Doolittle Raid Groups 1942

[Wharfmaster]

Please share with us your Doolittle Raid medal groups. Showum if ya gotum.

 

I'll start this one out with a Navy GCM - ID Badge group.

 

 

Jul Joined the US Navy in 1936. He served at NAS Pearl Harbor for several years prior to the War and transferred to Carrier Hornet

in October 1941 as a member of the Commissioning Crew. At the time, he was an Electrician's Mate 2c.

 

Jul would take part in the Doolittle Raid and also the Battle of Midway aboard Hornet. Transferred in August 42, he would return to the Pacific and serve with

several Island based repair and patrol squadrons. By the end of WW2, he was a Chief Aviation Electrician's Mate. Jul was from Alabama and passed away in 2006.

 

As an Electrician's Mate, you wonder if he worked on Doolittle's B-25s.

 

 

Wharf

[ParanormalTrooper]

Awesome little grouping!

 

Thanks for sharing

[aerialbridge]

Henry Joseph Kunder, was born in New York on January 17, 1899, the same day that CDR Edward D. Taussig claimed Wake Island for the United States. He was the oldest of six children born to a German immigrant piano cabinet maker and his wife. When he was sixteen, Kunder was working in Rochester, NY as an apprentice cabinet maker.

Enlisting in the Navy during WWI, in 1920 Kunder was a student at the aviation mechanic's school at Great Lakes Naval Training Station. By the 1930’s he was an aviation chief metalsmith. He was a plank owner on the aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8) when she was commissioned on October 21, 1941 at Norfolk, VA. On January 2, 1942, Kunder was promoted to carpenter (warrant officer) and later that year commissioned an ensign. He was on the USS Hornet when Col. Jimmy Doolittle launched his raid on Tokyo and given his rating, possibly involved in the operation with other ground crew for the B-25s. Ensign Kunder was still on Hornet when the carrier was fatally hit by Japanese torpedo and dive bombers on October 26, 1942 at the Battle of Santa Cruz Islands in the Solomons. The heavy cruiser USS Northampton (CA 26) went to the aid of Hornet and provided antiaircraft cover while attempting to take the stricken carrier in tow. Admiral William F. Halsey ordered Hornet to abandon ship and the carrier was later sunk by destroyer torpedo and gunfire, and the American force retired to the southwest.

Picked up by the destroyer USS Russell (DD 414) on October 26, Kunder was transferred the next day to USS Northampton. Just a month later, on November 30, 1942, Northampton was herself sunk at the Battle of Tassafaronga and Henry Kunder was fortunate to survive a second ship sinking in a month. Later serving on the carrier USS Belleau Wood (CVL 24) on May 1, 1943 he was promoted to temporary rank of lieutenant (j.g.). Lieutenant Kunder retired in 1947 with 30 years of continuous service and lived with his wife Dorothy in Norfolk, VA until his death at 79 in 1978.

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Date should read "1899".

[CNY Militaria]

Not a medal group, but large paperwork, photo, patch, wing group to T/Sgt Leonard, the crew chief aboard Gen. Doolittle's Plane, and his crew chief post-raid until he was KIA in 1943 North Africa.

 

Gen. Doolittle described Leonard's death as one of his greatest personal tragedies of the war a they were quite close. This group includes several photos, his wings, patch, promotion document, and many of of his letters from 1939-1943. The letters continue until late March 1942, then drop off until May 5th, 1942 when he writes his wife that he can't tell her what he has done, but that he is helping to end the war. Tons of material to read throuh, even an envelope censored by Gen. Doolittle himself for his crew chief!

 

[decwriter]

That's some great paperwork for the Engineer-Gunner on Plane 1 of the raid! The pic of him with the DFC is nice.

 

Randy

[doinworkinvans]

Justin....holy moley! You've been holding out! Man that is just too awesome! Thanks for showing this!

[BEAST]

Very nice group guys! Here is my contribution, you can read more about Dick Miller in athread I started here: http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/288750-a-hoosier-doolittle-raider/