The Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor. America was at war, but our planes didn't have the range to make a strike at mainland Japan. James Doolittle had the idea of launching planes from a moving ship. After graduating from high school, Doolittle recieved his higher education at the Los Angeles Junior College and the University of California. After joining the Army's Signal Corps Reserve, he became a lieutenant and was an instructor in aerial gunnery and tactics. During the 1920s he became famous. He made a record breaking trans-continental flight, he won the Schneider, Bendix and Thompsom air racing trophies and played an important role in the development of instrument flying. James Doolittle also completed many degrees in aviation. He left the Army Air Corps active service in 1930, though he remained active as a Reserve officer. He then worked in a private industry and became the president of the Institute of Aeronautical science in 1940. After rejoining the Air Corps he planned and executed the daring air raid in Japan in 1942 on which the movie "Destination: Tokyo" was based. For this he was awarded the Medal of Honor. James Doolittle was then promoted many times and died in 1993.