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NATIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR MUSEUM
Saluting those who earned the medal
National Medal of Honor recipient Jimmy Doolittle helped turn the tide in WW II and revolutionized aviation.
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psychological effect on Japanese morale, as well as giving an e know that America would be a very different place incredible morale boost to all Americans. The survival of many were it not for some great men – those who have been Doolittle Raiders was in part the result of Doolittle’s earlier our presidents, for example. Where would we be without contributions to aviation, an ability to fly on instruments in weather. Washington, or Lincoln or Jefferson? America would also be a very As any pilot knows, without a horizon his human senses are different place were it not for those who wear the Medal of Honor. useless. Commercial aviation was severely limited by weather. Not only were these men, and one woman, among the greatest Doolittle changed that. Thirteen years before the Raid, Doolittle blood donors to our freedom, they came home and enhanced the helped develop an artificial horizon and became the first aviator to bounty and the beauty of America – our arts, medicine, politics, take off and land using instruments alone. Doolittle opened the skies aviation, even sports. Examples are many, but here are a few you will and made all weather aviation operations possible. find in the NMOHM in Arlington. The first Medal of Honor recipient I met was Joe Foss. It was the Theodore Roosevelt, for example, was a president and a Medal of day after I received the medal, and I went to the convention of the Honor recipient who changed the face of America forever. Without Medal of Honor Society in Houston Texas. Joe Foss met me at the him we would not have our National Park system and the beautiful door. He was twice the governor of South Dakota, and I was born parks it encompasses. He lost his wife and mother on the same there. His contributions to America are day and sought solace in nature. He was monumental: as a politician, the first inspired by the comfort it brought him president of the American Football and preserved some of the most beautiful General League, a television star, the president landscape in America for the comfort of Patrick Brady of the National Rifle Association, not to all of us forever. Roosevelt established 150 mention 26 aerial victories in World War national forests, 51 federal bird reserves, II. As an aside, he was inspired to become four national game preserves, five national THE NMOH MUSEUM will an aviator after seeing a demonstration by parks and 18 national monuments on more emphasize the great sacrifices Charles Lindberg, also a MOH recipient. than 230 million acres of public land. But one incident in his life may best Equally important to their many so many people made for their illustrate the importance of this museum. measurable contributions was the country. He was once detained by airport security, recipients’ immeasurable contributions who confiscated his star-shaped Medal of Honor and set about to to morale, and inspiration. No one epitomized these dual bequests destroy it. They believed it to be some kind of Ninja weapon. (As an more than Jimmy Doolittle, an aviation and inspirational marvel – aside, I had the same thing happen to me.) The country was outraged. also a MOH recipient. Joe’s comments highlight one need for our museum: “I wasn’t upset Early in WWII, after Japan’s devastating attack on Pear Harbor, for me ... I was upset for the Medal of Honor, that they just didn’t morale in America was low. We were ill prepared for war and know what it even was. It represents all of the guys who lost their vulnerable to future attacks. Japan was a powerful, confident lives – the guys who never came back. Everyone who put their lives adversary who had driven us out of the Philippines, killing on the line for their country. You’re supposed to know what the thousands in the Bataan Death March and incarcerating thousands Medal of Honor is.” more in unbearable conditions. As I said, our morale was low, theirs The National Medal of Honor Museum will educate our people high. Doolittle changed that. on the MOH, but, more important, it will be a vault for the values Despite what many thought was mission impossible, Doolittle embedded in the medal and a sanctuary for the inspiration that will modified 16 B-25s and launched them from an aircraft carrier drive our people to live those values. It will change America. to fly over and bomb Tokyo. Doolittle’s Raid had a devastating General Patrick Brady earned the Medal of Honor for actions in Vietnam, where he flew over 2,500 combat missions and rescued more than 5,000 wounded men, women, children, enemy as well as friendly. His column about The National Medal of Honor Museum, which is being constructed in Arlington, runs quarterly.
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ARLINGTON TODAY • October 2021 • arlingtontoday.com
