Howard Koslow (American, 1924 - 2016) "James Doolittle" Signed lower left. Original oil painting on Cold Press Illustration Board.

Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation.

This painting is he original which was published on the Fleetwood Commemorative Proofcard for America's Greatest Military Heroes series, postmarked December 14, 1992.

When America entered World War I, James Doolittle's childhood interest in flying led him to join the aviation section of the Army Signal Corps. He was commissioned a second lieutenant and became a crack flight instructor. During the 1920s and 1930s, Doolittle won awards such as the Mackey trophy, and air competitions such as the Bendix Races. The Army Air Corps then sent him to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he received a doctorate in aeronautical engineering. He retired from active duty to work for Shell Oil Company's aviation division, but held his reserve rank as major. In 1940, the threat of war prompted Doolittle's return to active duty. In 1941, the disaster of Pearl Harbor left American morale at a low ebb. In the spring of 1942, Lieutenant Colonel Doolittle led one of the most daring raids of the Second World War: a low-level bombing raid on Tokyo. Leading a squadron of B-25s from the deck of the U.S.S. Hornet (code named "Shangri-la"), Doolittle's men scored a victory for America while forcing the heretofore impregnable Japanese forces on the defensive. For his courageous leadership, Doolittle was promoted to brigadier general and awarded the Medal of Honor. He went on to lead the 12th and 8th Air Forces in Europe and played a leading role in defeating the Luftwaffe. Before his retirement he was promoted to lieutenant general.

Image Size: 14 x 12 in.
Overall Size: 20.25 x 18.25 in.
Unframed.
(B10558)

- By registering to bid for this auction either in-house or online and/or placing a bid in this auction the BIDDER/BUYER agrees to all the terms and conditions of Helmuth Stone Gallery Auctions.

- All silver, gold and/or jewelry lots or invoices containing said lots MUST be paid for via WIRE TRANSFER, no other forms of payment will be accepted.

- All items are sold as-is where-is and no guarantees are made of any kind. All sales are final; no refunds will be given under any circumstances.

- Helmuth Stone Gallery provides condition reports as a courtesy to our clients and assumes no liability for any error or omission. Any condition statement is given as a courtesy to a client and is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Descriptions are our opinions and should in no way be construed as a guarantee of any kind as to age, condition, mater. The bidder assumes responsibility for ensuring that the condition of the item(s) meets with their satisfaction prior to bidding. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging.

- Online images can sometimes be low quality due to the uploading process, original high-resolution images can be requested via email at HelmuthStone@gmail.com

- We recommend looking into shipping quotes prior to bidding, shipping quotes can take up to a week or more post-sale as we host our auctions through multiple online platforms and shipping can become backlogged, if you would like a list of local shippers please email us directly.

- Our auction catalogs are hosted through multiple online platforms along with phone and in-house bidding. Bids placed on other platforms are not shown through this catalog. Because of this, even if it appears you are the only absentee bid or bidder on a lot, you may already be outbid or may have placed a bid equal to another bidder. Therefore, we always recommend bidding live.

- Unless otherwise stated in the description, all items are sold without additional documentation or COAs. If any supporting documentation is available an image will be available online via the catalog listing.