Anybody read a book called "The First Heroes" by Craig Nelson? I picked it up last night on a whim at B&N. After reading the reviews on Amazon this morning however, it appears that it may be factually 'messy'.

Anyone?



Now the thing that I call livin' is just bein' satisfied with knowin' I got no one else to blame

4 Aggies on that raid!!!!!

Read "I Could Never Be So Lucky Again" by Doolittle himself. You won't regret it. Pretty sure it's still in print.

Just 4? I thought I counted 5 at one time. One was Doolittle's 2nd in command, was he not?

There is a web site out there with the Bios....I'll have to admit there were a couple of teasips on the Raid, as well.



Have to admit the only book I've read is "30 Seconds..."

believe one was in reserve and didn't go on the raid. Are you sure about the sips? I had gone over the list and don't remember any.

My brother flew P38s in New Guinea 42-44 - 110 missions - went to Tu.

"Texas Aggies Go to War" has a pretty good run-down on the Aggie Doolittle Raiders. Robert Gray of Killeen was one and was killed later in the war. Robert Gray Army Airfield is named after him. Robert Mitchum played him in the movie "Thirty Seconds over Tokyo".

BigJim-

Here's the web site I was using:

http://www.doolittleraider.com/

William N. Fitzhugh, 0-421067, Major
Co-Pilot Crew 2
Graduated from University of Texas

Robert Manning Gray, 0-403862, Captain
Pilot Crew 3
Completed two years of college.

Rodney Ross "Hoss" Wilder, 0-421149, Colonel
Co-Pilot Crew 5
Attended University of Texas and Southwestern University

James M. Parker, Jr. 0-421128, Major
Co-Pilot Crew 9
Attended Lon Morris Junior College and Texas A&M College

John A. Hilger, 0-20437, Brigadier General
Pilot Crew 14
Graduated from Sherman High School in June, 1926 and attended Texas A&M College, College Station Texas, graduating with a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1932.


Air Force Personnel Aboard Hornet
But Not on Raid

Bates, James P., Lt., Pilot
Belk, Samuel M., Lt., Bombardier
Beth, Warren A., Lt., Navigator
Bondurant, Wiley M., Lt., Navigator
Brown, Daniel W., Lt., Bombardier
Daniel, Heston C., Lt., Pilot
Hackney, Robert M., Lt., Co-Pilot
Hartzell, Bert H., Lt., Navigator
Hinman, Harvey M., Lt., Pilot
Johnson, Harry, Jr., Maj., Liaison Officer
Keller, Louis E., Lt, Co-Pilot
Klein, Joseph R., Lt., Co-Pilot
Malmstrom, Arvid E., Lt., Co-Pilot
Mathews, James D., Lt., Navigator
Roloson, Glen C., Lt., Co-Pilot
Sabotka, Henry J., Lt., Co-Pilot
Stinzi, Vernon L., Capt., Pilot
Sullenger, Charles H., Lt., Navigator


Don't know who all the Ags were, but there are several men listed on the web site (including many from Texas) about whom it merely says "attended college" and doesn't name the school.

Canyon, Gray 41, Fitzhugh 36, Parker41 and Hilger 35 were on the raid. Aggies Go To War - Dethloff page 117.

Roloson 40 was in reserve I believe.

Using the doolittleraider.com site, Wilder is listed as attending Tu and Southwestern.

I am almost sure that the site is wrong about FitZ. His name has in every source I have seen been shown as an Aggie.

So I was wrong about Wilder. My brother flew 110 missions from New Guinea - Tu grad - so I respect any tsip who served for sure!

I would accept Dethloff's book before a web site. Many of the men listed are from Texas and it simply says "attended college", but who knows where.

Regarding Fitzhugh, I'm not surprised a Yankee would screw up "Texas" and "Texas A&M".