Jonna Doolittle Hoppes

Early years

Hoppes was born the second of John and Priscilla Doolittle's five children. Her father, one of James H. Doolittle's two sons, is a retired USAF colonel who flew combat missions in both the Korean War and Vietnam War. Her siblings include an older sister, Jody, a younger sister, Penny, and twin brothers, Peter and Patrick.

During her childhood, she spent many hours with her grandparents, whom she called Granny and Gramps, when they lived in San Francisco and later in Los Angeles, California. The Doolittle Raiders, who flew with her grandfather on the 1942 mission to bomb Tokyo, were part of her extended family, and she would sometimes attend their yearly reunions. Honorary raiders, such as historian Colonel Carroll. V. Glines, became important figures in Hoppes' life. Glines would later write the foreword to her book, Calculated Risk.

Educator and author

Hoppes works at the 61st Mission Support Squadron's Educational Office - a unit of the 61st Air Base Group stationed at Los Angeles Air Force Base. She started her first book in response to the film, Pearl Harbor, to correct inaccuracies about her grandfather's character and actions during World War II. Actor Alec Baldwin initially portrayed Doolittle as an ill-tempered man prone to using profanity, but the depiction was corrected after Hoppes presented the family's objections. Although Calculated Risk presented the achievements of Jimmy Doolittle, the book also included many details about the family such as Doolittle's wife of 71 years, Josephine Daniels. One reviewer described the book as "an ode to her grandmother", whom Hoppes herself described as a woman with the patience of a saint who was the rudder of Doolittle's life. Calculated Risk received positive reviews from a number of trade publications including Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and Booklist.

Hoppes' fulfilled her passion for meeting people of the Greatest Generation and hearing the stories of their service. Her second book, Just Doing My Job, is a collection of such stories to educate the public and to document the personal reflections for future generations. A review by Publishers Weekly found the story about Japanese-American soldier, Dick Hamada, who worked for the Office of Strategic Services intelligence agency "particularly fascinating." Hoppes called for veterans of all conflicts to record their stories using programs such as the Veterans History Project. We Represented All Women, Hoppes' account of Violet “Vi” Cowden of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs), appeared on the Air & Space/Smithsonian web site in June 2009.

Hoppes is working on a third book that will include interviews with other World War II veterans including Major General Johnny Alison. As of 2013, Hoppes serves on the board of directors for the Warhawk Air Museum in Nampa, Idaho, and the Air Force Historical Foundation.

Television

Hoppes provided insight to a number of television programs. In 2007, she appeared on From Vengeance to Forgiveness, the story of Corporal Jake DeShazer, a Doolittle Raider who was captured by the Japanese. Although he suffered years of abuse at the hands of his captors, DeShazer later forgave his enemies and returned to Japan as a missionary. In 2008, Hoppes appeared on The History Channel's Man, Moment, Machine series that described historical events in the context of the key person involved, the machine used by that person, and the outcome of the moment. In the episode Doolittle's Daring Raid, Hoppes described her grandfather's childhood and love of flying. She also described the despair her grandfather felt when he thought the raid on Japan had failed.

Presentations

Hoppes began giving presentations to the public to ensure the memory of her grandfather was accurately portrayed. She has since presented many lectures at events throughout the United States and Europe including:

Personal life

As of 2011, Hoppes lives in Newport Beach, California. She has two adult daughters, Stacy and Shawna.

List of Works

Honors

On January 14, 2010, Hoppes received the "Content of their Character" award at the Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration luncheon held in Los Angeles, California. The award honors individuals who realize King's dream of educating and empowering others around them. The award takes its name from King's "I Have a Dream" speech delivered on August 28, 1963, that includes the line, "I have a dream, that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."