Air Force Hockey to Honor Doolittle Raiders
11/7/2023 12:32:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
Air Force hockey will honor the Doolittle Raiders with the 2023 edition of the Air Power Legacy Series uniforms. The Falcons will wear the uniform against Army, Nov. 10-11, at the Cadet Ice Arena.
The Doolittle Raiders were 80 pilots and crew of 16 B-25B Mitchell bombers who launched the Doolittle Raid April 18, 1942. Led by United States Army Air Force Lt. Col. James H. "Jimmy" Doolittle, the Raiders bombed selected targets in the Japanese capital of Tokyo and other military locations on the Japanese homeland. Planning for the Doolittle Raid began in January 1942, in response to the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor. The plan featured 16 B-25B medium bombers, each with a crew of five, launched from the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, USS Hornet (CV-8). Running low on fuel after the bombing, the Raiders had to ditch their planes at sea, bail out, or crash land in China. Most of the Doolittle Raiders safely reached friendly forces and return to action. Lt. Col. Richard "Dick" Cole, Doolittle's co-pilot in the lead B-25 during the mission and last surviving member of the Doolittle Raiders, passed away at the age of 103 April 9, 2019.
The jersey features letters and numbers of brushed steel and rivets like on the B-25 aircraft the Raiders flew in the mission. The right chest lists tail numbers of the aircraft that flew the mission. The left sleeve features the squadron patch of the Raiders, which was created and graciously permitted for use by the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders Association. The right sleeve feature a 48-star flag, representing the number of states in 1942. The back nameplate says Doolittle Raiders. The Raiders mantra, Ever into Peril, appears down the right side of the pants, while Toujours au Danger is on the left leg, which is Ever into Peril in French.
The helmet features a decal on the back, right side, honoring the USS Hornet that the Doolittle Raiders launched from. On the left side on the back of the helmet features a decal of the squadron patches from the Doolittle Raiders.
Doolittle Plane Nicknames
Serial Number -- Nickname
40-2270 -- Whiskey Pete
40-2298 -- The Green Hornet
40-2261 -- The Ruptured Duck
40-2303 -- Whirling Dervish
40-2249 -- Hari Kari-er
40-2278 -- Fickle Finger of Fate
40-2247 -- The Avenger
40-2267 -- TNT
40-2268 -- Bat Out of Hell
The following planes did not have nicknames: 40-2344, 40-2292, 40-2282, 40-2283, 40-2242, 40-2250, 40-2297
Note: Thank you to The National Museum of World War II Aviation who was kind enough to supply the B-25 used in the uniform photos.
Air Power Legacy Series History in Hockey
• The Air Power Legacy Series began in the 2016 season with the football team wearing an alternate uniform to celebrate the Tiger Shark teeth nose-art which has been represented on multiple Air Force aircraft dating back to World War II.
• The 2021 edition honoring the B-52 Stratofortress was the first year hockey wore the APLS uniform
• The 2022 edition honored the Space Force, which the U.S. Air Force Academy sends about 100 graduates to each year.
The Doolittle Raiders were 80 pilots and crew of 16 B-25B Mitchell bombers who launched the Doolittle Raid April 18, 1942. Led by United States Army Air Force Lt. Col. James H. "Jimmy" Doolittle, the Raiders bombed selected targets in the Japanese capital of Tokyo and other military locations on the Japanese homeland. Planning for the Doolittle Raid began in January 1942, in response to the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor. The plan featured 16 B-25B medium bombers, each with a crew of five, launched from the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, USS Hornet (CV-8). Running low on fuel after the bombing, the Raiders had to ditch their planes at sea, bail out, or crash land in China. Most of the Doolittle Raiders safely reached friendly forces and return to action. Lt. Col. Richard "Dick" Cole, Doolittle's co-pilot in the lead B-25 during the mission and last surviving member of the Doolittle Raiders, passed away at the age of 103 April 9, 2019.
The jersey features letters and numbers of brushed steel and rivets like on the B-25 aircraft the Raiders flew in the mission. The right chest lists tail numbers of the aircraft that flew the mission. The left sleeve features the squadron patch of the Raiders, which was created and graciously permitted for use by the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders Association. The right sleeve feature a 48-star flag, representing the number of states in 1942. The back nameplate says Doolittle Raiders. The Raiders mantra, Ever into Peril, appears down the right side of the pants, while Toujours au Danger is on the left leg, which is Ever into Peril in French.
The helmet features a decal on the back, right side, honoring the USS Hornet that the Doolittle Raiders launched from. On the left side on the back of the helmet features a decal of the squadron patches from the Doolittle Raiders.
Doolittle Plane Nicknames
Serial Number -- Nickname
40-2270 -- Whiskey Pete
40-2298 -- The Green Hornet
40-2261 -- The Ruptured Duck
40-2303 -- Whirling Dervish
40-2249 -- Hari Kari-er
40-2278 -- Fickle Finger of Fate
40-2247 -- The Avenger
40-2267 -- TNT
40-2268 -- Bat Out of Hell
The following planes did not have nicknames: 40-2344, 40-2292, 40-2282, 40-2283, 40-2242, 40-2250, 40-2297
Note: Thank you to The National Museum of World War II Aviation who was kind enough to supply the B-25 used in the uniform photos.
Air Power Legacy Series History in Hockey
• The Air Power Legacy Series began in the 2016 season with the football team wearing an alternate uniform to celebrate the Tiger Shark teeth nose-art which has been represented on multiple Air Force aircraft dating back to World War II.
• The 2021 edition honoring the B-52 Stratofortress was the first year hockey wore the APLS uniform
• The 2022 edition honored the Space Force, which the U.S. Air Force Academy sends about 100 graduates to each year.
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