A legendary chapter in Air Force history has come to a close. Retired Lt. Col. Richard “Dick” E. Cole, the last survivor of the “Doolittle Raid,” died April 9, in San Antonio.
“Our last remaining Doolittle Raider has slipped the surly bonds of Earth, and has reunited with his fellow Raiders," said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein
On April 18, 1942, the U.S. Army Air Forces and the Doolittle Raiders attacked Tokyo in retaliation for the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, which boosted American morale in the early months of World War II.
“We will miss Lt. Col. Cole, and offer our eternal thanks and condolences to his family,” Goldfein said.