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| Signatures on this item | |
| *The value given for each signature has been calculated by us based on the historical significance and rarity of the signature. Values of many pilot signatures have risen in recent years and will likely continue to rise as they become more and more rare. | |
| Name | Info |
  USAF Colonel Travis Hoover (deceased) *Signature Value : £55 | Travis Hoover was born September 21, 1917 at Melrose, New Mexico. He graduated from Polytechnic High School in Riverside, California in 1938. He enlisted in the National Guard in 1938, and became a Flying Cadet in the Regular Army in 1939. By May of 1940 Hoover had earned his wings and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Army Air Corps. He was selected to participate in the first bombing raid on Tokyo in 1942, which was both planned and lead by Jimmy Doolittle. Hoover piloted the second B-25 off the Hornet's deck and caught up with the aircraft piloted by Doolittle. They attacked Tokyo together. This was the first strike back against the Japanese homeland and occurred only four months following the Pearl Harbor raid. Hoover's B-25 headed west towards China following the attack, and as they reached the Chinese coast they ran out of fuel. They made a forced landing in Japanese occupied territory. They were able to evade the Japanese forces for several days, and eventually they contacted a Chinese student, Tung Sheng Lin, who guided Hoover's crew to safety. Undoubtedly Tung Sheng Lin's courage and valor, and his utter disregard for his own safety, prevented Hoover's crew from being captured and executed. Hoover made it back to America, and he continued to serve his country. He flew B-25s and B-24s out of England, North Africa, and Italy from September of 1942 until May of 1944. He then volunteered to fly P-38 Lightnings in the fighter and dive bomber roles in Italy for another few months. He flew a total of 73 combat missions in WW 11. Later in the War, Hoover instructed in air operations at the Command and General Staff School at Leavenworth, Kansas. His peacetime overseas service included tours in both Okinawa and Turkey. In 1949 he earned his B.A. degree from the University of California. Stateside assignments included Kansas, Washington, D.C., California, Texas, and Mississippi. He completed enough flying hours to earn his command pilot's wings. Travis retired from the Air Force with the rank of Colonel. His numerous decorations include the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit with Oak Leak Cluster, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with nine Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Commendation Medal, and the Chinese Army, Navy, and Air Corps Medal, Class A V' Grade. Retiring in 1969 to San Antonio, Texas, then later to Joplin, Missouri. Travis Hoover passed away 17th January 2004. |
| The Aircraft : | |
| Name | Info |
| Mitchell | On April 18, 1942, Lt. Col. James H. Doolittle led a group of 16 B-25 bombers on a carrier-launched raid on industrial and military targets in Japan. The raid was one of the most daring missions of WW II. Planning for this secret mission began several months earlier, and Jimmy Doolittle, one of the most outstanding pilots and leaders in the United States Army Air Corps was chosen to plan, organize and lead the raid. The plan was to get within 300 or 400 miles of Japan, attack military and industrial targets in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kobe shortly after nightfall, and then fly on to a dawn landing at secret airfields on the coast of China. The twin engine B-25 Mitchell bomber was selected by Doolittle for the mission and practice indicated that it should be possible to launch these aircraft from a carrier deck with less than 500 feet of runway. On April 2, 1942 the USS Hornet and a number of escorts set sail from Alameda, California with the 16 B-25s strapped to its deck. This task force rendezvoused with another including the USS Enterprise, and proceeded for the Japanese mainland. An element of surprise was important for this mission to succeed. When the task force was spotted by a Japanese picket boat, Admiral Halsey made the decision to launch the attack earlier than was planned. This meant that the raiders would have to fly more than 600 miles to Japan, and would arrive over their targets in daylight. It also meant that it would be unlikely that each aircraft would have sufficient fuel to reach useable airfields in China. Doolittle had 50 gallons of additional fuel stowed on each aircraft as well as a dinghy and survival supplies for the likely ditchings at sea which would now take place. At approximately 8:00 AM the Hornets loudspeaker blared, Now hear this: Army pilots, man your planes! Doolittle and his co-pilot R.E. Cole piloted the first B-25 off the Hornets deck at about 8:20 AM. With full flaps, and full throttle the Mitchell roared towards the Hornets bow, just barely missing the ships island superstructure. The B-25 lifted off, Doolittle leveled out, and made a single low altitude pass down the painted center line on the Hornets deck to align his compass. The remaining aircraft lifted off at approximately five minute intervals. The mission was planned to include five three-plane sections directed at various targets. However, Doolittle had made it clear that each aircraft was on its own. He insisted, however, that civilian targets be avoided, and under no circumstances was the Imperial Palace in Tokyo to be bombed. About 30 minutes after taking off Doolittles B-25 was joined by another piloted by Lt. Travis Hoover. These two aircraft approached Tokyo from the north. They encountered a number of Japanese fighter or trainer aircraft, but they remained generally undetected at their low altitude. At 1:30 PM the Japanese homeland came under attack for the first time in the War. From low altitudes the raiders put their cargoes of four 500 pounders into a number of key targets. Despite antiaircraft fire, all the attacking aircraft were unscathed. The mission had been a surprise, but the most hazardous portion of the mission lay ahead. The Chinese were not prepared for the raiders arrival. Many of the aircraft were ditched along the coast, and the crews of other aircraft, including Doolittles were forced to bail out in darkness. There were a number of casualties, and several of the raiders were caught by Japanese troops in China, and some were eventually executed. This painting is dedicated to the memories of those airmen who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country and the thousands of innocent Chinese citizens which were brutally slaughtered as a reprisal for their assistance in rescuing the downed crews. |
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