WisconsinCentral2714
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Retired Lt. Col. Richard “Dick” E. Cole, the last survivor of the “Doolittle Raid,” died April 9, in San Antonio at the age of 103.
This gentleman had a front-row seat to history.
Doolittle's crew: From left: navigator Henry "Hank" Potter, pilot James "Jimmy" Doolittle, bombardier Fred Braemer, co-pilot Richard "Dick" Cole, engineer/gunner Paul Leonard.
All the B-25 Mitchells of the Doolittle Raid lined up on the deck of USS Hornet (CV-8)
May you rest in peace, sir. I wish you calm winds and blue skies.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/09/us/last-doolittle-raider-dick-cole-dies/index.html
MilleniumFalconAnimal
Wait! He was enlisted?
AmazingKS
Roll4initiative
I actually got to see him last month. He came and spoke to our ALS class. He had great stories and was a great speaker despite his age
SpookyNav
I got to see him too, he came to visit my squadron, our building is named after him
Nankian
At least Dick Cole won't be in pain any more.
joerozzell17
"Thirty seconds over Tokyo," good book and movie with Spencer Tracey as Doolittle.
blissblush
May you takeoff into a headwind and cruise eternal with a tailwind at your back & fair skies afore as far as can be seen. Godspeed, sir
HerefortheCatTax
MObscene1
Who fuck downvotes this shit!?
PrincessLesa
Thanks for this. My great uncle was the navigator on the Whirling Dervish. An all-American Badass his entire life.
OGWinkypoo
My grandpa was the navigator for Lucky 13. Always knew him as grandpa and didn't quite understand how big of a deal this was for a long time
Pokegeologist
Supposedly my grandfather was one of the USN officers responsible for training them on target acquisition & spotting for landmarks/waypoints
RogueEngineer
The best part of the pos that was the movie pearl harbor.
1m0z2n
The greatest generation
Quenya3
Not really. It's the generation that put a quarter million Japanese Americans in concentration camps, kept black solders from fighting by
Quenya3
making them janitors, etc., spent the next 30 years trying to keep minorities and women 'in their place' , and laid the foundation for...
Quenya3
todays white separatism and right wing hate machines.
dklar61
Salud WW2 hero , Rest In Peace and honor you young boy !
neverbeenshiddin
God speed on your final trip into the wild blue yonder
BadMako
One of my favorite reads.
WisconsinCentral2714
30 Seconds over Tokyo?
BadMako
ah sorry ... Yes.
WisconsinCentral2714
It is a damn fine read.
BadMako
o7
R6FlyBy
RIP SIR...GOD BLESS U, AND THANK U FOR YOUR SERVICE.
copingcabana
You are technically sergeant. The best kind of sergeant.
tamalamadingding
I'm glad that you can take pride in "serving" this country. I can't. I'm hate how this country treats us that they disable.
WristDeepInaBook
I don't agree with bombing civilian targets. Surely there are people conflicted about this other than myself
WisconsinCentral2714
this raid was targeted at the industrial area of Tokyo. The firebombings came several years later.
WristDeepInaBook
at most it was a reckless use of manpower and equipment that risked the lives of the pilots and one of the few carriers we had available
jasta6
MingsterL
RIP Sir
FlyingTigerRose
And not just a Doolittle Raider. This guy was co-pilot to Jimmy D and both in plane #1.
OGWinkypoo
I got to meet him at the final Doolittle Toast a few years back. My grandpa was the navigator for Lucky 13.
ilikehornets
100% aircraft loss on a mission with zero effect on japanese war effort, I don't get it
WisconsinCentral2714
it did have an effect, though. The Japanese pulled ships and troops back to defend against another raid. Those men and ships were not 1/?
WisconsinCentral2714
present at any of the coming major battles, making the job of the US forces there that little easier
IAmJacksRagingBileDuct
The Doolittle Raid was the epitome of Murica telling another country, "You done messed up, A-A-Ron!"
CaptainCale
The Japanese sleep a little easier now, still refuse to admit they did anything wrong between 1931 and 1945.
dgweld1
The first taste of the rising sun’s eventual doom. Imagine the stones of these men to take off in a bomber from an aircraft carrier.
DaftKid
I bet those Admirals felt very much Human whenever they heard the drone of those "Twin Cyclone" Radials.
Metalhead47
It’s worth noting that the B-25 was *never* intended to take off from an aircraft carrier. These were army planes, not navy.
PopeyeTheSailor
the had to tear out guns to save weight and replaced the guns with painted broomsticks to mimic defensive weapons, they gutted those planes
PopeyeTheSailor
just so they can take off and they barely cleared the deck
ZAPZAPMOTHAFUCKA
And IIRC they had to have the Carrier go full steam into the wind to get enough lift to take off.
PopeyeTheSailor
forgot to mention that, but yeah they did
blissblush
Only the insane or insanely brave would agree when asked "Morning, boys! Who here wouldn't mind dying today?".
blissblush
With half rations, half-full fuel tanks and broomsticks in the place of the guns. That takes some serious minerals
ElMeanYo
And ditch somewhere over Japan or the South China Sea.
BQZip
They were full and had extra fuel