Gemini Rising

Veterans Group SEPT Entry - Assignment

A SEPT 2025 entry for:

FORUM

Honoring Our Veterans - Challenge  (ASR) Celebrating Veterans Day every day #423698 by SpookyBee

“Hey, Jimmie, I got a mission for ya’.”

“Yes, Sir.” James Doolittle raised an eyebrow.

Admiral Ernest J. King joined Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle as he walked down the corridors at the Naval Air Station in Norfolk. Both men were dressed in their dress uniforms.

“The President’s mighty keen on it, Jimmie. Wanted the best aviator we had to lead it,” King’s voice sounded smooth – almost too smooth.

“The President you say?” Jimmie’s curiosity was piqued.

They rounded a hallway and King walked into his office. It was compact and clean. Almost too clean.
His desk was in front of a window overlooking the bay and on one wall was a map of Japan, Korea and China.

King grabbed a pointer and walked over his map. “The President wants to bomb Tokyo.”

Jimmie tried not to drop his mouth. “What? From where? We don’t have any bases near Japan and they’ve got a foothold in the Philippines now.”

“The USS Hornet.”

Jimmie crossed his arms. “An aircraft carrier? Give it to me straight, Sir.”

“The USS Hornet will leave San Francisco headed toward Japan. You’ll meet up with the USS Enterprise and Task Force 18 just north of Hawaii. Radio Silence all the way. They’ll have two fleet oilers with them. You’ll travel to 500 nautical miles away from the Japanese coast and launch B-25 bombers from the Hornet and Enterprise.”

“You’re joking?”

“Nope. FDR says we gotta’ hit Japan back. You’ll lead the raid.”

“Those bombers don’t have the range to turn around.”

“We’re trying to get the Russians to give you the okay to go to Vladivostock. If not, you’ll go to China.”

“Sir, it’s a suicide mission.”

Kent tapped his forefinger against his temple. “Ah, Jimmie, if you leading the raid, I know those men will come home.”

James Doolittle squared his shoulders. The mission was impossible. But he wasn’t about to back down from impossible.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:
A fictional accounting of LTC James Doolittle receiving his orders for the Doolittle Raid.