Griffin, Thomas Carson “Tom”, born 10-07-1916, in Green Bay, Brown, 
Wisconsin, United States, to John Eugene Griffin (1875–1952) and his wife Genevieve Magdalene “Jennie”, born Larson, Griffin (1874 – unknown).
“Tom” had three sisters and on brother, Marian M, Griffin Beeson (1898–1985), 
Lauretta I. Griffin Keys, (1901–1985), 
Genevieve Catherine Griffin Sundt (1905–2001) 
and John L. Griffin (1910–1996).
In 1939, Thomas graduated from the University of Alabama 
with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science.
After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor 
on 07-12-1941, the 17th Bombardment Group 
immediately began anti-submarine patrols off the coast of Oregon and Washington.
In February 1942, Thomas Griffin volunteered for a “secret mission”, even though he did not know what duties were involved or any other details. This mission ended up being the critical Doolittle Raid, 
which was led by U.S. 3* Air Force Major General James Harold ” Jimmy” Doolittle. 
The raid was daring not only because of the intended targets, the Japanese homeland, but because the pilots trained to take-off in a B-25 bomber from the deck of an aircraft carrier, something neither the designers of the B-25, 
nor the aircraft carrier, ever envisioned.
Griffin was the navigator for ninth bomber, plane# 40-2303 nicknamed “Whirling Dervish”, 
to depart the deck of the USS Hornet 
during the mission. On 18-04-1942, Griffin and his B-25’s four crewmembers, took off from the Hornet and reached Tokyo, Japan. They bombed their target; Tokyo Gas and Electric Company building in the southern part of the city. 
They then headed for their recovery airfield in China. Running low on fuel due to the early launch of the raid, the B-25s failed to reach any of the designated safety zones in China. Griffin and his crew bailed out behind Japanese lines over the city of Nanchang in Jiangxi Province, China. The pilot of Griffin’s bomber, First Lieutenant Harold Francis Watson,
was badly injured during the bail out and was carried to Hengyang in a porter by friendly Chinese civilians along with the bomber’s crew. On April 30, after the crew made their way to Chungking, Griffin, Doolittle and other bomber crew members were decorated by Madame Chiang Kai-shek.
After the raid, from April to August 1942, Griffin remained in China, where flew one additional combat mission with the 34th Bomb Squadron. He was later reassigned as a Martin B-26 Marauder navigator 
with the 438th Bombardment Squadron of the 319th Bombardment Group. 
In September 1942, the unit was sent to England and later to North Africa. Griffin flew 19 missions in support of Operation Torch and in preparation for the Allied invasion of Sicily. Operation Torch (8–16 November 1942) was an Allied invasion of French North Africa during World War II. Torch was a compromise operation that met the British objective of securing victory in North Africa while allowing American armed forces the opportunity to begin their fight against Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy on a limited scale.
On 04-07-1943, his aircraft was shot down over Sicily and after bailing out, he was captured and taken prisoner by the Germans. He remained as a prisoner of war until April 1945, when his prison camp was liberated by Allied troops.
Griffin was married to Esther Brooks (Jones) Griffin, 
who died in 2005, for 60 years. Thomas and Esther had two sons, and several grand and great-grandchildren.
After the end of World War II, Griffin left active duty on 22-02-1946. “Tom” remained in the U.S. Air Force Reserves 
until April 1959. He moved to Cincinnati where he engaged in accounting business. Griffin joined the Doolittle Raiders Association, 
and attended every reunion except the final reunion, which was scheduled for April 2013, due to him dying in February 2013.
Death and burial ground of Thomas Carson “Tom” Griffin.
Neil Armstrong (left) and Tom Griffin in 2009Thomas Carson “Tom” Griffin died on 26-02-2013, in a Veteran Affairs nursing home in Cincinnati, at the age of 96. Tom was buried with full military honors at Hillside Chapel Crematory and Columbarium in Cincinnati. His death left just four surviving Doolittle Raiders.
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