Editor’s note: In 1979, Gen. James Harold “Jimmy” Doolittle—then 83 years old—was in Washington, D.C., to attend a reunion of his “boys,” as he referred to the Doolittle Raiders. After the reunion, writer David Walsh was fortunate enough to ride with him to the airport and tape an interview.
Doolittle’s comments clearly show the mind of an American hero at work, and they shed light on pivotal moments in history when he was commander of the 8th Air Force.
David Walsh: There was controversy about your upping the 8th’s missions. Did any of that come out here, at the reunion?
I was a little embarrassed because one chap gave me a tremendous plug and then said, “You know, when you increased the missions from twenty-five to thirty, I’d already flown by
