Another era comes to an end this weekend when four of the eight remaining members of the April 18, 1942 Doolittle's Raid on Tokyo gather for one last time at the 68th Reunion at the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio.
Lt. col. Dick Cole, then 26, said, "I was scared to death." as he was co-pilot of the lead B-25 bomber taking off from the USS Hornet that day.
Also returning are Major Thomas Griffin, Lt. Col. Robert Hite and Master sergeant David Thatcher.
At least 17 B-25 Mitchell bombers will do a fly-in to the Air Force Museum's runway today, one of the largest gatherings of that or any World War planes since World War II ended.
The B-25s began flying into Urbana, Ohio's Grimes Field on Thursday and attracted aviation enthusiasts from all over the country. Today, they will leave from Grimes Field and fly to the Air Force Museum.
RITUAL
On April 16th, yesterday, a solemn ritual took place at an undisclosed location. The four survivors raised their goblets to drink a toast to the ones who have died and then they overturn those deceased goblets.
each goblet is engraved with each individual's name twice, once upside down so the name can be easily read.
When there are only two members remaining, a final toast to departed comrades will be made and the ritual will end. At one time the goblets were kept at the Air Force Academy in Colorado between reunions, but in 2005, the survivors decided they would be on permanent display at the Air Force Museum in Dayton.
I Had Considered Going, But It Slipped Up on Me. That Would Have Been Something to See. --Cooter
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