Published: 1 September 2008
Air & Space Power
Journal - Fall 2008
The First Heroes: The Extraordinary Story of the Doolittle Raid—America’s
First World War II Victory by Craig Nelson. Penguin Group (http://us.penguingroup.com),
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, 2003, 448 pages, $16.00 (softcover).
The First Heroes relates the epic journey of the Doolittle Raiders, offering a
thorough and encompassing account of a daring mission to attack the Japanese
homeland. Including testimonies from American crew members, Japanese soldiers,
and civilians affected by this raid, this book presents the entire picture,
unlike many other accounts. Chronologically outlining American and Japanese
history since the end of World War I, author Craig Nelson plots the course of
each country until their forces finally meet at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941.
Discussing the planning, coordinating, and controlling of Lt Col James H.
Doolittle’s top-secret mission with painstaking detail, he provides biographical
information about each pilot, navigator, bombardier, copilot, and gunner in this
task force—including an extensive biography of Doolittle himself. In the
process, Nelson succeeds in giving readers a sense of personal attachment to
these men; he also addresses the current attitudes and emotions of the American
public, military, and government, as well as the circumstances and environment
in which these men lived and fought.
The first half of the book covers historical events, training, and the mission itself, precisely and vividly describing the odds overcome by the raiders in their effort to boost American morale and deliver a blow against the Japanese Empire. Indeed, the crew of the USS Hornet, the aircraft carrier that would deliver the B-25s off the Japanese coast, gave the pilots no more than an even chance at getting airborne, let alone successfully bombing Japan. The second part follows the crews’ escape into China and, for some, their final days as prisoners of war in Japanese camps. Even more dramatic and spectacular than the raid itself, the China episode reveals the struggle to survive Japanese air attacks, disease, infection, and gruesome injuries suffered from crash-landing or parachuting from their B-25 Mitchells. Concluding when every member of the Doolittle mission returns home, dead or alive, The First Heroes covers this amazing operation from start to finish.
Today, we remember these men as great American heroes, but time has dulled some of their luster. The author’s retelling of this great American victory, executed with enthusiasm, exhilaration, and excitement, does much to correct that situation. Timeless stories and lessons of heroism and valor are important for every leader to understand and appreciate. For that reason, I highly recommend The First Heroes.
Cadet Brad Holt
Air Force ROTC, University of Tennessee
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