1994_04 The Daily Collegian April 1994

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THE COLLEGIAN
Friday, April 22,1994
Cdlifrnn
WWII hero
remembered
By Tim Springer
THECOLLEGIAN
This last weekend, April 16 and 17,1 had the
privilege of attending the 52nd reunion of the "Origi¬
nal Doolittle Raiders.'* The event, which took place at
the United Express area at the Fresno Air Terminal, is
one that I will not soon forget.
To describe the experience of meeting with a
number of these men and interviewing them was, to
say the least, an honor. Their warm and welcoming
spirits were a tribute to them and a credit to all who
served in World War n.
For those who do not know, it was Jimmy Doolittle
and 79 other young men, who participated" in a bomb¬
ing raid, flying B-25 Mitchell Bombers, on Tokyo and
other Japanese cities just a few short months after the
attack on Pearl Harbor December 7,1941.
The Doolittle raid helped lift the flagging spirits of
this country and sent a message that "passed like a
shiver over Japan" that the Imperial Japanese Empire
was indeed vulnerable to attack by the American
forces^
This attack by Doolittle's 16 B-25s was a portent of
things to come later in the war, when a much larger
plane, the B-29 Superfortress, would indeed rain death
and destruction down on Japan. This raid also sent a
clear message that a society of free people can be
resourceful and, when angered, cannot be defeated by
the likes of Tojo, Hitler, or Mussolini. ] **
These young men, like their commander, Jimmy
Doolittle, were in many ways just ordinary American
Joes who, in the words of Admiral William Halsey
said, "There are no great men, just great challenges,
which ordinary men like you and I are forced by
circumstances to face*"^       \    ,
Halsey was right. There are no great men in and of
themselves, it is their deeds that make them great and
what a deed that raid was.
These men came room all over the United States,
from California, the Mid-West, the South, the North
East; they came from the farms, the small towns, the
factory towns and large metropolitan cities, they came
from the fabric of American society. They reflected a
faith in the greatness of this country, even with its
problems, and as such, strove to keep this country
free. . rL^Jr si
It is to these men, because of their sacrifices, and
those who served either on the battle field or on the
home front, that we, the present generation, owe our
freedom and essentially everything we hold dear.
It is with a heavy heart that I realize that these men,
along with all of the other people of their generation
are passing from the scene all to quickly.
Seventy-one of the original raiders sipived
through World War II and went on to contribute, to the
greatness of this country. General Doolittle passed
away last September. At present there only 33 surviv¬
ing members, less than half of the original 80. This
makes it incumbent on us, the present generations, to
remember these men and their deeds and not to forget
what they accomplished. This will especially be true
after the last ol the raiders has passed from the scene.
Fifty-two years has passed, as of April 18, |ince
that fateful day when Doolittle and his men took off
from the Aircraft Carrier Hornet and flew in to the
pages of history. Their heroism and courage will
always stand as a testimony to them and as an inspira¬
tion to everyone of us.
It is to them that this column is dedicated. I salute
you men, one and all.
Llt^Y.... (roM« tWr le ill Psort*....
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Column
Is it really 8 a.m.? Back off
By Usa Dorman-Stubbs
THECOLLEGIAN
I was driving down First
Street on my way to work
and the rising sun was
blinding me out of the comer
of my eye. I stopped at a red
light and stared in disbelief at
the driver going through the
intersection in front of me.
He was smiling — before
8 a.m. in the morning.
I hate mornings. I really
do.
It wasn't always that way.
Wheli I was a kid, I was up
every day before the crack of
dawn, doing homework and
watching "The Three
Stooges.'*
But at some point — I
think during my first year of
college — my body's inter¬
nal alarm clock did a total
about-face. Maybe it was all
those wild parties or the late
nights up talking until dawn
with friends in the dorms, I
don't really remember which.
I try hard not to sign up for
any classes that start before 9
a.m.; I know better than to set
myself up for that kind of
failure.    *
I worked the graveyard
shift at a restaurant for ^
several years. Some grave¬
yard people complain about
having trouble falling asleep
when the sun is shining.
They do things such as
nailing a blanket over their
bedroom window to keep out
thelighL
But I never had any
problem with thaL By
contrast, I had more trouble     *
See COLUMN, page 3
THE COLLEGIAN
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