Jimmy Doolittle facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dr. James Harold Doolittle
Lt Gen. James Doolittle
Nickname(s)	"Jimmy"
Born	(1896-12-14)December 14, 1896 Alameda, California
Died	September 27, 1993(1993-09-27) (aged 96) Pebble Beach, California
Place of burial	Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Air Force United States Army Air Forces United States Army Air Corps United States Army Air Service Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps
Years of service	1917–1959
Rank	General
Commands held	Twelfth Air Force Fifteenth Air Force Eighth Air Force
Battles/wars	Mexican Border Service World War I (Stateside Duty) World War II *Pacific Campaign **Doolittle Raid *Mediterranean Campaign *European Campaign Cold War *Korean War (Stateside Duty)
Awards	Medal of Honor Distinguished Service Medal (2) Silver Star Distinguished Flying Cross (3) Air Medal (4)
Other work	Shell Oil, VP, Director Space Technology Laboratories, Chairman

General/Doctor James Harold "Jimmy" Doolittle, USAF (December 14, 1896 – September 27, 1993) was an American aviation pioneer. Doolittle served as an officer in the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War. He earned the Medal of Honor for his valor and leadership as commander of the Doolittle Raid while a lieutenant colonel.

Early life and education

Doolittle was born in Alameda, California. He spent his youth in Nome, Alaska where he earned a reputation as a boxer. His parents were Frank Henry Doolittle and Rosa (Rose) Cerenah Shephard. By 1910, Jimmy Doolittle was attending school in Los Angeles. When his school attended the 1910 Los Angeles International Air Meet at Dominguez Field Doolittle saw his first airplane. He attended Los Angeles City College after graduating from Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles. He later won admission to the University of California, Berkeley where he studied in The School of Mines. He was a member of Theta Kappa Nu fraternity. Doolittle took a leave of absence in October 1917 to enlist in the Signal Corps Reserve as a flying cadet. He did his ground training at the University of California School of Military Aeronautics where he later received his doctorate. His flight-training was done at Rockwell Field, California. Doolittle received his Reserve Military Aviator rating. He was commissioned a first lieutenant in the Signal Officers Reserve Corps on March 11, 1918.

Honors and awards

Military honors

Other honors

Doolittle was also awarded the Bolivian Order of the Condor of the Andes, now in the collection of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

In 1972 James H. Doolittle was awarded the Horatio Alger Award which is given to those who are dedicated community leaders who demonstrate individual initiative and a commitment to excellence; as exemplified by remarkable achievements accomplished through honesty, hard work, self-reliance and perseverance over adversity. The Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc. bears the name of the renowned author Horatio Alger, Jr., whose tales of overcoming adversity through unyielding perseverance and basic moral principles captivated the public in the late 19th century.

In April 1985, Doolittle was awarded a fourth star making him a full ranked general. He received the award from President Ronald Reagan and U.S. Senator Barry M. Goldwater.

The Society of Experimental Test Pilots annually presents the James H. Doolittle Award in his memory. The award is for "outstanding accomplishment in technical management or engineering achievement in aerospace technology".

The city of Doolittle, Missouri, located 5 miles west of Rolla was named in his honor after World War II.

In popular culture

• Spencer Tracy played Doolittle in Mervyn LeRoy's 1944 movie Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo. This portrayal has received much praise.
• Alec Baldwin played Doolittle in Michael Bay's 2001 movie Pearl Harbor. This portrayal caused much outrage amongst those who knew the general.
• Bob Clampett's 1946 cartoon Baby Bottleneck briefly portrays a dog named "Jimmy Do-quite-a-little", who invents a failed rocketship.

Related pages

• List of Medal of Honor recipients for World War II

Bibliography

ISBN: 0-88740-737-4

Images for kids

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  Doolittle on his Curtiss R3C-2 Racer, the plane in which he won the 1925 Schneider Trophy Race

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  Doolittle in a pre-World War II photo

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  Bust of General Doolittle at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford

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  1932, flying for the Hoover League

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  Then-Lt. Col. James H. Doolittle, USAAF (2nd left), and his Crew just before takeoff for the mission. From left to right: Lt. Henry A. Potter, navigator; Doolittle, pilot; SSgt. Fred A. Braemer, bombardier; Lt. Richard E. Cole, copilot; SSgt. Paul J. Leonard, flight engineer/gunner. On USS Hornet (CV-8), 18 April 1942.

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  Lt. Col. Doolittle (front), leader of the raiding force, wires a Japanese medal to a 500-pound bomb during ceremonies on the flight deck of USS Hornet (CV-8), shortly before his force of sixteen B-25B bombers took off to bomb Japan. The planes were launched on April 18, 1942.

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  Exhibit at USAF Museum depicting a B-25B Mitchell in preparation for the Doolittle Raid.

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  Lt. Gen. Jimmy Doolittle (left) with Maj. Gen. Curtis LeMay (right), standing between tail booms of a Lockheed P-38 Lightning in Britain, 1944

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  Personalized photo of then-Major General Jimmy Doolittle

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  Doolittle is awarded a fourth star, pinned on by President Ronald Reagan (left) and Senator Barry Goldwater (right), April 10, 1985.

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  Doolittle photographed in 1986