Ted W. Lawson
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Ted W. Lawson, 0-399540, Major, United States Army Air Forces, born March 7, 1917, died January 19, 1992. Lawson was born in Fresno, California and attended Los Angeles City College. He joined the Army Air Corps in March, 1940 while employed by Douglas Aircraft Company and received his pilot's wings and 2nd Lt. commission on November 15, 1940.
[edit] Doolitle Raid
In early 1942, Lawson, already a veteran B-25 pilot, was given the opportunity to volunteer for an ultra top-secret mission to be led by famous aviator Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolitle. He was the pilot of one of the 16 B-25 Mitchell bombers, the "Ruptured Duck", in the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo. After launching the mission some 200 miles further out than planned, each of the aircraft ran out of fuel far short of their intended landing sites in non-Japanese occupied China. Lawson and his crew were forced to ditch the "Ruptured Duck" off the coast of the small island of Nantien. Lawson and his co-pilot were both thrown clear of the plane, with Lawson suffering a lacerated left leg in the process.
Lawson eventually had his leg crudely amputated in the field due to massive infection.
[edit] Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo
In January of 1943, he and well-known newspaper columnist Bob Considine decided to write a book about the mission, entitled Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo and in four nights and two days in the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, the entire story was lined out. Through friends in the Los Angeles area, Ted also made contact with MGM producer Sam Zimbalist, and the movie was launched in 1944.
[edit] Later life
After leaving the hospital, he served as Liaison Officer, U.S. Air Mission, Santiago, Chile from May, 1943 until April, 1944. He was retired for physical disability on February 2, 1945. His decorations include the Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart, and the Chinese Army, Navy, and Air Corps Medal, Class A, 1st Grade.
Lawson owned and operated a machine shop in Southern California, as well as working for Reynolds Metals as a liaison between the company and the military. He died in his home in Chico, Ca. on Jan. 19, 1992.
In 2002, Brassey's Inc. re-printed Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo with more photos and an introduction from Lawson's widow Ellen.
