Richard E. Cole, the Last Doolittle Raider, Dies

From Wikipedia.

A sad thing as a big piece of American history passed away with him.  But we won't forget.

RICHARD EUGENE COLE

(September 7, 1915 - April 9, 2019)

A career military officer in the U.S. Air Force (and Army Air Corps before that).   He was one of the 80 airmen who took part in the famed Doolittle Raid on Japan on April 18, 1942.  (He died just nine days before the 77th anniversary of the raid.)  In it he served as co-pilot to Jimmy Doolittle in the lead airplane.  (They had the least amount of deck from which to take off that day.)

He eventually reached the rank of lieutenant colonel.

Cole remained in China after the raid until June 1943 and served again in the dangerous China Burma India Theater from October 1943 to June 1944.  He later served as U.S. Operations Advisor to the Venezuelan Air Force from 1959-1962 before retiring in 1966.

In 2016, he became the last living Doolittle Raider.

A Hero Among heroes.

Thanksgiving Trip 2013-- Nov. 21-22: 50th Anniversary of the Kennedy Assassination

NOVEMBER 21ST, THURSDAY--

Drove the usual way, Il-47 south from Woodstock, Il., but turned east at Forrest on US-34 instead of going to I-74. Took that east to I-65 and then to Indianapolis where I found confusing signage on I-465 and ended up on the west side of the city instead of the east.

Went through the city on I-70 right during rush hour, but it wasn't bad. Finally stopped raining east of it and drove to Ohio and exit 29 (Englewood) on I-70 and had my Skyline Chili before getting a room at the Best Western.

NOVEMBER 22ND, FRIDAY--

Drove to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton and met my buddy Denny. We took a bus out to see JFK's Air Force One on the 50th anniversary of when it flew him to Dallas from Ft. Worth and then carried him back in a casket and LBJ was sworn in as president.

We then toured the museum and saw the goblets used in the Final Toast of the Doolittle Raiders. And, we weren't finished for the day.

--RoadDog