Will Take Place On the 77th Anniversary Of The Doolittle Raid, Of Which He Was The Last Surviving Member

A memorial service for retired Lt. Col. Richard "Dick" Cole well be held on Thursday, April 18 at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph in Texas. Cole, who passed away last Tuesday at the age of 103, was the last surviving member of the Doolittle Raiders, and April 18 is the 77th anniversary of that storied mission.

The Air Force Times reports that among the dignitaries at the service will be Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Dave Goldfein. Other senior leaders will also be in attendance, according to Air Force spokeswoman Master Sgt. Brandy Stocker.

The service is planned for Hangar 41 on the base at 1500 local time,

Cole was then Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle's co-pilot in the lead aircraft on the raid less than four months after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Their mission was to strike the Japanese homeland using 16 modified B-35B Mitchell Bombers launched from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet. While the raid inflicted only minor damage, it sent a message to the Japanese that the U.S. was ready to bring the war to them.

Cole will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery.

(Images from file)

FMI: Source report