The raiders
The Doolittle Raiders and their final practice at Willows.
The Doolittle Raid is usually told as the story of 16 bombers launching from an aircraft carrier to strike Japan after Pearl Harbor. This chapter follows the people, the training, and the secrecy, and the connection to a small airport in Willows.
Why the raid happened
On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, and the United States entered World War II facing setbacks across the Pacific. President Franklin Roosevelt wanted a direct strike on the Japanese homeland, to show that Japan could be reached and to lift American morale. The problem was distance. No nearby airfield let medium bombers reach Japan and return.
In January 1942, Navy Captain Francis Low watched Army bombers practice approaches over the outline of a carrier painted on an airfield. He saw that a land-based bomber might be able to take off from a carrier, even if it could not land on one. The plan that grew from that was to launch Army B-25 Mitchell bombers from the USS Hornet, strike targets in Japan, and fly on to airfields in China.
General Henry “Hap” Arnold picked Lt. Col. James H. “Jimmy” Doolittle to lead it. The mission was highly secret. The crews were told they were volunteering for a dangerous assignment of major importance, and most details were held back until they were inside the operation.
Learning to take off from a carrier
Lt. Henry L. Miller, a Navy flight instructor at Ellyson Field near Pensacola, Florida, had flown from carriers, which was the experience the Army pilots needed. A B-25 normally needed a long runway, and the Hornet would give them less than 500 feet of deck. On February 28, 1942, Miller was ordered to Eglin Field on temporary duty, and once he arrived he learned what the training was for.
Miller helped the crews build a short-takeoff routine they could repeat under pressure. Over about three weeks at Eglin and its auxiliary fields, they practiced:
- Carrier-style short takeoffs, with full engine power applied before the brakes were released
- Low-level flying and bombing
- Night flying and navigation over water, without the usual landmarks and radio aids
- Gunnery and evasive maneuvers
- Long-range flight planning, since the bombers could not return to the carrier
Miller later became an honorary member of the Doolittle Raiders. He sailed on the Hornet and watched the launch.
Why Willows
By late March 1942 the surviving B-25s had flown from Eglin to McClellan Field in Sacramento for inspections and final preparation. As each aircraft came out of the depot, Miller took it and its crew to Willows for more takeoff practice.
Willows also had a personal link to the man in charge. Jimmy Doolittle and Floyd “Speed” Nolta met at Rockwell Field in Coronado in the winter of 1918–19, when Doolittle was an instructor pilot and Nolta was an Army mechanic. Family recollections say Doolittle gave Nolta his first airplane ride. They stayed friends for life, and after the war Doolittle came back to the Willows area again and again to hunt birds with Floyd, who later managed the airport. Read Floyd Nolta’s story in The farmers.
Historians are careful here. The friendship and Doolittle’s familiarity with Willows are well documented, and they helped bring the crews here, but the record does not prove that he chose the airport for that reason alone. What the crews needed was a place to practice short takeoffs without drawing attention to the mission.
March 30 and 31, 1942
In a 1971 oral history, Miller remembered taking crews to Willows for takeoff lessons. His later-discovered notes and temporary-duty report name five crews that practiced here. All 16 crews trained at Eglin, so these five are the ones documented as getting extra practice at Willows.
- March 30: Crew 3
- Robert M. Gray, in “Whisky Pete,” bound for Tokyo. Crew: Jacob E. Manch, Charles J. Ozuk Jr., Aden E. Jones, and Leland D. Faktor. They bailed out over China. Faktor died after falling down a cliff following his parachute landing, and the other four survived.
- March 30: Crew 7
- Ted W. Lawson, in “The Ruptured Duck,” bound for Tokyo. Crew: Dean Davenport, Charles L. McClure, Robert S. Clever, and David J. Thatcher. They crash-landed near the Chinese coast and all survived. Lawson was badly injured and lost a leg. He later wrote Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo.
- March 31: Crew 1
- Jimmy Doolittle, bound for Tokyo. Crew: Richard E. Cole, Henry A. Potter, Fred A. Braemer, and Paul J. Leonard. They bailed out over China in bad weather and survived with help from Chinese civilians. Leonard died in North Africa in January 1943.
- March 31: Crew 4
- Everett W. Holstrom, bound for Tokyo. Crew: Lucian N. Youngblood, Harry C. McCool, Robert J. Stephens, and Bert M. Jordan. They abandoned the aircraft over China and survived.
- March 31: Crew 14
- John A. Hilger, bound for Nagoya. Crew: Jack A. Sims, James H. Macia Jr., Jacob Eierman, and Edwin V. Bain. They abandoned the aircraft over China and survived.
The B-25s were loud, and residents could hear them and watch them take off over the rice fields, but the mission stayed secret. Historical accounts say the sheriff blocked access to the airport during the practice sessions.
Doolittle was in the Bay Area on March 30 for meetings with senior Navy officers. Miller later recalled him saying they would finish at Willows before flying to Alameda and boarding the carrier.
The airplanes
The aircraft were North American B-25B Mitchell medium bombers. Twenty-four were prepared for the project, 22 flew from Florida to California, and 16 were loaded aboard the Hornet. They were modified for a mission they were not expected to return from:
- Extra fuel tanks and containers extended their range.
- Equipment judged nonessential was removed to save weight.
- Capt. C. Ross Greening helped develop a cheap, simple bombsight to replace the Norden, which was poorly suited to low-altitude bombing.
- Crews drilled on precise flap, trim, power, and brake settings for short takeoffs.
- Some aircraft carried fake gun barrels in the rear to look more heavily armed.
The bombers could not land back on the Hornet. For the aircraft it was a one-way trip, and the crews hoped to reach friendly territory in China after the attack.
To the Hornet and across the Pacific
After final preparation in Sacramento and at Willows, the B-25s flew to Naval Air Station Alameda near San Francisco. The Navy loaded all 16 aboard the Hornet on March 31 and April 1, 1942. They stayed on the flight deck while the carrier’s regular aircraft were stowed below. The Hornet left Alameda on April 2 and joined the carrier Enterprise and its escorts, and the task force crossed the Pacific under radio silence.
The planned launch point was 400 to 500 miles from Japan. On April 18 the task force met Japanese picket vessels earlier than expected, and the Americans feared their position had been reported. Admiral William Halsey ordered the bombers launched about 170 miles farther out than planned, which meant a longer flight to China on limited fuel. Doolittle’s B-25 went first, and the other 15 followed over the next hour. All 16 launched from the short, pitching deck.
The bombers struck military and industrial targets in Tokyo, Yokohama, Yokosuka, Nagoya, and Kobe. The physical damage was limited, but the raid showed that Japan’s home islands could be hit, lifted American morale after Pearl Harbor, and influenced Japanese planning before the Battle of Midway.
All 80 Raiders and what became of them
Each of the 16 crews had five men. The crews that practiced short takeoffs at Willows are highlighted in yellow. Life dates are shown for each man.
Willows crews:
- Crew 1, Jimmy Doolittle
- Crew 3, Robert M. Gray
- Crew 4, Everett W. Holstrom
- Crew 7, Ted W. Lawson
- Crew 14, John A. Hilger
Of those 25 men, five died by the end of 1943: Gray, Faktor, Leonard, Clever, and Bain. Doolittle lived to 1993, and Dick Cole, his co-pilot, became the last surviving Raider when he died in 2019.
Crew 1: Jimmy Doolittle Practiced at Willows
Bailed out over China in bad weather. All five survived the raid.
- James H. Doolittle Pilot 1896–1993
- Richard E. Cole Co-pilot 1915–2019 The last surviving Raider.
- Henry A. Potter Navigator 1918–2002
- Fred A. Braemer Bombardier 1918–1989
- Paul J. Leonard Engineer-gunner 1912–1943 Died in 1943, in later wartime service.
Crew 2: Travis Hoover
Belly-landed in a rice paddy near Ningbo. All five survived.
- Travis Hoover Pilot 1917–2004
- William N. Fitzhugh Co-pilot 1915–1981
- Carl R. Wildner Navigator 1915–1994
- Richard E. Miller Bombardier 1916–1943 Died in 1943, in later wartime service.
- Douglas V. Radney Engineer-gunner 1917–1994
Crew 3: Robert M. Gray Practiced at Willows
Bailed out over the mountains of China. Faktor died after a fall from a cliff, and the other four survived.
- Robert M. Gray Pilot 1919–1942 Died in 1942, in later wartime service.
- Jacob E. Manch Co-pilot 1918–1958
- Charles J. Ozuk Jr. Navigator 1916–2010
- Aden E. Jones Bombardier 1920–1983
- Leland D. Faktor Engineer-gunner 1922–1942 Killed after bailing out over China. The first Raider to die.
Crew 4: Everett W. Holstrom Practiced at Willows
Bailed out over China. All five survived.
- Everett W. Holstrom Pilot 1916–2000
- Lucian N. Youngblood Co-pilot 1918–1949
- Harry C. McCool Navigator 1918–2003
- Robert J. Stephens Bombardier 1915–1959
- Bert M. Jordan Engineer-gunner 1919–2001
Crew 5: Davey Jones
Bailed out over China. All five survived.
- David M. Jones Pilot 1913–2008
- Rodney R. Wilder Co-pilot 1917–1964
- Eugene F. McGurl Navigator 1917–1942 Died in 1942, in later wartime service.
- Denver V. Truelove Bombardier 1919–1943 Died in 1943, in later wartime service.
- Joseph W. Manske Engineer-gunner 1921–1998
Crew 6: Dean E. Hallmark
Ditched off the China coast. Dieter and Fitzmaurice drowned. Hallmark, Meder, and Nielsen were captured by Japanese forces.
- Dean E. Hallmark Pilot 1914–1942 Captured. Executed October 15, 1942.
- Robert J. Meder Co-pilot 1917–1943 Captured. Died in captivity in December 1943.
- Chase J. Nielsen Navigator 1917–2007 Captured. Freed in 1945.
- William J. Dieter Bombardier 1912–1942 Drowned when the aircraft ditched.
- Donald E. Fitzmaurice Engineer-gunner 1919–1942 Drowned when the aircraft ditched.
Crew 7: Ted W. Lawson Practiced at Willows
Crash-landed in the surf off the Chinese coast. All five survived, four badly injured, and Lawson lost a leg.
- Ted W. Lawson Pilot 1917–1992 Lost a leg. Wrote Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo.
- Dean Davenport Co-pilot 1918–2000
- Charles L. McClure Navigator 1916–1999
- Robert S. Clever Bombardier 1914–1942 Died in 1942, in later wartime service.
- David J. Thatcher Engineer-gunner 1921–2016
Crew 8: Edward J. York
Landed near Vladivostok in the Soviet Union. The crew was interned for about 13 months before escaping to Persia.
- Edward J. York Pilot 1912–1984
- Robert G. Emmens Co-pilot 1914–1992
- Nolan A. Herndon Navigator 1918–2007
- Theodore H. Laban Bombardier 1914–1978
- David W. Pohl Engineer-gunner 1921–1999
Crew 9: Harold F. Watson
Bailed out over China. All five survived.
- Harold F. Watson Pilot 1916–1991
- James M. Parker Jr. Co-pilot 1920–1991
- Thomas C. Griffin Navigator 1916–2013
- Wayne M. Bissell Bombardier 1921–1997
- Eldred V. Scott Engineer-gunner 1907–1978
Crew 10: Richard O. Joyce
Bailed out over China. All five survived.
- Richard O. Joyce Pilot 1919–1983
- J. Royden Stork Co-pilot 1916–2002
- Horace E. Crouch Navigator and bombardier 1918–2005
- Edwin W. Horton Jr. Gunner 1916–2008
- George E. Larkin Jr. Engineer-gunner 1918–1942 Died in 1942, in later wartime service.
Crew 11: C. Ross Greening
Bailed out over China. All five survived.
- C. Ross Greening Pilot 1914–1957
- Kenneth E. Reddy Co-pilot 1920–1942 Died in 1942, in later wartime service.
- Frank A. Kappeler Navigator 1914–2010
- William L. Birch Bombardier 1917–2006
- Melvin J. Gardner Engineer-gunner 1920–1942 Died in 1942, in later wartime service.
Crew 12: William M. Bower
Bailed out over China. All five survived.
- William M. Bower Pilot 1917–2011
- Thadd H. Blanton Co-pilot 1919–1961
- William R. Pound Jr. Navigator 1918–1967
- Waldo J. Bither Bombardier 1906–1988
- Omer A. Duquette Engineer-gunner 1916–1942 Died in 1942, in later wartime service.
Crew 13: Edgar E. McElroy
Bailed out over China. All five survived.
- Edgar E. McElroy Pilot 1912–2003
- Richard A. Knobloch Co-pilot 1918–2001
- Clayton J. Campbell Navigator 1917–2002
- Robert C. Bourgeois Bombardier 1917–2001
- Adam R. Williams Engineer-gunner 1919–1993
Crew 14: John A. Hilger Practiced at Willows
Bailed out over China. All five survived.
- John A. Hilger Pilot 1909–1982
- Jack A. Sims Co-pilot 1919–2007
- James H. Macia Jr. Navigator 1916–2009
- Edwin V. Bain Radio-gunner 1917–1943 Died in 1943, in later wartime service.
- Jacob Eierman Engineer-gunner 1913–1994
Crew 15: Donald G. Smith
Ditched off the China coast and reached shore in a raft. All five survived the raid.
- Donald G. Smith Pilot 1918–1942 Died in 1942, in later wartime service.
- Griffith P. Williams Co-pilot 1920–1998
- Howard A. Sessler Navigator and bombardier 1917–2001
- Thomas R. White, M.D. Flight surgeon 1909–1992
- Edward J. Saylor Engineer-gunner 1920–2015
Crew 16: William G. Farrow
Crash-landed near the China coast and were captured by Japanese forces. Farrow and Spatz were executed. Hite, Barr, and DeShazer survived imprisonment.
- William G. Farrow Pilot 1918–1942 Captured. Executed October 15, 1942.
- Robert L. Hite Co-pilot 1920–2015 Captured. Freed in 1945.
- George Barr Navigator 1917–1967 Captured. Freed in 1945.
- Jacob D. DeShazer Bombardier 1912–2008 Captured. Freed in 1945.
- Harold A. Spatz Engineer-gunner 1921–1942 Captured. Executed October 15, 1942.
The cost
All 80 airmen launched, and none of the 16 B-25s returned to the carrier. Fifteen aircraft were lost over or near China, and one landed in the Soviet Union, where its crew was interned. Most crews reached safety with help from Chinese civilians and soldiers. Eight Raiders were captured by Japanese forces. Three were executed and one died in captivity. One other Raider was killed in a bailout, and two drowned when their aircraft ditched at sea.
Remembering the Raiders who did not come home
Of the 80 Raiders, 19 died during World War II.
- Three died in the raid itself. Cpl. Leland Faktor was killed after bailing out over China. Sgt. William Dieter and Cpl. Donald Fitzmaurice drowned when their aircraft ditched off the coast.
- Four died in Japanese hands. On October 15, 1942, Japanese forces executed three captured Raiders by firing squad at a cemetery outside Shanghai: Lt. Dean E. Hallmark (26), Lt. William G. Farrow (23), and Sgt. Harold A. Spatz (21). They had been told the day before. Lt. Robert Meder, Hallmark’s co-pilot, died in captivity in December 1943. The other four captured Raiders, Chase Nielsen, Robert Hite, George Barr, and Jacob DeShazer, were freed in 1945.
- Twelve died later in the war, ten of them in combat, while continuing to serve.
Their names are in the roster above, with the rest of the 80.
The people who sheltered and guided the Americans paid heavily. Japan retaliated against Chinese communities suspected of helping the Raiders, and historical estimates of civilian deaths in the affected region reach into the hundreds of thousands.
Some Raiders went back into combat and died later in the war. Others lived long lives and spent decades telling the story of the mission and their fallen comrades.
What Willows added
For Doolittle Day, this is the local story worth keeping: a small airport in Northern California, a trusted friendship between two aviation men, a Navy instructor from Pensacola, and five bomber crews finishing their preparation before one of the most extraordinary missions of World War II. The Raiders did not launch from Willows. They launched from the USS Hornet. But Willows was part of the journey that got them ready.
March 30–31, 2027 is the 85th anniversary of that training.
The airport’s role is documented in the Willows-Glenn County Airport National Register nomination and in research by Doolittle Raid historian Geert Rottiers. The crew rosters were checked against Children of the Doolittle Raiders, Northrop Grumman’s Meet the Raiders, and B-25History.org. Also drawn from the Naval History and Heritage Command’s Training the Doolittle Raiders, the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, and Floyd H. Nolta on Wikipedia.
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