The sixtieth Doolittle Raiders Reunion was held in Columbia, SC on April 17 - 21, 2002 commemorating their seemingly impossible WWII mission. Sixteen B-25 bombers accomplished takeoffs from a storm tossed carrier deck in as little as 450 feet. These Mitchell bombers were the first to retaliate against the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. The raid was a success but most of the aircraft either crashlanded or were ditched along the coast of China since there was not enough fuel to return to the carrier. The Chinese sheltered and nursed the injured and wounded.