider Cup Race - the World's Series of seaplane racing - in 1925, with an average speed of 232 miles per hour in a Curtiss Navy racer equipped with pontoons. This was the fastest a seaplane had ever flown, and Doolittle next year received the Mackay Trophy for this feat. In January 1930 he was adviser for the Army on the building of the Floyd Bennett Airport in New York City. Doolittle resigned his regular commission on February 15, 1930 and was commissioned a major in the Specialist Reserve Corps and a month later was named manager of the Aviation Department of the Shell Oil Company. He also went on active duty with the Army frequently to conduct tests, and in 1932 set the world's high speed record for land planes. He won the Bendix Trophy Race from Burbank Calif., to Cleveland in a Laird Biplane, and took the Thompson Trophy Race at Cleveland in a Gee Bee racer with a speed averaging 252 miles per hour. He returned active duty July 1, 1940 as a major and assistant district supervisor of the Central Air Corps Procurement District at Indianapolis and Detroit, where he worked with large auto manufacturers on the conversion of their plants for production of planes. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel Jan 2, 1942 and went to Headquarters Army Air Force to plan the first aerial raid on the Japanese homeland. He volunteered and received Gen. H.H. Arnold's approval to lead the attack of 16 B-25 medium bombers from the aircraft carrier Hornet, with targets in Tokyo, Kobe, Osaka, and Nagoya. The daring one-way mission April 18, 1942 electrified the world and gave America's war hopes a terrific lift. As did the others who participated in the mission, Doolittle had to bail out, but fortunately landed in a rice paddy in China near Chu Chow. Doolittle received the Medal of Honor, presented to him by President Roosevelt at the White House, for planning and leading this successful operation. In addition to the Medal of Honor, Doolittle also received two Distinguished Service Medals, the Silver Star, three Distinguished Flying Crosses, Bronze Star, four Air Medals, and decorations from Great Britain, France, Belgium, Poland, China and Ecuador. In July 1942, as a brigadier general - he had been advanced two grades the day after the Tokyo attack - Doolittle was assigned to the 8th Air Force and in September became commanding general of the 12th Air Force in North Africa. He was promoted to major general in November and in March 1943 became commanding general of the North African Strategic Air Forces. He took command of the 15th Air Force in the Mediterranean Theater in November and from January 1944 to September 1945 he commanded the 8th Air Force in Europe and the Pacific, until war's end, as a lieutenant general, the promotion date being March 13, 1944. On May 10, 1946 he reverted to inactive reserve status and returned to Shell Oil as a vice president and later a director. He retired from Air Force duty Feb. 28, 1959 but continued to serve his country as chairman of the board of Space Technology Laboratories. General Jimmy Doolittle died on September 27, 1993 at Date of birth: 12/14/1896 Date of death: 09/27/1993 Area of notoriety: Military Marker Type: Headstone Setting: Outdoor Visiting Hours/Restrictions: Daily - 8 a.m to 5 p.m. Fee required?: No Web site: [Web Link]

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