In April 1942, Lt. Col. Jim Doolittle and his crew lifted off their B-25 Mitchell mid-range bomber from a carrier in the Pacific Ocean.

Their mission: Drop several 500-pound bombs in the first Japanese mainland mission above Tokyo and continue to a Chinese airfield.

The "Doolittle Raid" is described by some U.S. Navy historians as one of the most daring raids during the war.

The B-25 is one of three World War II bombers slated to land at the DuPage Airport today as part of the Massachusetts-based Collings Foundation's Wings of Freedom living history tour.

"(Doolittle and other crews) knew it was a one-way trip. The objective was to fly into China and ditch the aircraft," said Hunter Chaney, marketing director of the nonprofit foundation. "It illustrates the bravery of the pilots and crew that flew these aircraft."

The B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator have made several appearances at the West Chicago airport in past years.

This is the inaugural visit for the B-25.

"The (B-25) Mitchell will be flying with the 17 and 24. This collection of aircraft is the only type in the world as far as living history," Chaney said. "We've had a real groundswell of interest as far as the plane being part of the tour. We've slowly integrated it. It's been a great addition."

The living-history exhibit features walk-through tours of all three aircraft from today through Monday.

Another attraction at the airport Saturday is the annual plane pull to benefit the Illinois Special Olympics.

Teams of 10 people have two tries at pulling a 75,000-pound jet 15 feet. The top three teams have a pull-off.

It's $50 for each person, or $500 for a team. Registration can be done in advance or beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday. For more information, call (800) 394-0562 or go online to www.soill.org.

Jeff Henson, Special Olympics director of special events, said teams of less than 10 will be paired with others to make a full team.

"It's a great event, a lot of fun. It's something you'd probably thought you'd never do," he said. "The whole key is getting the plane moving. Once it gets moving, it moves at a good pace."

Admission for Wings of Freedom is $10 for adults, $5 for kids 12 and younger and free for World War II veterans.

For those willing to spend $300 to $425, the foundation has 30-minute flights aboard one of the three bombers each day. The cost covers operational expenses for the authentic aircraft.

For more information or to make a reservation, call (800) 568-8924.

Mike Hitzeroth, a Geneva man who was an Air Corps staff sergeant in the war, plans to attend this weekend's tour with his wife of 57 years, Lois.

Hitzeroth actually flew in all three bombers during his service, and took a ride in a B-17 a few years ago.

"It was worth it. It brought back a lot of memories," he said, noting the tour "shows people what we did back some 60 years ago."

Not only does the foundation aim to give people a glimpse of World War II, it also engages veterans.

In 2005, the foundation had an Army Air Corps veteran from Orland Park repaint the "Witchcraft" logo he originally painted on a B-24 during the war.

Last year, the foundation tracked down members of the Women Airforce Service Pilots program to take them up in the air.

The WASPs were the first women in history trained to fly American military aircraft.

Last year, Collings crew members flew World War II veteran and B-24 test pilot Clark Hull of DeKalb into the DuPage Airport from Iowa.

They plan to do the same for veteran Ralph Tash and his two grandsons in their trip from Waukegan Airport into DuPage Friday afternoon.

Wings of Freedom Tour

What: The Collings Foundation, a nonprofit Massachusetts-based group, presents its Wings of Freedom Tour. It features flights and walk-through tours of three historic and authentic World War II bombers: the B-17 Flying Fortress, B-24 Liberator and B-25 Mitchell.

Where/When: The tour has several stops:

•Today through Monday: DuPage Airport, 2700 International Drive, West Chicago. (630) 584-2211

•Monday through Wednesday: Greater Kankakee Airport. (815) 939-1422

•Wednesday through July 27: Porter County Municipal Airport, Valparaiso, Ind. (800) 462-6508

•July 27 to July 30: Chicago Executive Airport, Wheeling (formerly known as Palwaukee Airport). (847) 419-1923

Cost: Walk-through tours are $10 for adults, $5 for kids 12 and younger. World War II veterans are free.

Flights range from $300 to $425.

Info: For more information, call (800) 568-8924, or visit www.collingsfoundation.org