PDF THIRTY SECONDS OVER TOKYO; Landmark 35 by Capt. Ted W. Lawson in History

Review

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful. My "aviation" beginningBy HostmanI can remember reading this book when I was just a young kid. It was my father's book and once I started reading it; I was hooked. I truly believe that my interest in aviation came from this reading.After joining the Navy; I was assigned to work in a control tower as an "Air Controlman". Also while in the Navy I leaned to fly and subsequently went to work for the FAA as an "Air Traffic Controller". It was during one of those days while working at the Santa Monica Airport control tower that I'll remember all my life.It was a Sunday and there was a "fly-in" and airshow going on. Even though it was a Sunday; my tower chief was in attendance and enjoying the show from the tower's vantage point. The chief; knowing that I was a WWII aviation nut; took me aside and said to me "lets take a ride". The tower building was located on the opposite side of the airport's runway from the cities airport office. It was in this location that all the commotion was. Speeches were going on and airplane rides given etc.The chief and I drove to the airport office and parked the car. After exiting the car we walked towards the airport office. Coming towards us was a very short man with a bald head; very tanned; with a big smile on his face. The three of us stopped together and the tower chief said to me; I want you to meet Jimmy Doolittle. I didn't know what to say; I was in shock. Jimmy Doolittle had been a hero of mine since reading this book. I shook the hand of a true aviation hero with such a long list of accomplishments; including the Tokyo raid. This man had shaken the hands of presidents; kings and just about everyone else of importance; and here I am shaking his.This meeting had been set up by my tower chief because my true love of aviation and it's history. To think that Jimmy Doolittle would spend his time to even entertain meeting me shows the character of the man.This is a great book. Ted Lawson did a good job of putting you in the cockpit with him and his crew and experiencing all the pain and suffering during their ordeal to reach safety...2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. WWII ClassicBy CustomerTed Lawson wanted to be an aeronautical engineer. He also wanted in the late 1930s to be a pilot and that came first. Eventually; as a 1st Lieutenant in the Army Air Force he was captain of what was arguably the best two engine bomber of the war; the B25 Mitchell.His aircraft; the "Ruptured Duck"; was one of 16 planes to take off from the heaving deck of "Shangri La"; President Roosevelt's code name for the USS Hornet. Several hours later Lawson and his crew were dropping their bomb load on the city of Tokyo; a small payback for Pearl Harbor.The movie; starring Van Johnson as Lawson; Spencer Tracy as Jimmy Doolittle who led the raid; Robert Walker as Sergeant Thatcher; and Phyllis Thacker as Ellen Lawson; is remarkably close to the book. The major diversion from the true story was how the film portrayed Lawson's injuries after the plane crashed into the ocean just off the Chinese coast. Van Johnson is shown only with a terrible wound to his leg; resulting later in amputation. In fact when his B25 hit the water Lawson was thrown through the cockpit window. His upper right arm was cut wide open and his face was smashed in. Most of his teeth were knocked out.The rest of the film is largely faithful to Lawson's book. The performances are all excellent; the photography is top notch; including Navy film of the real Mitchells taking off from the Hornet. Like war films? You can't go wrong with this one.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Deserving of a Place in HistoryBy SJBVery good. It definitely has a place in history so that people in the future will know the REAL story from someone who was THERE; rather than the rewritten history we seem to hear more and more of.The ordeals which some members of the crew of The Ruptured Duck B-25 underwent due to severe injuries; is a testament to the human spirit. I was also amazed by the way the ordinary Chinese people (I got a real kick out of the guy they called 'Johnny Beep-beep'); and later; the missionaries; helped our aircrews out in spite of the threat of death from occupying Japanese troops. This was; of course; pre-Mao; but the threat from the occupying Japanese was every bit as great. Their courage should be honored as well; and deserves to be a part of that history; also.