His name was James Harold Doolittle, but to most Americans in the first half of the 20th century, he was just “Jimmy” – Jimmy Doolittle. He was born seven years before the Wright brothers’ first powered flight and then became a true renaissance man of aviation – a dare devil test pilot and racer, a war hero, a military commander, a corporate executive and a presidential advisor. In aviation circles, he was known as the “master of the calculated risk” because he always considered every risk involved in flying in addition to each of his other undertakings. His record truly includes many difficult to believe achievements, although he is best known for leading the Doolittle Raid over Tokyo in April of 1942.
The presentation, sponsored by the American Legion Post 88, will discuss Doolittle’s varied career as well as summarize the airmen in the famed Doolittle Raiders. It will be presented by Frank T. Stritter, a Professor Emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a member of American Legion Post 88 in Cazenovia.