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Last of Doolittle Raiders memorialized during ceremony at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston
September 10, 2021 — Remembered as a man who faithfully served his country and was a devoted father and a man of faith, Lt. Col. Richard “Dick” Cole, the last of the Doolittle Raiders, was honored and posthumously promoted to the rank of colonel during a Sept. 7 ceremony at the Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston Golf Course ballroom... MORE

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown Jr. presents the U.S. flag to retired Col. Richard E. Cole’s daughter, Cindy Chal, during his interment ceremony, Sept. 7, 2021.

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.

Lt. Col. Dick Cole, last surviving Doolittle Raider, passes away at age 103
April 10, 2019 — A legendary chapter in Air Force history has come to a close. Retired Lt. Col. Richard “Dick” E. Cole, the last survivor of the “Doolittle Raid,” died April 9, in San Antonio... MORE

Retired Lt. Col. Richard E. Cole, copilot to Jimmy Doolittle during the Doolittle Raid, smiles as he honors the U.S. flag during the singing of the National Anthem at an airshow in Burnet, Texas. Cole was honored by the community and guests as the only remaining military service member alive from the April 18, 1942, Doolittle Raid.

Lt. Col. Richard Cole, last of the 80 Doolittle Raiders, turns 103
September 10, 2018 — On April 18, 1942, sixteen B-25 bombers lined up on the USS Hornet and prepared to drop bombs onto Japan for a much-needed comeback following the attack on Pearl Harbor and the Bataan Death March. Leading the way for 80 men was Lt. Col. James Doolittle, giving them the title “Doolittle Raiders.”... MORE

Doolittle Raiders honored during 74th anniversary at JBSA-Randolph
April 19, 2016 — The World War II Doolittle Raiders were honored during aceremony marking the 74th anniversary of their Tokyo raid April 18 at JointBase San Antonio-Randolph.On the same day, in 1942, Lt. Col. James H... MORE

Retired Lt. Col. Dick Cole, co-pilot of Aircraft No. 1 of the Doolittle Tokyo Raid, raises a glass to toast the 74th anniversary of the Doolittle Raid April 18 at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph. On the same day in 1942, Lt. Col. James H. "Jimmy" Doolittle led a select team of 80 pilots, gunners, navigators and bombardiers to execute a surprise attack over the islands of Japan in retaliation after the sneak attack at Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941. Cole, at 100-years-old, is one of two remaining survivors of the Doolittle Raid. Staff Sgt. David Thatcher, who was unable to attend, is the second survivor.