Doolittle Raiders 71st Reunion and Public Farewell

FT WALTON FL- Staff Sergeant David Thatcher, Lt. Colonel Ed Saylor, Colonel Richard E. Cole, Doolittle's Co-Pilot- three surviving Doolittle Raiders- pose for a documentary shoot next to the B-25 "Doolittle Raiders" sporting the tail number of the famous plane. They are the remaining heroes of the original eighty men. 93-year-old Lt. Col. Robert Hite, was unable to attend the reunion.

Colonel Cole flew Larry Kelley's B-25 "Panchito" on Thursday and made the landing with Larry's hands only following on the controls for safety. Col Cole, 97 years old, visited the Southern Museum of Flight-Birmingham, back in November of 2012 along with Sergeant Tom Griffin who passed away in March.
               
               

The Ft. Walton Chamber went all out on programs and promotion and worked very hard to make the historic event a memorable success. A number of dignitaries, Florida elected officials and Eglin AFB Staff participated. During the week of April 15, the commemoration of the 71^st anniversary of the one-way mission to Japan was held at the base where the "Raiders" originally trained in 1942.
Over 100 Doolittle Raider family members were in attendance with at least one family member representing each of the 16 crews. At the end of the Saturday Night Banquet, Col. Cole stood up and raised his glass to Jimmy Doolittle. Five hundred or so attendees responded by clinking together their souvenir glasses distributed by the venue staff. It was a fitting end to the Raider's 71st and final public reunion. -Contributed to Alabama Aviator by Alan Moseley, FMI: www.DoolittleRaider.com