A Memorable Visit

by Senior Airman Charles Rivezzo
60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

7/25/2014 - TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Sean Doolittle tugged gently on his bushy red beard and soaked in a history lesson as he strolled the halls of the Travis Heritage Center July 21. He was taken through a time machine of Air Force lineage - a lineage he is all too familiar with.

Military life indeed hits close to home for the Oakland Athletics closer, as his father, Rory, is retired Air Force and now teaches high school Reserve Officer Training Corps in New Jersey. His stepmother, April, is active duty Air National Guard stationed at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Air Force Base in New Jersey.

But perhaps Doolittle's most heralded connection to the military comes from a man he never met. Through the assistance of genealogists, he recently determined that the late Gen. Jimmy Doolittle is a seventh cousin.

Jimmy Doolittle was an aviation pioneer, courageous combat man and one of the most-noted pilots of his time. It was Jimmy Doolittle who calculated that the 16 B-25 Army Air Force Mitchell bombers could be launched using "short-field takeoffs" - less than 500 feet of runway on an aircraft carrier - fully loaded with bombs to drop on Japan and have enough fuel to fly on to China in daring one-way missions.

"I always knew I had some sort of connection to him," he said. "Every time we head toward the airport for a road game we take Doolittle Drive and the guys would always ask if there was any relation. I see his legacy everywhere around me and I wanted to be sure of what our relationship actually was.

"I am constantly learning new things about the man he was and his significance in history. It never ceases to amaze me."

During his visit to Travis Air Force Base, Sean Doolittle bared witness to an Air Force much evolved from its early beginning as the Army Air Force.

After an outing on the flightline to meet aircrew members aboard a C-17 Globemaster III, Doolittle headed for a C-17 aircraft simulator to try his hand at living up to the family name.

Flying a mission profile through the Bay Area, Doolittle departed the simulator beaming with confidence, joking that he was ready to head back to the flighline and "fly the C-17 for real."

Throughout the day, Doolittle met Airmen from across the base, signed autographs, shook hands and took more "selfies" than he can probably remember, but to Doolittle this visit was about supporting the men and women in uniform.

"The military is a part of my family, it's a part of my history," he said. "I remember what it was like when my dad deployed after 9/11 and I can relate to sacrifices our military families make. As a society, I think we tend to forget that we still have people overseas defending our freedoms every single day.

"No matter what your political stance is or whether or not you believe in the places we are in the world, it should be noted that there are men and women in uniform who are willing to go to these places for us, and defend our freedoms."

When the day Doolittle will "never forget" began to come to an end, it was his final stop on his tour that resided closest to his heart - a meet and greet with Travis youth.

In a gymnasium filled with hunter green and California gold balloons and dozens of children, Doolittle relayed a message he hopes will remain with them for the rest of their lives.

"It wasn't so long ago that I was sitting right where you are today," he told them. "Don't ever give up on your dreams because you may think a military kid doesn't have a chance. I am living proof that dreams do come true. I am one of you guys."