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Tag: Doolittle Tokyo Raiders

Lt. Col. Dick Cole, the Doolittle Raiders made history, planted the seeds for today’s Air Force
April 22, 2019 — When Lt. Col. Dick Cole pushed the throttles forward April 18, 1942, to coax the lumbering, indecisive B-25 Mitchell bomber off the rolling deck of the USS Hornet for an audacious raid on Tokyo, he had no conception of space as a warfighting domain. “Cyber” would not be a word for several more decades; drones, GPS and mid-air refueling were nothing more than fanciful science fiction... MORE

On April 18, 1942, airmen of the US Army Air Forces, led by Lt. Col. James H. (Jimmy) Doolittle, carried the Battle of the Pacific to the heart of the Japanese empire with a surprising and daring raid on military targets at Tokyo, Yokohama, Yokosuka, Nagoya and Kobe. This heroic attack against these major cities was the result of coordination between the Army Air Forces and the US Navy, which carried the sixteen North American B-25 medium bombers aboard the carrier USS Hornet to within take-off distance of the Japanese Islands. A pair of alert escorts follow the USS Hornet to protect her lethal cargo of B-25 bombers. The aircraft carrier Hornet had 16 AAF B-25s on deck, ready for the Tokyo Raid.

Final Doolittle Raider’s tradition of honor and legacy of valor celebrated at memorial
April 19, 2019 — he tradition of honor and legacy of valor that defined the life of retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Richard “Dick” E. Cole were celebrated during a memorial service at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph April 18. On the day marking the 77th anniversary of the storied World War II Doolittle Tokyo raid and in a hangar surrounded by vintage aircraft linked to the Doolittle Raider’s career, Cole’s family and friends, Air Force senior leaders, and Airmen of all ranks gathered to recognize the accomplishments of the humble warrior from Ohio who answered his nation’s call in America’s darkest days... MORE

U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein addresses the family of retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Richard “Dick” E. Cole during a memorial service at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph April 18. Cole was the last surviving Doolittle Raider who took part in the storied World War II raid on Tokyo and was a founding Airman of the USAF Special Operations community.