Doolittle Raiders to meet for 65th anniversary reunion

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Stephen Clutter
  • Air Force Print News
SAN ANTONIO (AFNEWS) --  Seven surviving members of the famed "Doolittle Tokyo Raiders," will descend on San Antonio, this week for a series of events marking the 65th anniversary of one of the most notable airpower missions in military history.

Personally ordered by Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt, the raid was a response to Japan's surprise attack on Pearl Harbor nearly five months earlier. On April 18, 1942, Lt. Col. "Jimmy" Doolittle and 79 other volunteers launched 16 B-25 Mitchell bombers from the deck of the USS Hornet.

It was a bold, audacious mission and gave America a much-needed boost in morale in the early days of World War II. Colonel Doolittle, who was already famous for setting aviation speed and endurance records throughout the 1920s and 1930s, became a national hero and went on to command the 8th Air Force in Europe at the close of World War II.

Of the 80 men who took part in the raid, three were killed during the mission. Five were interned in Russia and eight became prisoners of war in Japan. Of those POWs, three were executed by firing squad and another died in captivity. Thirteen other Raiders would die later in the war.

There are 14 Raiders alive today, but only seven are expected to attend the reunion. Two Raiders have passed away since last year's reunion.

The Raiders scheduled to attend this year's reunion are: Col. William M. Bower of Boulder, Colo.; Lt. Col. Richard E. Cole of San Antonio; Maj. Thomas C. Griffin of Cincinnati; Lt. Col. Robert L. Hite of Camden, Ariz.; Master Sgt. Edwin Horton Jr., of Fort Walton Beach, Fla.; Maj. Gen. David M. Jones of Tucson, Ariz.; and Staff Sgt. David J. Thatcher of Missoula, Mont.

The Air Force will hold several events in conjunction with the San Antonio reunion, April 17-21. The reunion begins with the 2 p.m. fly-in on April 17th of five B-25 bombers at Randolph Air Force Base, followed by the arrival of the Raiders and their families for a 3 p.m. ceremony. Various events will continue for the Raiders ending with the 9 a.m. graduation ceremony for new Airmen at Lackland Air Force Base on April 20th.

"The traits displayed by the Doolittle Raiders resonate with today's Airmen," said Capt. Christy Stravolo, who is helping with the Air Force events. "Their example of leadership, courage, innovation and a dogged determination to complete the mission lives on in today's Airmen, particularly those who are engaged in the Global War on Terror."

Colonel Doolittle, who had a reputation for taking "calculated risks," was forced to make a monumental decision after a Japanese picket boat spotted the U.S. task force 200 miles short of the intended launch point. They could abort the mission and turn back, or take off immediately to protect the task force.

He calculated the risk. Moments later, the improbable sight of 16 medium bombers were roaring from the deck of the USS Hornet. All 16 bombers were launched and made it to their targets. However, they were forced to ditch or bail out over or along the Chinese coast because they ran out of fuel.

The original plan had called for the Raiders to launch at night and recover in China at dawn, but due to being spotted by the picket boats, Doolittle's improvised plan had them taking off in the early afternoon and landing in China at night. Further complicating the recovery, an aircraft with a beacon that was supposed to take off over China and guide the crews to friendly airfields wasn't able to get airborne, so the Raiders were not able to avoid areas where Japanese occupation forces were concentrated.

Most of the aircraft were able to reach land, but two were forced to ditch off the coast of China. Two men were killed in the ditching. The eight men who survived were taken prisoner by the Japanese forces. Only four of the eight survived.

The reunions, which began as a birthday party Doolittle hosted in Florida in 1947, have evolved into an annual gathering of one of the most elite military fraternities in the world. At every reunion, surviving Raiders meet privately to conduct a solemn "goblet ceremony." After a roll call and a toast to the Raiders who have died since their last meeting, the remaining Raiders turn the deceased men's goblets upside down.

When only two Raiders remain, they will open a bottle of brandy from 1896 -- the year of Doolittle's birth -- and toast their fallen comrades.Air Force Academy cadets arrive April 16 with the 80 goblets. These goblets are normally on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Ohio.

This year's goblet ceremony will be April 18. It will be a private ceremony, however, Air Force News and a few other select media outlets will be allowed to cover the event. A number of other events, including book signings and B-25 static tours and flights will be open to the public.

Details of the reunion can be found at www.b-25yellowrose.com

For more detailed information on the raid, read: The Doolittle Raid: America's Daring First Strike Against Japan by Carol V. Glines.