Doolittle Raid: America's Bold Revenge for Pearl Harbor

Following the Japanese assault on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt referred to it as a "day that will live in infamy," which prompted Congress to declare war on the Axis Powers. Army Lieutenant Colonel James H. Doolittle orchestrated a bombing mission involving 16 B-25 bombers launched from the USS Hornet. In April 1942, these bombers targeted Tokyo, Nagoya, Yokohama, Kobe, and Yokosuka. Although the damage was minimal, the operation significantly uplifted Allied spirits and revealed weaknesses in Japanese defenses. Most crews ended up crash-landing in China; some were rescued, while others faced capture, with three executed. Doolittle was awarded the Medal of Honor and later led various Air Forces before retiring in 1985, passing away in September 1993.