Joe Moore is a self-proclaimed sentimentalist when it comes to historical anniversaries, so after spending three years penning "Righteous Revenge," the longtime KHON2 news anchor knew the exact date and place he wanted to give its first reading:

Saturday at the Pacific Aviation Museum next to the restored B-25 planes.

April 18 marks the 67th anniversary of the Doolittle Raid, the first retaliation by the U.S. for Japan's bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1942. The B-25s were the planes used in the mission, a battle story that up until now has only been partially told.

Moore took some time this past week to talk about "Righteous Revenge" and his affinity for playwriting.

Q. When I first heard of "Righteous Revenge" it piqued my interest because I knew very little about the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo. What prompted you to write this play?

A. I'm a WWII history buff, and wanted to tell the fascinating story of the biggest gamble of that or any war. It's such a compelling tale of courage and self-sacrifice. It deserves to be remembered. I started working on it about it three years ago, with all the books, documentaries and official records about the raid. But, the real treat was interviewing eight of the surviving raiders who shared information that I had not seen anywhere. Their input really helped me personalize the story.

Q. Why do you think this raid is discussed so little, and what significance do you think it had in the outcome of the war and the American pysche?

A. The Doolittle Raid was one of the major turning points of the war, coming when it did after the Japanese had recorded victory after victory in the Pacific.

The Japanese home islands had never been attacked, and the Doolittle Raid not only showed that it was possible, but that the Japanese were not, as they thought, invincible. While the physical damage inflicted was not great, the pyschological impact was tremendous.

The raid provided a great morale boost to the U.S. and our allies. The Japanese leaders, who had claimed their home islands could not be attacked, suffered a great loss of face.

Q. Tell us a little bit about the cast and how this production came together.

A. For the most part, I recruited veteran actors I have worked with over the years and for whom I have great respect. To inject some "new blood," I asked my newsroom colleagues Kirk Matthews and Justin Cruz if they'd like to participate. I was delighted when they said, "yes."

Q. How often do you all get to rehearse?

A. Because they're mostly veteran actors, and this is a dramatic reading and not a full-scale production, I'm trusting them to rehearse on their own. I didn't feel the need for a great deal of formal rehearsal, although we do a little. We have a cast of 13, and every actor gets at least a nice scene or two to shine.

Q. How many plays have you written? Better yet, when do you find the time outside of anchoring the news to pen these plays? It seems this would be an overwhelming hobby for someone who is in front of the camera five days a week. Is it a creative release?

A. This is my ninth play. Playwriting and acting are just things I've enjoyed over the years. I'm doing less now, though, and spending as much time as I can with my 11-year-old son Bryce.

(Moore's other plays are "Will Rogers Returns," "A Conversation with Mozart," "The Heydrich Covenant," "John Wayne: The Man behind the Legend," "The Greatest Show in America: Will Rogers on Politics," "The Buck Stops Where?," "Dirty Laundry," and "Prophecy and Honor").

Q. I see there is a book signing Saturday prior to the reading by Jonna Doolittle Hoppes, the granddaughter of Jimmy Doolittle and author of "Calculated Risk: The Extraordinary Life of Jimmy Doolittle." Have you met Jonna in the past, and has she seen "Righteous Revenge?"

A. I have not met Jimmy Doolittle's granddaughter, but did hear her speak at the museum two years ago. I purposely did not share the script with her, as I want her first exposure to the play to be when we perform it.

Q. Anything else you would like to add?

A. It was a real thrill for me, after sharing the script with 93-year-old Dick Cole, Doolittle's co-pilot on the raid, to have him tell me "You got it right, and did us proud."