Shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered military planners to strike at the heart of Japan. This daring bombing mission was entrusted to Col. James Doolittle of the U.S. Army Air Corps.

On April 18, 16 bombers took off from the deck of the USS Hornet, with each bomber carrying five crew members. The engineer on the 15th bomber was Edward Saylor.

Mr. Saylor shared his story with us at the American Veterans Center conference in Washington several years ago. In this conversation, Col. Saylor discusses his preparations for the raid, the two great challenges as the Doolittle Raiders got closer to Japan, dropping bombs over the target, and his harrowing efforts to avoid Japanese forces after the mission.