Now this is really cool -Doolittle Raiders-

What the hell is a "congressional gold star"? My guess is it's a political tool to see which political party can be first to parade a bunch of Vets in front of the cameras and get a couple of votes by being first to honor the old dying WW2 Vets before they are all gone.
 
History's verdict should be that that Halsey chickened out and launched the Raiders too soon and doomed many of them before they had reached the assigned area where they would have enough fuel to reach the objective and make the pickup in China. Pop history claims that the Japanese picket boat which was sighted and sunk had radioed the Carrier's presence was a legitimate reason for launching the Raiders too soon but subsequent information revealed that the Japanese had no clue about the raid.
 
What the hell is a "congressional gold star"? My guess is it's a political tool to see which political party can be first to parade a bunch of Vets in front of the cameras and get a couple of votes by being first to honor the old dying WW2 Vets before they are all gone.

Congressional Gold Medal
 
History's verdict should be that that Halsey chickened out and launched the Raiders too soon and doomed many of them before they had reached the assigned area where they would have enough fuel to reach the objective and make the pickup in China. Pop history claims that the Japanese picket boat which was sighted and sunk had radioed the Carrier's presence was a legitimate reason for launching the Raiders too soon but subsequent information revealed that the Japanese had no clue about the raid.

they had no way of knowing at the time

if the picket made contact with japan
 
This was a big operation and Halsey agreed to it. It's incomprehensible that they didn't anticipate contact with a picket Japanese boat. Halsey made a strategic decision which turned out to be a mistake that changed the parameter of the mission and doomed many of the pilots and crews. Admirals are paid to make right decisions and they didn't usually get away with the excuse "I had no way of knowing" but in this case Halsey's legacy was apparently bigger than the mission.
 
This was a big operation and Halsey agreed to it. It's incomprehensible that they didn't anticipate contact with a picket Japanese boat. Halsey made a strategic decision which turned out to be a mistake that changed the parameter of the mission and doomed many of the pilots and crews. Admirals are paid to make right decisions and they didn't usually get away with the excuse "I had no way of knowing" but in this case Halsey's legacy was apparently bigger than the mission.
Hindsight is 20-20..Yet you seek to cheapen the last measure of these men to provide you with a position to criticize...
 
This was a big operation and Halsey agreed to it. It's incomprehensible that they didn't anticipate contact with a picket Japanese boat. Halsey made a strategic decision which turned out to be a mistake that changed the parameter of the mission and doomed many of the pilots and crews. Admirals are paid to make right decisions and they didn't usually get away with the excuse "I had no way of knowing" but in this case Halsey's legacy was apparently bigger than the mission.
Hindsight is 20-20..Yet you seek to cheapen the last measure of these men to provide you with a position to criticize...
These guys are genuine heroes. Why Congress would decided to give them another medal after 70 years is a reasonable question. Parading a bunch of old Veteran heroes in front of the cameras to present them with redundant medals seems to be a cottage industry in the political arena in recent years. I am trying to make a case that these heroes got a raw deal they didn't sign up for when Halsey chickened out.
 
This was a big operation and Halsey agreed to it. It's incomprehensible that they didn't anticipate contact with a picket Japanese boat. Halsey made a strategic decision which turned out to be a mistake that changed the parameter of the mission and doomed many of the pilots and crews. Admirals are paid to make right decisions and they didn't usually get away with the excuse "I had no way of knowing" but in this case Halsey's legacy was apparently bigger than the mission.
Hindsight is 20-20..Yet you seek to cheapen the last measure of these men to provide you with a position to criticize...
These guys are genuine heroes. Why Congress would decided to give them another medal after 70 years is a reasonable question. Parading a bunch of old Veteran heroes in front of the cameras to present them with redundant medals seems to be a cottage industry in the political arena in recent years. I am trying to make a case that these heroes got a raw deal they didn't sign up for when Halsey chickened out.


it certainly was meant to bring light to these true American heros

with just three of 80 left

wont be long and they all will be gone
 
The Doolittle Raiders will be given the Congressional Gold Star this week



Doolittle Tokyo Raiders - Official Web Site of the Raiders

Couldn't come up with something other than a gold star?

Stars-on-the-Wall-300x204.jpg
 
This was a big operation and Halsey agreed to it. It's incomprehensible that they didn't anticipate contact with a picket Japanese boat. Halsey made a strategic decision which turned out to be a mistake that changed the parameter of the mission and doomed many of the pilots and crews. Admirals are paid to make right decisions and they didn't usually get away with the excuse "I had no way of knowing" but in this case Halsey's legacy was apparently bigger than the mission.

Halsey's mission was to protect as many men and assets as possible- and that includes not losing two of the few remaining operational American capital ships in the Pacific.

This was an audacious and risky move- one that lots in the military opposed- the raid had virtually no military value- and risked an American carrier- BUT- the raid proved to be a huge success in raising American moral- and in diverting resources back to Japan.

I think its pretty easy to second guess a commanders decision from the safety of 50 years later, without having to be responsible for the consequences.
 
History's verdict should be that that Halsey chickened out and launched the Raiders too soon and doomed many of them before they had reached the assigned area where they would have enough fuel to reach the objective and make the pickup in China. Pop history claims that the Japanese picket boat which was sighted and sunk had radioed the Carrier's presence was a legitimate reason for launching the Raiders too soon but subsequent information revealed that the Japanese had no clue about the raid.

they had no way of knowing at the time

if the picket made contact with japan


Well we know now. Like so many posts all based on knowing now what took place then, and correcting those mistakes as they write. Some posters are really great at this.
 

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