Riverside in Montgomery County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Doolittle Tokyo Raiders
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., December 4, 2009
1. Doolittle Tokyo Raiders Memorial
On 18 April 1942, Lt. Colonel James H. Doolittle led a successful bombing mission of military targets in principal cities of Japan along with 79 airmen of the U.S. Army Air Forces flying 16 B-25 Mitchell land-based bombers. They took off from the U.S. Navy carrier Hornet and accomplished a feat believed impossible at this time.
The raid was not without casualties. The Carrier Task Force was intercepted by a Japanese picket boat and takeoff was made earlier than planned. Increased distance and head winds caused 15 aircraft to arrive over China in darkness and bad weather . All crews bailed out or ditched. One crewman died on bailout; two drowned. One B-25, low on fuel, headed for Russia and landed near Vladivostok where crew and aircraft were interned for 14 months.
Eight men were captured by the Japanese; three were executed by firing squad; and one died of beri-beri and malnutrion. The remaining four survived nearly 40 months of imprisonment until released by American troops in August 1945.
The major results of the Doolittle-led raid were fourfold. First the material damage, second was the severe psychological shock to the Japanese and a great boost to American morale. Third, Japanese land, sea, and air forces were recalled to protect the Japanese homeland; and fourth the battle of Midway was directly precipitated by the raid.
The mission is considered a classic in the annals of aerial warfare because of the daring use of Army land-based bombers from a carrier in joint operations with the Navy.
Takeoff No. 1 Bail Out, China
P Lt Col James H. Doolittle Cp Lt Richard E. Cole N Lt Henry A. Potter B S/Sgt Fred A.Braemer Eg S/Sgt Paul J. Leonard
Takeoff No. 2 Crash Landed, China
P Lt Travis Hoover Cp Lt William N. Fitzhugh N Lt Carl N. Wildner B Lt Richard E. Miller Eg Sgt Douglas V. Radney
Takeoff No. 3 Bail Out, China
P
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Takeoff No. 4 Bail Out, China
P Lt Everett W. Holstrom Cp Lt Lucian N. Youngblood N Lt Harry C. McCool B Sgt Robert J. Stephens Eg Cpl Bert M. Jordan
Takeoff No. 5 Bail Out, China
P Capt David M. Jones Cp Lt Rodney R. Wilder N Lt Eugene F. McGurl B Lt Denver V. Truelove Eg Sgt Joseph W. Manske
Takeoff No. 6 Ditched Off China Coast
P Lt Dean E. Hallmark Cp Lt Robert J. Meder N Lt Chase J. Nielsen B Sgt William J. Dieter Eg Sgt Donald E. Fitzmaurice
Takeoff No. 7 Crash Landed, China Coast
P Lt Ted W. Lawson Cp Lt Dean Davenport N Lt Charles L. McClure B Lt Robert S. Clever Eg Sgt David J. Thatcher
Takeoff No. 8 Landed In Russia Interned
P Capt Edward J. York Cp Lt Robert G. Emmens Nb Lt Nolan A. Herndon E S/Sgt Theodore H. Laban G Sgt David W. Pohl
Takeoff No. 9 Bail Out, China
P Lt Harold F. Watson Cp Lt James M. Parker Jr N Lt Thomas C. Griffin B Sgt Wayne M. Bissell Eg T/Sgt Eldred V. Scott
Takeoff No. 10 Bail Out, China
P Lt Richard O. Joyce Cp Lt J. Royden
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., December 4, 2009
2. Doolittle Tokyo Raiders Memorial
Takeoff No. 11 Bail Out, China
P Capt C. Ross Greening Cp Lt Kenneth E. Reddy N Lt Frank A. Kappeler B S/Sgt William L. Birch Eg Sgt Melvin J. Gardner
Takeoff No. 12 Bail Out, China
P Lt William M. Bower Cp Lt Thadd H. Blanton N Lt William R. Pound B T/Sgt Waldo J. Bither Eg S/Sgt Omer A. Duquette
Takeoff No. 13 Bail Out, China
P Lt Edgar E. McElroy Cp Lt Richard A. Knobloch N Lt Clayton J. Campbell B Sgt Robert C. Bourgeois Eg Sgt Adam R. Williams
Takeoff No. 14 Bail Out, China
P Maj John A. Hilger Cp Lt Jack A. Sims Nb Lt James H. Macia Jr E S/Sgt Jacob Eierman G S/Sgt Edwin V. Bain
Takeoff No. 15 Ditched Off China Coast
P Lt Donald G. Smith Cp Lt Griffith P. Williams Nb Lt Howard A. Sessler E Sgt Edward J. Saylor G Lt Thomas R. White MD
Takeoff No. 16 Bail Out China
P Lt William G. Farrow Cp Lt Robert L. Hite N Lt George Barr B Cpl Jacob D. Deshazer Eg Sgt Harold A. Spatz
P -Pilot Cp -Co-Pilot N -Navigator B -Bombardier Nb -Navigator-Bombardier E -Engineer G -Gunner Eg -Engineer-Gunner
Erected by Doolittle
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., December 4, 2009
3. Doolittle Tokyo Raiders Emblem
Topics. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Fraternal or Sororal Organizations • Patriots & Patriotism • War, World II. A significant historical date for this entry is April 18, 1942.
Location. 39° 46.802′ N, 84° 6.71′ W. Memorial is in Riverside, Ohio, in Montgomery County. It can be reached from Spaatz Street. Marker (Memorial #84) is in the Memorial Park of the National Museum of the United States Air Force, with museum access off Springfield Street. Touch for map. Memorial is at or near this postal address: 1100 Spaatz Street, Dayton OH 45431, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this memorial is in Ohio’s Dayton Metro and in the Miami Valley. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker:
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., December 4, 2009
4. Doolittle Tokyo Raiders Memorial Artwork
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker.
Also see . . .
1. Doolittle Raid. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on August 29, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
2. Last of the Doolittle Raiders dies in San Antonio. My SA website entry, April 9, 2019:
Dick Cole, the last of the legendary Doolittle Raiders who boosted American morale with a daring air raid on Japan in the fifth month of World War II, died Tuesday morning in San Antonio at 103. (Submitted on August 29, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., December 4, 2009
5. Doolittle Raiders Marker Key
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., December 4, 2009
6. Raiders Takeoff No. 1 Bail Out, China
CP Lt Richard E. Cole
N Lt Henry A. Potter
B S/Sgt Fred A. Braemer
EG S/Sgt Paul J. Leonard
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., December 4, 2009
7. Raiders Takeoff No. 2 Crash Landed, China
CP Lt William N. Fitzhugh
N Lt Carl N. Wildner
B Lt Richard E. Miller
EG Sgt Douglas V. Radney
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., December 4, 2009
8. Raiders Takeoff No. 3 Bail Out, China
CP Lt Jacob E. Manch
N Lt Charles J. Ozuk Jr
B Sgt Aden E. Jones
EG Cpl Leland D. Faktor
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., December 4, 2009
9. Raiders Takeoff No. 4 Bail Out, China
CP Lt Lucian N. Youngblood
N Lt Harry C. McCool
B Sgt Robert J. Stephens
EG Cpl Bert M. Jordan
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., December 4, 2009
10. Raiders Takeoff No. 5 Bail Out, China
CP Lt Rodney R. Wilder
N Lt Eugene F. McGurl
B Lt Denver V. Truelove
EG Sgt Joseph W. Manske
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., December 4, 2009
11. Raiders Takeoff No. 6 Ditched Off China Coast
CP Lt Robert J. Meder
N Lt Chase J. Nielsen
B Sgt William J. Dieter
EG Sgt Donald E. Fitzmaurice
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., December 4, 2009
12. Raiders Takeoff No. 7 Crash Landed, China Coast
CP Lt Dean Davenport
N Lt Charles L. McClure
B Lt Robert S. Clever
EG Sgt David J. Thatcher
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., December 4, 2009
13. Raiders Takeoff No. 8 Landed in Russia Interned
CP Lt Robert G. Emmens
NB Lt Nolan A. Herndon
E S/Sgt Theodore H. Laban
G Sgt David W. Pohl
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., December 4, 2009
14. Raiders Takeoff No. 9 Bail Out, China
CP Lt James M. Parker Jr
N Lt Thomas C. Griffin
B Sgt Wayne M. Bissell
EG T/Sgt Eldred V. Scott
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., December 4, 2009
15. Raiders Takeoff No. 10 Bail Out, China
CP Lt J. Royden Stork
NB Lt Horace E. Crouch
E Sgt George E. Larkin
G S/Sgt Edwin W. Horton Jr
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., December 4, 2009
16. Raiders Takeoff No. 11 Bail Out, China
CP Lt Kenneth E. Reddy
N Lt Frank A. Kappeler
B S/Sgt William L. Birch
EG Sgt Melvin J. Gardner
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., December 4, 2009
17. Raiders Takeoff No. 12 Bail Out, China
CP Lt Thadd H. Blanton
N Lt William R. Pound
B T/Sgt Waldo J. Bither
EG S/Sgt Omer A. Duquette
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., December 4, 2009
18. Raiders Takeoff No. 13 Bail Out, China
CP Lt Richard A. Knobloch
N Lt Clayton J. Campbell
B Sgt Robert C. Bourgeois
EG Sgt Adam R. Williams
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., December 4, 2009
19. Raiders Takeoff No. 14 Bail Out, China
CP Lt Jack A. Sims
NB Lt James H. Macia Jr
E S/Sgt Jacob Eierman
G S/Sgt Edwin V. Bain
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., December 4, 2009
20. Raiders Takeoff No. 15 Ditched Off China Coast
CP Lt Griffith P. Williams
NB Lt Howard A. Sessler
E Sgt Edward J. Saylor
G Lt Thomas R. White MD
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., December 4, 2009
21. Raiders Takeoff No. 16 Bail Out China
CP Lt Robert L. Hite
N Lt George Barr
B Cpl Jacob D. DeShazer
EG Sgt Harold A. Spatz
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr.
22. NMUSAF Memorial Park Sign
Memorial Park map and marker listing
Click for more information.
Click for more information.
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., April 18, 2006
23. 64th Anniversary Doolittle Tokyo Raiders Reunion
via Wikipedia, April 1942
24. Lt. Col. James "Jimmy" Doolittle performs a full-throttle takeoff from the USS Hornet
Photographed by Craig Doda, June 28, 2025
25. Doolittle Tokyo Raiders Marker
Photographed by Craig Doda, June 28, 2025
26. Doolittle Tokyo Raiders Marker
Photographed by Craig Doda, June 28, 2025
27. Doolittle Tokyo Raiders Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on September 19, 2025. It was originally submitted on February 17, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 2,269 times since then and 85 times this year. Last updated on August 27, 2025, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21. submitted on February 17, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. 22. submitted on December 28, 2009, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. 23. submitted on March 22, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. 24. submitted on August 29, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. 25, 26, 27. submitted on August 27, 2025, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
