OT: 246 years ago tonight...

[BrewingFrog]

The Sons of Liberty in Boston received intelligence that the British were moving troops into the countryside. Arrangements were made to alert the populace...

https://www.paulreverehouse.org/the-real-story/

On the early morning of the 19th, the British troops marched into Lexington. Standing on the Green to oppose them were a line of Minutemen under the command of Captain John Parker. Seeing the British Regulars in full battle array, he said to his outnumbered men: “Stand your ground. Do not fire unless you are fired upon, but if they mean war, let it begin here.”

https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/lexington-and-concord-shot-heard-round-world

 

[PurpleBlood87]

The Sons of Liberty in Boston received intelligence that the British were moving troops into the countryside. Arrangements were made to alert the populace...

https://www.paulreverehouse.org/the-real-story/

On the early morning of the 19th, the British troops marched into Lexington. Standing on the Green to oppose them were a line of Minutemen under the command of Captain John Parker. Seeing the British Regulars in full battle array, he said to his outnumbered men: “Stand your ground. Do not fire unless you are fired upon, but if they mean war, let it begin here.”

https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/lexington-and-concord-shot-heard-round-world

Also on this day, 79 years ago 18 B-25 bombers launched from the USS Hornet and raided targets in Japan. It was the first airstrike on the Japanese home isles by the US.

 

[BrewingFrog]

That tale of Doolittle is just incredible. "One guy hung on the edge of a stall until we had nearly cataloged his effects."

 

[Paul in uhh]

The Sons of Liberty in Boston received intelligence that the British were moving troops into the countryside. Arrangements were made to alert the populace...

https://www.paulreverehouse.org/the-real-story/

On the early morning of the 19th, the British troops marched into Lexington. Standing on the Green to oppose them were a line of Minutemen under the command of Captain John Parker. Seeing the British Regulars in full battle array, he said to his outnumbered men: “Stand your ground. Do not fire unless you are fired upon, but if they mean war, let it begin here.”

https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/lexington-and-concord-shot-heard-round-world

Toxic males by modern standards, I am sure

 

[Hoosierfrog]

And just in, Generalissimo Franco is still dead...

 

[Paul in uhh]

That tale of Doolittle is just incredible. "One guy hung on the edge of a stall until we had nearly cataloged his effects."

This YouTube channel is great

 

[Sweat Equity]

When can I go outside again?

 

[Eight]

When can I go outside again?

are you in a civilized part of the country like texas?

 

[Hoosierfrog]

This YouTube channel is great

My dad knew Jimmy Doolittle. Doolittle was an exec with Shell Oil before the war and after. During the war my dad was refused service due to being an essential worker as an engineer at Shell. He assisted in carberation and octane manipulation on Raid engines. Years later after the war Doolittle came to California to visit the Ventura oil fields and noticed my dad’s name as the field engineer. My dad received word from HQ at Shell that he was to go to Vandenberg AFB to pick up someone. He had no clue. He was met at the gate by a general’s staff car at the gate with star flags on the bumper (he was still a reserve general). Doolittle got out and all 5’4” of him saluted my dad and said hi Jack, we’ll take your car (a 56 bright yellow Impala). My dad couldn’t believe he remembered him. Came by the house and helped with my little feet pajamas (I have only a vague recollection of a bald guy with a big smile). My dad said that really helped a bit with the embarrassment of being a a civilian during the war.

He told my dad he fully expected to be court marshaled for failing the mission (the video seems to really overstate the damage). The video also said they trained in Virginia, from what I was told they trained at Elgin in Florida. JD had them scratch out a runway in the swamp, measured off the length of a carrier deck, painted a line and trained until they could get up before hitting it. JD was stunned when he was told what a PR success the raid was.

Before he died my dad gave me the below letter.

 

[Eight]

My dad knew Jimmy Doolittle. Doolittle was an exec with Shell Oil before the war and after. During the war my dad was refused service due to being an essential worker as an engineer at Shell. He assisted in carberation and octane manipulation on Raid engines. Years later after the war Doolittle came to California visit the Ventura oil fields and noticed my dad’s name as the field engineer. My dad received word from HQ at Shell that he was to go to Vandenberg AFB to pick up someone. He had no clue. He was met at the gate by a general’s staff car at the gate with star flags on the bumper (he was still a reserve general). Doolittle got out and all 5’4” of him saluted my dad and said hi Jack, we’ll take your car (a 56 bright yellow Impala). My dad couldn’t believe he remembered him. Came by the house and helped with my little feet pajamas (I have only a vague recollection of a bald guy with a big smile). My dad said that helped a bit with being a a civilian during the war. Before he died my dad gave me the below letter. He told my dad he fully expected to be court marshaled for failing the mission (the video seems to really overstate the damage). JD was stunned when he was told what a PR success the raid was.

View attachment 8853 View attachment 8852

that is a very, kick arse brag and story.

 

[Hoosierfrog]

that is a very, kick arse brag and story.

Pride yes, brag hardly. I didn’t know him...

 

[Eight]

Pride yes, brag hardly. I didn’t know him...

didn't mean brag in a bad way, not many people have a link to any true history and your father's help with a matter such as this is something worth a brag

 

[Hoosierfrog]

didn't mean brag in a bad way, not many people have a link to any true history and your father's help with a matter such as this is something worth a brag

No offense taken. By the way that is an excellent book shown. JD was so much more than the raid. He turned around the ETO air war in WWII, his barn storming career, the first to fly blacked out by instruments only, etc. A lot of brave in a small package!

 

[BrewingFrog]

Pride yes, brag hardly. I didn’t know him...

In Doolittle's book, he describes a conversation after the wreckage of his plane is discovered. Doolittle and his crew trudged up some tall hills to the wreck, and as the men went through the plane to see if there was anything to recover that hadn't already been taken by the locals, he and his co-pilot sat down to survey the mission and result. I don't recall the entire passage, but it went very much like Doolittle being depressed that the whole thing was a failure, and that he'd probably be Court Martialed for losing all his planes. His co-pilot told him, "Sir, you got it all wrong. They're going to make you a General!"
The co-pilot was later killed in North Africa, if memory serves.
A "morale boost" was almost an understatement. By April '42, America and her allies had suffered defeat after defeat. Before the war, public opinion was that the Japanese were to be easily taken care of, and any war would be short and decisive. Thus, the unbroken string of bitter defeats, from Wake, to the Philippines, to the slow destruction of the ABDA fleet, the sinking of the Repulse and Prince of Wales, the fall of Singapore, and the long cruise of Kido Butai up to Ceylon to chew up a British fleet and their last forward base. The Japanese seemed invincible, and little was left in their way from cutting off Australia and breaking the long lifeline of support to the Southwest Pacific.

 

[Hoosierfrog]

In Doolittle's book, he describes a conversation after the wreckage of his plane is discovered. Doolittle and his crew trudged up some tall hills to the wreck, and as the men went through the plane to see if there was anything to recover that hadn't already been taken by the locals, he and his co-pilot sat down to survey the mission and result. I don't recall the entire passage, but it went very much like Doolittle being depressed that the whole thing was a failure, and that he'd probably be Court Martialed for losing all his planes. His co-pilot told him, "Sir, you got it all wrong. They're going to make you a General!"
The co-pilot was later killed in North Africa, if memory serves.
A "morale boost" was almost an understatement. By April '42, America and her allies had suffered defeat after defeat. Before the war, public opinion was that the Japanese were to be easily taken care of, and any war would be short and decisive. Thus, the unbroken string of bitter defeats, from Wake, to the Philippines, to the slow destruction of the ABDA fleet, the sinking of the Repulse and Prince of Wales, the fall of Singapore, and the long cruise of Kido Butai up to Ceylon to chew up a British fleet and their last forward base. The Japanese seemed invincible, and little was left in their way from cutting off Australia and breaking the long lifeline of support to the Southwest Pacific.

If you watch closely at the old film of the carrier launch one guy failed to put his flaps down and almost ditched, slowly rising from below the bow. Also, a sailor lost an arm as the props spun up!

 

[Moose Stuff]

The Sons of Liberty in Boston received intelligence that the British were moving troops into the countryside. Arrangements were made to alert the populace...

https://www.paulreverehouse.org/the-real-story/

On the early morning of the 19th, the British troops marched into Lexington. Standing on the Green to oppose them were a line of Minutemen under the command of Captain John Parker. Seeing the British Regulars in full battle array, he said to his outnumbered men: “Stand your ground. Do not fire unless you are fired upon, but if they mean war, let it begin here.”

https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/lexington-and-concord-shot-heard-round-world

scheiss the British.

 

[Limp Lizard]

Well, I guess having a 5'10" Spencer Tracy play a 5'4" Doolittle is not as bad as a 6'2' Peter O'toole play a 5'5" T. E. Lawrence. It was only years ago I found out Lawrence was that short.
I guess if they make a movie of my pale-skinned, blue-eyed, 5'7" self, they can use Dwayne Johnson to play me.

 

[Hoosierfrog]

Well, I guess having a 5'10" Spencer Tracy play a 5'4" Doolittle is not as bad as a 6'2' Peter O'toole play a 5'5" T. E. Lawrence. It was only years ago I found out Lawrence was that short.
I guess if they make a movie of my pale-skinned, blue-eyed, 5'7" self, they can use Dwayne Johnson to play me.

or Alec Baldwin playing Doolittle in a recent movie. They look so much alike...

 

[HToady]

scheiss the British.

Do you know why we drive on the right and the British drive on the left?

Many centuries ago it was common to pass on the left, mainly because most yielded their sword with their right hand making it more advantageous when coming into contact with an adversary.
During the Revolutionary War, Ben Franklin spent an large amount of time in Paris soliciting financial and military support from the French. At the end of the war Washington, Jefferson, and Franlkin, with hatred towards the English met to eliminate "all things British" from American law. Ben Frankiln suggested, "Why do we all speak French?" (which Franklin already did).
Jefferson and Washington looked at each other and said, "screw that, let's just drive on the right!"

 

[frogs9497]

A couple of years ago we visited Lexington and Concord. To think of all the events that transpired in the very place we were standing was a little mind-boggling. If you’re in Boston and have time, check them out.