From the October 11, 2021, St. Louis (Mo.) Post-Dispatch "Story of Doolittle's daring raid on Japan disappears over Doolittle, Missouri" by Jesse Bogan.
He was such a hero in those dark days after the attack on Pearl Harbor. So much in fact, that a tiny town in Missouri renamed itself after him. And, that town is right on Route 66. But, over the years, that famous pilot and what he did along with the excitement of Route 66 is gone, except for a small plaque that can easily be missed.
I remember the first time I drove through Doolittle, Missouri, on Route 66, that hey that's the same name as the famous WW II aviator. I wonder if there is a connection.
A recent sampling of some of the town's 648 residents, including the mayor and others showed a definite lack of knowledge about the town's namesake.
It was James Doolittle who led that successful attack on the Japanese mainland just four months after Pearl Harbor. It was a badly-needed shot in the arm for the waning United States prospects in the war. The attack did not do much damage, but it was a national morale booster for the U.S. and a wake up call for Japan.
--RoadDog
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