Ted W. Lawson

Ted W. Lawson
Born(1917-03-07)March 7, 1917
Fresno, California
DiedJanuary 19, 1992(1992-01-19) (aged 74)
Chico, California
Place of burial
Chico Cemetery Mausoleum
AllegianceUnited States
Service / branchUnited States Army Air Forces
Years of service1940–1945
RankMajor
Unit17th Bombardment Group
CommandsLiaison Officer
Battles / warsparticipated in Doolittle's Tokyo raid, 1942
World War II
AwardsDistinguished Flying Cross
Purple Heart
Chinese Army, Navy, and Air Corps Medal, Class A, 1st Grade
Other workAuthor

Major Ted William Lawson (March 7, 1917 – January 19, 1992) was an American officer in the United States Army Air Forces, who is known as the author of Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo, a memoir of his participation in the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo in 1942. The book was subsequently adapted into the 1944 film of the same name starring Spencer Tracy, Van Johnson and Robert Mitchum.