Crisp County GaArchives News.....CORDELE AIRMEN CONGRATULATED BY DOOLITTLE 1945
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
WYLIE SHEPPARD JR http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00030.html#0007303 June 6, 2011, 1:45 pm

CORDELE DISPATCH 1945
AN EIGHTH AIR FORCE STATION,ENGLAND
 AMONG THE 185,000 MEN AND WOMEN OFTHE EIGHTH AIR FORCE CONGRATULATED AFTER V-
E DAY BT LT. GENERAL JAMES H. DOOLITTLE, THEIR COMMANDER, WERE MAJOR FELIX D. 
WILLIAMSON, RTE 2,FIRST LT. DUNCUN U. NESBITT,416 13TH AVE; AND SGT. IRA 
LITTLE, OF CORDELE,GA..
 ''I WISH TO EXPAND MY PERSONAL CONGRATULATIONS AND MY HEARTFELT APPRECIATION 
TO EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR THE MAGNIFICANT JOB YOU HAVE DONE,''GENERAL DOOLITTLE 
SAID IN A MESSAGE TO ALL PERSONEL.
 ''EACH OF YOU,''HE CONTINUED, ''MAY BE PROUD OF YOUR PART IN THE DEFEAT OF 
GERMANY. I AM PROUD OF YOU. THE WORLD IS PROUD OF YOU.''
 THE EIGHTH AIRFORCE WAS THE WORLD'S MIGHTEST STRATEGIC BOMBING FORCE. IT'S 
PERSONNEL 185,000 WAS THE EQUIVALENT OF 12 DIVISIONS, AND IT COULD SEND 21,000 
AIRMEN IN 2,000 FOUR-ENGINE BOMBERS AND 1,000 FGHTERS OVER GERMANY AT ONE 
TIME, A COMBAT EFFORT POSSIBLE ONLY THROUGH THE SUPPORT OF TENS OF THOUSANDS 
OF NON-FLTING SPECIALISTS.
 SINCE AUGUST,1942,WHEN COMBAT OPERATIONS BEGAN, FLYING FORTRESSES AND 
LIBERATORS OF THE EIGHTH DROPPED MORE THAN 700,000 TONS OF BOMBS ON ENEMY 
TARGETS. FIGHTER PILOTS SHOT DOWN 5,250 NAZI PLANES AND DESTROYED 4,250 OTHERS 
ON THE GROUND.BOMBER GUNNERS SHOT 6,000GERMAN INTECEPTORS OUT OF THE AIR.
 RHE EIGHTH DROPPED AN AVERAGE OF A TON OF BOMBS EVERY MINUTE OF THE LAST 12 
MONTHS.
 AIRMEN OF THE EIGHTH WERE THE FIRST AMERICANS TO ATTACK GERMANY. THE EARLY 
CREWS FLEW A HANDFUL OF UNESCORTED BOMBERS AGAINEST THE POWEFUL LUFTWAFFE, AND 
PROVED THE FEASIBILITY OF AN AMERICAN IDEA- PRECISION DAY LIGHT BOMBING OVER 
THE REICH.
 AS THE EIGHTH GREW IN STRENGTH, IT WAS ASSIGNED THE TASK OF CRUSHING THE 
GERMAN AIR FORCE, WHICH HAD TO BE DONE BEFORE THE ALLIES COULD INVADE 
FRANCE.BOMBERS OF THE EIGHTH SMASHED NAZI AIRCRAFT PRODUCTION CENTERS. ITS 
FIGHTERS DESTROYED THOUSANDS OF ENEMY PLANES IN THE AIR AND ON THE GROUNF.
 AFTER BEATING THE LUFTWAFFE INTO RELATIVE IMPOTENCY, THE EIGHTH THREW ITS 
GROWING WEIGHT AGAINEST GERMANY'S RAIL SYSTEM AND VITAL SOURCES OF OIL. THESE 
CAMPAIGNS, IN CONJUCTION WITH THE BRITISH AIR FORCE AND THE U.S. 15TH AIR 
FORCE, DISORGANIZED ALL TRANSPORT IN GERMANY, RESTRICTED GERMAN MILITARY 
OPERATIONS IN THE AIR AND ON THE GROUND, AND PAVED THE WAY FOR THE MARCH OF 
ALLIED ARMIES ACROSS EUROPE.

Additional Comments:
CRISP AIRMEN HONORED FOR SERVICE IN 8TH AIR FORCE OVER EUROPE

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