MovieChat Forums > Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo Discussion > Three questions?

Three questions?

posted 16 years ago by juanmonge69
6 replies | jump to latest

This movie is a love letter to the Chinese people who risked alot to help these men and others. In the movie Lawson says that he would like to return to China. I wonder if he ever got the chance.

Secondly, before Doolittle takes off he salutes another man. I was thinking could that have been Admiral Halsey or some senior Naval man that we never heard of.

I know that Doolittle was a Major when the war started. During the raid he is a Lt. Colonel when he returns Mrs. Lawson refers to him as General. He was the first one to take off and obviously came back in one piece I wonder where I can find his story.

[–] USAFMXOfficer_2013 16 years ago

This movie is a love letter to the Chinese people who risked alot to help these men and others. In the movie Lawson says that he would like to return to China. I wonder if he ever got the chance.

From Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_W._Lawson
After leaving the hospital, he served as Liaison Officer, U.S. Air Mission, Santiago, Chile from May 1943 until April 1944. He was retired for physical disability on 2 February 1945. His decorations include the Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart, and the Chinese Army, Navy, and Air Corps Medal, Class A, 1st Grade.

Lawson owned and operated a machine shop in Southern California, as well as working for Reynolds Metals as a liaison between the company and the military. He died in his home in Chico, California on 19 January 1992 and was interred at the Chico Cemetery Mausoleum.

Secondly, before Doolittle takes off he salutes another man. I was thinking could that have been Admiral Halsey or some senior Naval man that we never heard of.

Probably someone we HAVE heard of...Captain Marc Mitscher, skipper of the USS Hornet.

I know that Doolittle was a Major when the war started. During the raid he is a Lt. Colonel when he returns Mrs. Lawson refers to him as General. He was the first one to take off and obviously came back in one piece I wonder where I can find his story.

The internet is a wonderful thing.

Type in "Doolittle" into Google.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Doolittle

I also recommend the book "The First Heroes" by Craig Nelson. http://www.amazon.com/First-Heroes-Extraordinary-Doolittle-Raid-Americ as/dp/B000HIV0EA/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=120386726 8&sr=8-1

[–] juanmonge69 16 years ago

Thanks for the quick reply. I have also looked on Wikipedia. I still don't know the China question. When I was in University I worked as a security guard at Flying Tigers freight warehouse at Kennedy airport. Someone there was telling me about the history of the flying tigers and it got me interested in this question. Both the Chinese and the Russians were good allies during World war 2.

[–] tmf_scipio 14 years ago

The US alliance with China was a little interesting. The US tended to support Chang Kai Shek (sp) more than Mao against the Japanese.

I remember seeing an interesting WWII movie about the American Airlift into China going over the "Hump" from India, I think.

[–] TorontoJediMaster 14 years ago

As far as I know, Lawson never got the chance to return to China. Remember, a few years after the war, China fell under communist rule and they were the enemy in the Korean War which began only five years afterwards.

I believe it was meant to be Admiral Halsey. However, that was dramatic license on the part of the director. Halsey wasn't on the Hornet. He has his flag on the U.S.S. Enterprise.

I saw on Wikipedia that there's a biography out called Calculated Risk.

[–] movies789 9 years ago

My father was a USAAF B-25 pilot at Mitchel Field, Long Island preceding and early in the War, and recalled when Major Doolittle came through the base. He didn't know what Doolittle was doing there, but was well aware of his reputation in aviation and as a rising star in the air corps. Just a little brush with history.

[–] Woody739 8 years ago

As USAFMXOfficer_2013, says, it was Marc Mitscher, the captain of the Hornet.

If you want good books, read any and all of the ones by C.V. Glines, their official historian, and Doolittle's official biographer. The newest book written about the Raid and it's aftermath, is "Target Tokyo" by James Scott. That one came out last year and is well researched and based on interviews with the Raiders.

"I Could Never Be So Lucky Again" is Doolittle's biography. It is a GREAT read.

The Doolittle Raiders have officially disavowed Craig Nelson's book, "First Heroes" as it apparently has some significant errors relative to the people and the story, and it was written without the cooperation of the Raiders. He reportedly attended several Reunions and talked with the Raiders, then wrote and published the book without even having the Raiders review it for accuracy. I learned this from the Raiders themselves back when I attended several of their Reunions.