There are four left and this year they will hold their last reunion.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/04/18/famed-members-world-war-ii-doolittle-bombing-raid-on-tokyo-hold-final-public/
Dupe. Sorry
I can think of few examples of raw courage more significant than to have participated in that mission.
Step 1. Take off from an aircraft carrier in bad weather in a plane never designed to fly off a carrier.
Step 2. Bomb Tokyo. (My guess that was the EASY part.)
Step 3. Fly your bomber to China, find a place to land and hope like hell you can find a way home.
Quote:
"My reaction when I out found out we were bombing Japan from an aircraft carrier was that it was too far to swim back home so we might as well go ahead with it."
I am lost in admiration for these guys.
Quote from: DoctorQuest on April 18, 2013, 02:06:55 PM
I can think of few examples of raw courage more significant than to have participated in that mission.
Step 1. Take off from an aircraft carrier in bad weather in a plane never designed to fly off a carrier.
Step 2. Bomb Tokyo. (My guess that was the EASY part.)
Step 3. Fly your bomber to China, find a place to land and hope like hell you can find a way home.
Quote:
"My reaction when I out found out we were bombing Japan from an aircraft carrier was that it was too far to swim back home so we might as well go ahead with it."
I am lost in admiration for these guys.
No kidding.
These are true American heroes and this is another sad reminder that there are not many of this generation left.
...and then there was one (http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/06/22/one-two-remaining-airmen-who-flew-in-world-war-ii-doolittle-raid-dies.html?intcmp=hplnws). RIP Staff Sgt. David Jonathan Thatcher (https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi186.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fx14%2Flangev%2FSalute.gif&hash=7f48a90a3df35ce53dad99df1df85c3ce7398399)
And now, they are all gone. RIP Richard "Dick" Cole (https://www.foxnews.com/us/last-wwii-doolittle-raider-dies-at-103). (https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi186.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fx14%2Flangev%2FSalute.gif&hash=7f48a90a3df35ce53dad99df1df85c3ce7398399)
As they say on the internet now, f to pay respects...
(...and watching "Pearl Harbor" tonight perhaps.)