BIG DO FOR GEN. DOOLITTLE : BIRTHDAY SALUTE FOR A TOKYO RAIDER

Aviation pioneer and World War II hero Gen. Jimmy Doolittle says “it’s very flattering” to receive a television tribute for his 90th birthday.

Doolittle won’t turn 90 until Dec. 14 but his birthday will be celebrated on television Monday with the two-hour “All-Star Tribute to General Jimmy Doolittle” (to be seen 8-10 p.m. on KTLA Channel 5).

“I’m pretty much house-bound these days,” he said, so the trip in June to Miramar Naval Air Station in San Diego for the taping of the special variety show was an “enjoyable” outing.

Doolittle is the four-star general who received the Congressional Medal of Honor for leading the 1942 bombing mission over Tokyo. He now lives in quiet privacy at the manicured Carmel Valley Manor retirement community.

He has restricted his travels since his wife of 68 years, Josephine, suffered a stroke in October, 1984. Although she accompanied him on the San Diego trip, she infrequently leaves the Manor’s total care facility a block from the Doolittle duplex, the general said.

He visits her each morning then spends much of the day answering mail with the help of a secretary. Doolittle said he gets bundles of correspondence from his far-flung network of friends and “from folks interested in aviation. I frequently find myself a referee in an argument” over some point of aeronautical history.

Doolittle claims “my memory has gotten very flabby” but his sense of humor remains sharp. “The highlight of my day,” he joked, “is when (son) John comes by and says ‘Pop, let’s go down to the Old Capitol Club for lunch.’ ” John, 64, is a retired Air Force colonel who lives in nearby Pebble Beach.

“Then,” Doolittle continued laughingly, “if my day isn’t full enough, I lay down and go to sleep.”

His son said Doolittle reads a great deal, “particularly if it concerns aviation,” and occasionally joins him on a salmon fishing expedition.

The general still attends the annual reunion each April of the Tokyo Raiders. “Of the 79 men, besides myself, who flew the mission,” Doolittle said, “43 are still alive.”

He acknowledged that he most likely will be remembered for his part in the daring raid, celebrated in the book and movie “30 Seconds Over Tokyo,” but said, “I think probably the most useful thing I did in my life was to develop the instrumentation necessary to permit airplanes to fly regardless of weather.”

In the 1920s, Doolittle was director of the Full Flight Laboratory which developed the artificial horizon and the directional gyroscope, the two devices which allowed pilots to fly “blind.”

Doolittle, who earned a doctorate in aeronautical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said he is no longer active on any civilian or military boards except for an Air Force advisory panel which deals strictly with that service’s programs and problems.

“I’ve joined the thumb-twirling society,” he said. “I’m just trying to grow old gracefully because the alternative isn’t worth a darn.”

Though his advice is no longer sought by national leaders and he admitted “I’ve been away from the fire for quite a while,” his views are hawkish.

He fears America is falling behind in military technology. “I would like to see a better appreciation of the importance of remaining militarily strong,” he said, adding that “the greatest threat to us is Russia.”

Doolittle advocated vigorous conduct of any war in which the U.S. becomes engaged and says “if the use of atomic bombs is required, I think we should use them.” He emphasized that he is not “in a position to know those situations” in which atomic weapons might be required.

The upcoming special, produced by Hope Enterprises and syndicated by Tribune Entertainment, was taped before a large uniformed audience to approximate the look of a Bob Hope USO show.

Among those on the performance roster are Hope and his wife, Delores; Andy Gibb, Rich Little, Jack Jones, Shirley Jones, Phyllis Diller, the Lennon Sisters, Don Knotts, Audrey Landers, Brooke Shields and Scott Grimes. Glen Campbell is emcee. Jimmy Stewart, who served under Doolittle during World War II, delivers a testimonial.

Pre-recorded congratulations and accolades come from President Reagan, Sen. Barry Goldwater, Johnny Carson, Charlton Heston and George Burns.

Reagan praises Doolittle’s “curiosity, courage, tenacity, dedication, perseverance and not least of all, bravery--beyond the comprehension of those who remain on the ground.” Reagan calls Doolittle “a modern legend and my personal hero.”