American Valor Quarterly Issue 3 - Summer 2008 | Page 2
American Valor Quarterly
A Quarterly Publication of the American Veterans Center
www.americanveteranscenter.org
World War II Veterans Committee
www.wwiivets.com
National Vietnam Veterans Committee
www.vietnamvetscommittee.org
Summer 2008
Feature
4
-In This Issue-
The 2008 National Memorial Day Parade
A recap of the Fourth Annual National Memorial
Day Parade, our nation’s largest Memorial Day
celebration presented by the American Veterans
Center.
Articles
8
Reflections by General James H. Doolittle
Prior to his passing in 1993, Jimmy Doolittle
shared his thoughts on the military, pilots, and
life. In this issue, we print these reflections, as
well as the original proposed plan to attack Japan
in 1942.
13
Baa Baa Black Sheep
An excerpt from Veterans Chronicles
Brigadier General Bruce Matheson of the famed
Black Sheep Squadron tells the story of
“Boyington’s Bastards.”
Master of the
Calculated Risk
Jimmy Doolittle with his crew, just
prior to their famous raid. Lt. Col.
Richard E. Cole, standing next to
Doolittle, will join the
American Veterans Center’s
11th Annual Conference this
November to recount his memories
of General Doolittle and the raid.
On April 18, 1942, Jimmy Doolittle led
sixteen B-25 planes on a daring raid on
the Japanese homeland.
In this issue, we share some thoughts
from the General written prior to his
passing which demonstrate the qualities that made him a hero to generations of Americans.
Principled Leadership by Dr. Lewis S. Sorley
In 2007, the American Veterans Center inaugurated
the Andrew J. Goodpaster Prize and Lecture in honor
of one of America’s finest military men. The first
lecture was delivered by Vietnam veteran and Pulitzer
Prize-nominated historian Lewis Sorley, who
examined the career, and character, of several
distinguished veterans.
23
Department of Defense Photo
17
Shock Medicine by Luis Fonseca Jr.
The eyewitness account of the 2003 Battle of
Nasiriyah from the first corpsman to receive the Navy
Cross in over three decades.
Now playing at www.americanveteranscenter.org
AVC Video!
Bob Feller talks about his World War
II experience at the 2006 conference
as televised by C-SPAN. Feller, and
other Major League Baseball players
who served in WWII will join the
2008 conference.
Not able to make the Annual Conference? Miss the
National Memorial Day Parade? Don’t worry! The
American Veterans Center is proud to share video
clips from all of our events on our website at
www.americanveteranscenter.org.
Log on today to watch America’s greatest
heroes share their stories!
Hollywood legend and World War II
veteran Mickey Rooney speaks on the
importance of Memorial Day during
the television broadcast of the 2008
National Memorial Day Parade.