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 |  I travel the country on business, sometimes the world. Come see where I've been. |
This week finds me in Manassas Virginia, with the City of Manassas my customer this week. Since Memorial Day was Sunday, it was only natural I visit Arlington Cemetery. I took the tour bus up to the Tomb of the Unknowns, but on the way, I saw something, and decided I wouldn't be seeing the changing of the guard today. I saw a woman sitting next to a grave; the scene was one out of a book or movie. I got off the tour bus, and walked down hill as fast as I could, hoping I could find her and snap a shot. Along the way, I decided I should ask her permission first, and I'm glad I did. Fortunately, my homing instincts (Yes, I can find my way almost anywhere once I've been past it, or visited it) worked, and I found her without having to look long or hard. I approached her, and apologized for intruding, and asked if I could take her picture. To make a long story short, she asked that I not take her picture, but she'd love it if I took one of the grave she was visiting. Turns out, the man was one of Doolittle's Raiders, and a relative of her husbands. I know a lot of you probably never heard about Doolittle's Raiders, so here's a short history lesson.  After the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the American Military wanted to strike back at Japan to show them that they weren't all that safe, despite the distance from the US. They trained in secret in their B-25 bombers at Air Force Bases on the west coast, getting their planes to take off from shorter and shorter runways. Seventy Six men in sixteen planes trained for this secret mission, and didn't even know their target until the planes were on the carrier USS Hornet, and the ship at sea. They had to take off 2 days early due to a Japanese fishing boat seeing them, and being unsure if the boat had alerted the Japanese mainland of the carrier's presence. As a result, they took off one by one, and flew towards the target area. Each bomber completed the mission, but only one landed, and that was in Russia. The others crashed on the China mainland, or when trying to land. Before it was all over, 11 of the 76 men were captured or killed, but the mission was a huge lift to American spirits. The man honored with this marble marker was captured by the Japanese. He was executed by them about six months after the raid (the raid occurred on April 18th, 1942.). I explained to her why I wanted her picture, but she asked me not to take any of her, nor mention her name (which I never asked for, lol). The American Flag in this picture was placed by 98 year old Lt. Col. Richard Cole, the co-pilot for General Jimmy Doolittle on this raid, and one of four raiders still alive. Last week the Doolittle Raiders were honored by their country by being awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, something that's about 60 years overdue. General Doolittle himself is also buried at Arlington, in section 7A, plot 110 (I visited him today too), not too far from Joe Louis. Below are two pictures from my visit.   |
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