A native of Hawaii, Thomas White was a medical doctor and first lieutenant in the US Army Air Forces when he volunteered to serve as flight surgeon (and gunner) during the famed Doolittle Raid in April 1942. The daring escapade involved the aircraft carrier USS Hornet secretly steaming within striking distance of Japan before launching a squadron of 16 B-25 Army bombers. The bombers could take off from the aircraft carrier but were unable to land on such a short flight deck, and after delivering their modest payloads against Tokyo and other cities, the pilots flew on to China to make their escape. They ran out of fuel, crash landing each of their planes along the Chinese coast.
Lieutenant White remained on board his sinking plane just long enough to retrieve his medical kit and surgical instruments. Evading enraged Japanese occupation troops and aided by Chinese peasants, 64 of the pilots and crewmen made the long journey from occupied coastal territory to safety in the interior of China. White was later awarded the Silver Star for the medical care he provided during the ordeal, including the amputation of one pilot’s leg, an operation that saved the man’s life. White served in other theaters during the war, also earning the Distinguished Flying Cross. He passed away in 1992.
