World War II pilot Thomas “TJ” Doody and his daughter Susan Griffith at a celebration Friday, July 14, at the Lakeview Memory Center in Bloomingdale in honor of Doody’s 100th birthday. (Kevin Beese/Chronicle Media)

Eight decades from his time in the military, Thomas J. “TJ” Doody still remembers every one of his bombing runs as an Army pilot during World War II.
“I was scared, but you don’t show it,” Doody said Friday, July 14, at a celebration in Bloomingdale in recognition of his 100^th birthday. “You only feel it, and then it goes away almost instantaneously.”

As a P-51 pilot during the Second World War, Doody escorted bombers over Europe, flying more than 260 combat hours and completing 51 missions.

The Chicago native said it was rare for him to return from a bombing mission without some new bullet holes in his plane, Cathy Beloved.

The former Westmont resident remembers battling the Germans in the air when the enemy had jets and Army pilots were still in prop planes. He said Army planes would maneuver up or down to get behind the faster-moving German jets and then try to shoot them down before the foes disengaged.

TJ Doody in front of his Army plane, Cathy Beloved (Photo courtesy of the Doody family)

“That was the only way to do it when they were coming up on us. They were doing 450 mph; we were doing 380. It was cat and mouse,” Doody said.

Members of Bloomingdale VFW Post 7539 were on hand at Friday’s celebration at the Lakeview Memory Center in Bloomingdale to give Doody the Cross of Malta, a pin recognizing him as a veteran in a foreign war. The Cross of Malta is also what the Veterans of Foreign Wars uses for its logo.

Bloomingdale Village President Franco Coladipietro was also on hand to give Doody a proclamation declaring Saturday, July 15 (Doody’s birthday) as Tom Doody Day in the village.

“This is unbelievable,” Doody said of the celebration, marking his century of life.

“I’ve had a nice life. I had a good marriage while it lasted,” he said. “I have been satisfied all the way. I am very happy.

TJ Doody, while serving as an Army pilot (Photo courtesy of the Doody family)

“I had a good life. I have four beautiful children. I was a hard worker. I was a scientific glass blower for Argonne. I served during World War II. After that, I’ve always tried to do the right thing and I did my best raising my children.”

His daughter Susan Griffith of Glen Ellyn said it is common for her dad to look up when he is outside.

“He is always looking at the sky. That is his pilot’s background,” Griffith said. “He was always taught to look at cloud formations. He knows what type of clouds they all are.”

After enlisting in the U.S. Army, Doody qualified as an air cadet in 1942 and was assigned as a 1^st lieutenant and pilot at an air base in England. His duties often included escorting bombers, strafing and performing fighter sweeps. Doody earned an Air Medal, Silver Oak Cluster and Theater Ribbon, and three Bronze Battle Stars.

His daughter said Doody did not talk about his time in the service for decades.

“Not until 10 years ago, then he started recounting his time in the service,” Griffith said. “We brought him to a Veterans History Project event in Waukegan. He participated in that when he was close to 90 … It was him and 15 other veterans. That started him talking about his time in the service.”

A transcript of the interview is in the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.

Despite being at an advanced age, Doody still remembers “minute details of his aircraft,” according to his daughter.

“Even now, he remembers the temperature in his cockpit. He remembers the cold. It being 20 below in the cockpit and his teeth chattering,” Griffith said.

Bloomingdale Village President Franco Coladipietro presents Thomas “TJ” Doody with a proclamation declaring Saturday, July 15, as Thomas Doody Day in the village (Photo courtesy of Beth Richman)

Griffith added that her dad has a scientific mind, honed through 32 years working at Argonne National Laboratory in Lemont. He became head of the laboratory’s glassblowing unit and was awarded a patent for a conductor tube he created with nine valve openings.

“He was generous with his time.” Griffith said of her father. “He enjoyed intellectual conversations and was an extremely good listener; still is.”

Jim Livesay, executive director of Lakeview Memory Center, said Doody has made an impact on the Bloomingdale center’s community in his nearly one year being there.

“He is a lively guy. He is quick-witted,” Livesay said. “Everyone knows his birthday is this weekend. When I was leaving the other day, I saw him and said, ‘You’re going to be 99, right?’ He looked at me and said, ‘Come on!’ He is pretty sharp for 100.”