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Doolittle Raiders' Last Toast!

S

Skyhawk_310R

Charter Member
The Doolittle Raiders made their final toast on 9 November 2013, as three of the four surviving members traveled to the USAF Museum in Dayton, OH, to open the celebrated 1896 bottle of cognac that so many years ago General Doolittle himself reserved for the last two survivors to open as a final toast to the entire group. These three members, Lt. Col. Richard Cole, Lt. Col. Edward Sayler, and Staff Sergeant David Thatcher, were presented engraved silver goblets by Air Force Academy cadets. The fourth surviving member, Lt. Col. Robert Hite was unable to travel to Dayton due to health reasons. These four survivors mutually agreed that this should be the date when the final tribute was made for the group of 80. They agreed that due to the advance of age and health they should do this now rather than wait until later, out of concern that a year or more from now, no one would be able to fulfill General Doolittle's wishes.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/11/1...e-raiders-make-final-toast/?intcmp=latestnews

Ken
 
The following was lifted from an email I received today from the Air Force Association:

Air Force Association said:
Thursday, November 14, 2013<o:p></o:p>
The World War II Doolittle Tokyo Raiders were honored this weekend with a final toast at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. The ceremony was attended by three of the four living Raiders: retired Lt. Col. Richard "Dick" E. Cole, retired Lt. Col. Edward J. Saylor, and retired Staff Sgt David J. Thatcher. The Air Force Association was privileged to be one of the sponsors of the event.<o:p></o:p>
The Note below was written by former AFA Chairman of the Board, Joe Sutter, who, along with AFA President Craig McKinley, attended last weekend's Doolittle Raider Final Toast ceremony in Dayton, Ohio. These are his comments on attending this Historic event.<o:p></o:p>
"I was extremely proud and deeply honored to represent AFA along with Craig McKinley at the events in Dayton over the weekend. It was very appropriate that AFA was not only there, but also served as a major sponsor of the events. We have long-standing ties with Jimmy Doolittle and the Raiders, and we will continue to honor their legacy with the work we do as an organization.<o:p></o:p>
"Jimmy Doolittle was AFA's first elected leader, and his statue stands in the entrance to our building. I always give him a salute when I come in the main entrance and I know other AFA leaders pay their respects in similar ways. <o:p></o:p>
"In 2009 AFA gave the Doolittle Raiders the AFA Lifetime Achievement Award, and standing on the stage with Raiders Dick Cole and Tom Griffin was one of the proudest moments of my time as Chairman. The Raiders asked that the award be kept at the Air Force Museum where it is currently on display in a beautiful lighted case next to the 80 silver Raider goblets. <o:p></o:p>
"The Tokyo raid was not only a turning point of the war in the Pacific, but also a critical milestone in air power history, demonstrating the impact of strategic bombing.<o:p></o:p>
"Perhaps the most moving moment for me was the "Raider Roll Call" before the final toast on Saturday evening. Of course, the first name called was Jimmy Doolittle. The second was his co-pilot, Dick Cole, who strongly answered "HERE". <o:p></o:p>
"The roll call continued, and only two others responded. Edward Saylor and David Thatcher. The fourth surviving Raider, Robert Hite, was unable to attend, but members of his family, including son Wallace, were there. Over 20 of the Raiders were represented by family members in attendance at the ceremony.<o:p></o:p>
"The roll call gave a poignant reminder that the decision to do the final toast now was certainly a wise one. We will not have these heroes with us much longer. <o:p></o:p>
"Those of us there in Dayton were fortunate to have the benefit of "time" to put the raid into perspective. Time has helped us understand their mission meant for the war effort, what it meant to air power, what it said about the courage and commitment of all 80 volunteers. Those on the deck of the Hornet knew little of what lay ahead -- only that it was a dangerous mission. <o:p></o:p>
"I had the incredible opportunity to speak with Dick Cole privately following the Lifetime Achievement Awards ceremony a few years ago. I remember asking him what he was thinking as he was sitting on the deck of the Hornet waiting to take off. I expected his answer to be something like, 'I hope I come through this alive'. Or, 'I wonder if we will find our targets and make it to China.' He said simply, 'All I know is that I am sitting next to the greatest pilot in the world.' And of course, that pilot was Jimmy Doolittle.<o:p></o:p>
"Another thought that became very clear to me as the weekend concluded was that since this was to be the last formal gathering of the Raiders, the annual reunion on April 18th will no longer be a standing occasion to remember what these incredible men accomplished. It seems to me that AFA, given its connection to Gen. Doolittle, must do something to institutionalize the importance of April 18th. Our chapters should honor this anniversary by conducting some sort of recognition event, however simple, so we can continue to tell the story of the Raiders.<o:p></o:p>
"On Friday evening, the families of the four surviving raiders were given a special bottle of cognac in a beautiful wooden case. Inside the case was a quote attributed to then-Lt Col James H. Doolittle: 'There's nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer.' What a great quote! <o:p></o:p>
"As I was leaving Dayton, one of the Raiders, Edward Saylor came into the terminal and I had a chance to shake his hand, thank him, and have my picture taken with him. What a way to wrap up a historic weekend!"<o:p></o:p>
For more information on the ceremony from this past weekend, check out the in more depth article from Air Force Magazine.<o:p></o:p>
Thanks,

Chet Curtis
Director of Education and Communication
Click to expand...
<o:p></o:p>
 
I remember this past April, when it was revealed that the surviving men would hold the last meeting this year, and the reasons for doing so with four surviving Raiders, instead of the two specified in the original pledge. It seemed appropriate and for some reason extraordinarily moving. I wasn't alive then, and can't possibly understand what it must have been like at that moment staring through the wet wind shields of the B-25s on that narrow flight deck in those heavy seas, on that day, when news from the war was as grim as the gray sky and sea around them. I wonder what was going through their minds during this last gathering. I know they don't need it, but: “Well Done, Raiders, and thanks.”
 
I imagine their thoughts were obsessed on their comrades here and no longer here. Those who survived the raid soon learned the historical magnitude of their actions. But, I imagine they often think of their comrades departed. They all lived on a plain of which I am not familiar!

Ken
 
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