Date: April 18

Time: 11 am

Location: Hangar Deck

The Doolittle Raid was America’s first offensive response to the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor. USS Hornet (CV-8) was tasked with carrying the Raiders across the Pacific, leaving from the very pier where the Museum currently berths. This year, we celebrate the 75th anniversary of this historic mission. This event includes a panel of speakers about the Raid, particularly the pivotal role of Chinese pilots aiding the Raiders.  Our exhibit, Spotlights on the Doolittle Raid, will also open to the public.  Book signing opportunity.

Panelists: (more to come)

CV-8 Veteran LCDR Richard Nowatzki. Nowatzki was fresh out of boot camp when he was assigned to the USS Hornet CV-8. His normal battle station was as a sight-setter on a 5-inch anti-aircraft gun at the aft end of the ship. During the Tokyo Raid launch, Nowatzki positioned himself right next to the flight deck and watched as the 16 B-25’s were launched on their one-way mission. As one of the few living eyewitnesses to the April 18, 1942 launch of Doolittle Raid, Nowatzki will share vivid memories of the Raid and other wartime experiences onboard the Hornet CV-8. His fascinating book about his career, Memoirs of a Navy Major, will also available for purchase and author-autograph during the Living Ship Day event. Nowatzki currently resides in Roseville, CA.

Author & West Point Grad Gregory Crouch.  He is the author of China’s Wings and served in the Army.  In 1988, Gregory Crouch graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, where he studied military history. He completed U.S. Army Airborne and Ranger schools and led an infantry platoon during Operation Just Cause, the 1989 invasion of Panama that ousted strongman Manuel Noriega, for which Crouch was awarded the Combat Infantryman’s Badge.

Price: regular museum admission applies. Free for members.

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