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cheap beats by dre Raids on Tokyo boosted U.S. mor
A group of us sat in the darkened Norwich theater as the film we were about to see began its projection on the screen.
All of us were too young for the service in World War II, but we had already heard what we were about to see. Most of us had read in the Norwich Bulletin about the bombers that flew to Japan to inflict damage to the cities there. All of us were still in grade school when that event took place in April 1942. That mission was in response to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7,cheap beats by dre, 1941.
Now, as we sat there watching the film Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo, most of us were unaware that the film was based on a book written by Capt. Ted Lawson, one of the pilots on that mission. Later, we learned that the film, one of four produced in the 1940s related to the raid, was judged as the most accurate and least fictionalized of all the films. The critics considered the film inspirational with integrity and dramatic eloquence. Later that year, the film received an Academy Award for special effects.
In the film,monster headphones, actor Van Johnson portrayed Ted Lawson and Spencer Tracy starred as Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle. The top secret mission was planned and conducted by the colonel, and the selected targets were successfully bombed.
To give us a small understanding of the courage shown by each of the 80 men who opted for the mission, consider this: The B-25 Mitchell medium bombers were not designed to take off with less than a 500-foot runway. However, the planes were modified and took off from an aircraft carrier with less than the prescribed runway length,dr dre headphones, which had never been done before. In addition, the volunteers would have enough fuel to complete the mission but not to return. They would have to continue to China for safe passage.
Doolittle, 46, flew the lead plane off the carrier, USS Hornet. The bottom line was as follows: Four planes crashed landed, 11 crews bailed out, three raiders were killed, eight were captured, and three were executed. One crew made it to Russia. Sixty-two raiders survived the war and were celebrated as heroes in their homeland.
In retrospect,beats by dre, that raid s impact was clear. It showed our then enemy that their home islands were now vulnerable to American attacks.
Beginning in 1946,beats headphones, reunions have been held in a different location each year in April to commemorate the April 1942 raid. In interviews, men felt lucky to survive the mission and were proud to help a wounded nation s morale after the attack at Pearl Harbor. The fliers also felt it was important to keep the legacy alive because it is worth retelling.
A group of us sat in the darkened Norwich theater as the film we were about to see began its projection on the screen.
All of us were too young for the service in World War II, but we had already heard what we were about to see. Most of us had read in the Norwich Bulletin about the bombers that flew to Japan to inflict damage to the cities there. All of us were still in grade school when that event took place in April 1942. That mission was in response to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.
Now, as we sat there watching the film Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo, most of us were unaware that the film was based on a book written by Capt. Ted Lawson, one of the pilots on that mission. Later, we learned that the film, one of four produced in the 1940s related to the raid, was judged as the most accurate and least fictionalized of all the films. The critics considered the film inspirational with integrity and dramatic eloquence. Later that year, the film received an Academy Award for special effects.
In the film, actor Van Johnson portrayed Ted Lawson and Spencer Tracy starred as Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle. The top secret mission was planned and conducted by the colonel, and the selected targets were successfully bombed.
To give us a small understanding of the courage shown by each of the 80 men who opted for the mission, consider this: The B-25 Mitchell medium bombers were not designed to take off with less than a 500-foot runway. However,beats headphones A long-ago war, a missing plane a, the planes were modified and took off from an aircraft carrier with less than the prescribed runway length, which had never been done before. In addition, the volunteers would have enough fuel to complete the mission but not to return. They would have to continue to China for safe passage.
Doolittle, 46, flew the lead plane off the carrier, USS Hornet. The bottom line was as follows: Four planes crashed landed, 11 crews bailed out, three raiders were killed, eight were captured, and three were executed. One crew made it to Russia. Sixty-two raiders survived the war and were celebrated as heroes in their homeland.
In retrospect, that raid s impact was clear. It showed our then enemy that their home islands were now vulnerable to American attacks.
Beginning in 1946,beats headphones Golden Eagles rebound to salvage, reunions have been held in a different location each year in April to commemorate the April 1942 raid. In interviews, men felt lucky to survive the mission and were proud to help a wounded nation s morale after the attack at Pearl Harbor. The fliers also felt it was important to keep the legacy alive because it is worth retelling.
But, the reunion held a few weeks ago at Florida s Fort Walton Beach, where the crews first trained 71 years ago, sadly, will be the last. Only four men, all in their 90s, attended that one, and they decided it was time to formally end the reunions, at least publicly. The men have decided among themselves to meet privately later sometime this year. It is there they will raise their glasses in a toast to those comrades who have gone.
Historically Speaking, which appears Sundays, presents short historical stories written by Richard Curland of the Norwich Historical Society in cooperation with society president Bill Champagne. Call the society at (860) 886-1776. |
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