EXCERPT FROM CHECKPOINTS ARTICLE:

Doolittle Hall has been home to the Air Force Academy’s Association of Graduates since 1992. The building is named for World War II pilot Gen. Jimmy Doolittle, but until recently there wasn’t a fitting tribute to Doolittle and his Raiders within the building itself. Now, guests of the AOG can learn all about the men behind one of the most iconic air battles of the war.

The new “Doolittle Raiders” exhibit spans a third of the north wall on the second floor of Doolittle Hall. From left to right, visitors can scan a visual timeline of events leading up to the famous Doolittle Raid and the history that followed it.

“We wanted to pay homage not only to Doolittle but also his crew, the Doolittle Raiders,” says graphic designer Eric Costello, who took the lead on designing the wall. “We thought it would be a good idea to highlight their accomplishments in an easy, digestible manner. That’s how we came up with the timeline concept.”

Pieces of the story about the Raiders’ retaliatory attack on Japan are framed in aluminum composite material, held in place by rivets that give the wall a distinct look mimicking the exterior of the B-25s Doolittle and his men flew during the operation. Inside the frames are newspaper clippings and images from the 1940s. Books about Gen. Doolittle and the Raiders also are available in the area for anyone interested in diving deeper into one of the most important military missions of World War II.