Into the Teeth of the Dragon - Doolittle raid by military aviation artist William Phillips.
As Aircraft 02283 left the deck of the USS Hornet, Captain David Jones and the rest of Crew 5 had no expectation of return. The brave crewmen knew that their B-25 did not have the range to complete the run and make a return trip, and that they would have to try to land on the Chinese mainland. At a small break in the cloud cover over Chu Chow the members of Crew 5 left the plane, trusting their parachutes, the wind and the Chinese people to lead them to safety. Note crewmember tumbling from plane, below and behind.
In Chinese folklore the lóng, or dragon, symbolizes all that is good: abundance, prosperity, good fortune, nobility, and divine protection, as well as the Chinese people themselves. The dragon is believed to be the benevolent guardian of water, as well as life-giving rain and storms. As they tumbled into the stormy night sky, Captain Jones and his crew entrusted their safety—and their lives—to the arms of the dragon. One of the crew members can be barely seen tumbling just above and to the left of the smaller lightning stroke - before his chute opens
The Chinese paid dearly for the aid and shelter they provided to American soldiers. In the Zhejiang-Jiangxi Campaign, Japanese forces killed an estimated 250,000 Chinese civilians as retaliation and intimidation to prevent further assistance of American soldiers. The brave sacrifices of the Chinese saved many lives and solidified the American people in their determination to succeed. William S. Phillips inspiring new limited editionInto the Arms of the Dragon pays tribute to the combined efforts of two nations. Both the Fine Art Limited Edition Giclée Canvas and Fine Art Limited Edition Giclée Print of this spectacular image have been signed by surviving members of Doolittle’s Raiders, making each a genuine historical memento.
Signed by:
SSgt. Ed W. Horton, Gunner
Lt. Bill Bower, Pilot
Gunner Sgt. D.J. Thatcher,
Engineer
Lt. Robert.E Cole, Co-Pilot
Lt. T.C. Griffin Navigator
Lt. Robert Hite Co-Pilot
Both editions, canvas and paper, released 2008.
