A fellow student of Bob's also attending the U-M's Aeronautical Engineering School was John
Doolittle, from Dearborn, Michigan. John was the son of Colonel James Doolittle.
On 18 April 1942, the news of his father's famous '30 seconds over Tokyo' raid was cause for great
rejoicing and celebration. Planned just within days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the intent of this
mission was two-fold: dent the confidence of the Japanese, and boost the morale of the American
public.
Colonel Doolittle and his group of sixteen B-25 bombers launched from the U.S carrier Hornet in
what would be the first retaliatory strike on the Imperial Japanese homeland by American forces.
The targets were Tokyo and four other major Japanese cities. The raid was successful as a blow to
Japanese confidence: as they believed that a Kamikaze, or Divine Wind, made their island nation
invulnerable. Colonel Doolittle's Raid proved otherwise.
" . . . in popular imagination it is the members of the
aircrews— particularly the pilots— who are the
heroes of aerial warfare. Yet everyone familiar with
the reality of the situation— especially pilots and their
fellow crew members— realizes his dependence upon
the glamorless airplane mechanic." Army Air Forces Historical
Studies: N° 26, Individual Training in Aircraft Maintenance in the Army Air
Forces, Assistant Chief of Air Staff, Intelligence, Historical Division, December
1944.
The 330th Airdrome Squadron Engineering Section— The
Night Gang posing with one of the 10th COMCAR's C-47s at
the Dinjan airflield in northern Assam, India. Bob Bursian photo
collection. Copyright © 2007 Night Gang Studio. All rights reserved.
