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Doolittle Tokyo Raid Doolittle Tokyo Raid

Doolittle Tokyo Raid

75th Anniversary
75th Anniversary 75th Anniversary

Doolittle Tokyo Raid

75th Anniversary

Doolittle Tokyo Raid | 75th Anniversary

On April 18, 1942, 80 men achieved the unimaginable when they took off from an aircraft carrier on a top secret mission to bomb Japan. These men, led by Lt. Col. James H. “Jimmy” Doolittle, came to be known as the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders.

Today, just one of the men survive: Lt. Col. Richard “Dick” E. Cole, who served as Doolittle’s co-pilot on Crew Number 1. Cole, now 101 years old, plans to return to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in April to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the raid and to pay tribute to fellow Raider SSgt. David Thatcher, who passed away in 2016.

Previous Event Photos

"One Hundred Years A Hero," a new biopic documenting the extraordinary life and career of Lt. Col. (Ret.) Richard E. Cole, will premiere April 22, 2016, in the Air Force Museum Theatre. (Photo provided) DAYTON, Ohio -- Wright 1909 Military Flyer in the Early Years Gallery at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo by Ken LaRock) Doolittle Raider Lt. Col. Richard Cole presents the Raiders’ Congressional Gold Medal to Museum Director Lt. Gen. (Ret.) John Hudson. The medal is on display in the museum’s World War II Gallery in the Doolittle Raid exhibit. (U.S. Air Force photo by Niki Jahns) Doolittle Raider Lt. Col. Richard Cole presents the Raiders’ Congressional Gold Medal to Museum Director Lt. Gen. (Ret.) John Hudson. The medal is on display in the museum’s World War II Gallery in the Doolittle Raid exhibit. (U.S. Air Force photo by Niki Jahns)
Doolittle Raiders Lt. Col. Richard Cole, co-pilot of Crew No. 1, and Staff Sgt. David Thatcher, engineer-gunner of Crew No. 7, with the Congressional Gold Medal. The medal is on display in the museum’s World War II Gallery in the Doolittle Raid exhibit. (U.S. Air Force photo) Doolittle Raiders Lt. Col. Dick Cole and Staff Sgt. David Thatcher pose with the Congressional Gold Medal after it arrived at Wright-Patterson AFB following a ceremonial flight on board the B-25 “Panchito.” (U.S. Air Force photo by Will Haas) Doolittle Raiders Lt. Col. Dick Cole and Staff Sgt. David Thatcher pose with the Congressional Gold Medal after it arrived at Wright-Patterson AFB following a ceremonial flight on board the B-25 “Panchito.” (U.S. Air Force photo by Will Haas) Doolittle Raiders Lt. Col. Dick Cole and Staff Sgt. David Thatcher pose with the Congressional Gold Medal after it arrived at Wright-Patterson AFB following a ceremonial flight on board the B-25 “Panchito.” (U.S. Air Force photo)
Doolittle Tokyo Raiders Association Sgt. at Arms Brian Anderson prepares to hand the Congressional Gold Medal to Doolittle Raiders Lt. Col. Dick Cole and Staff Sgt. David Thatcher after a ceremonial flight on board the B-25 “Panchito.” (U.S. Air Force photo by Will Haas) Doolittle Tokyo Raiders Association Sgt. at Arms Brian Anderson hands the Congressional Gold Medal to Doolittle Raiders Lt. Col. Dick Cole and Staff Sgt. David Thatcher after a ceremonial flight on board the B-25 “Panchito.” (U.S. Air Force photo) B-25 “Panchito,” owned by Larry Kelley and Lorie Thomsen, arrives at Wright-Patterson AFB following a ceremonial flight with the Doolittle Raiders Congressional Gold Medal on board. The aircraft was welcomed with a water arch by the Wright-Patterson AFB Fire Department. (U.S. Air Force photo by Will Haas) B-25 “Panchito,” owned by Larry Kelley and Lorie Thomsen, arrives at Wright-Patterson AFB following a ceremonial flight with the Doolittle Raiders Congressional Gold Medal on board. (U.S. Air Force photo by Will Haas)
B-25 “Panchito,” owned by Larry Kelley and Lorie Thomsen, arrives at Wright-Patterson AFB following a ceremonial flight with the Doolittle Raiders Congressional Gold Medal on board. (U.S. Air Force photo by Will Haas) DAYTON, Ohio -- Doolittle Tokyo Raiders Lt. Col. Richard Cole, co-pilot of Crew No. 1, and Staff Sgt. David Thatcher, engineer-gunner of Crew No. 7, see their Congressional Gold Medal for the first time on April 17, 2015. During a ceremony on April 18 at the museum, the medal will be presented to the museum for inclusion in the Doolittle Raid exhibit. (U.S. Air Force photo) DAYTON, Ohio -- Doolittle Tokyo Raiders Lt. Col. Richard Cole, co-pilot of Crew No. 1, and Staff Sgt. David Thatcher, engineer-gunner of Crew No. 7, see their Congressional Gold Medal for the first time on April 17, 2015. During a ceremony on April 18 at the museum, the medal will be presented to the museum for inclusion in the Doolittle Raid exhibit. (U.S. Air Force photo) DAYTON, Ohio -- Doolittle Tokyo Raiders Association Sgt. at Arms Brian "Bear" Anderson shows Raiders Lt. Col. Richard Cole, co-pilot of Crew No. 1, and Staff Sgt. David Thatcher, engineer-gunner of Crew No. 7, their Congressional Gold Medal for the first time on April 17, 2015. During a ceremony on April 18 at the museum, the medal will be presented to the museum for inclusion in the Doolittle Raid exhibit. (U.S. Air Force photo)
DAYTON, Ohio -- Doolittle Tokyo Raiders Lt. Col. Richard Cole, co-pilot of Crew No. 1, and Staff Sgt. David Thatcher, engineer-gunner of Crew No. 7, see their Congressional Gold Medal for the first time on April 17, 2015. During a ceremony on April 18 at the museum, the medal will be presented to the museum for inclusion in the Doolittle Raid exhibit. (U.S. Air Force photo) Washington D.C. -- National Museum of the U.S. Air Force Director Lt. Gen. (Ret.) John Hudson speaks to guests at the Doolittle Raiders Congressional Gold Medal Presentation at Emancipation Hall where he accepted the medal on behalf of the Raiders on April 15, 2015. (U.S. Air Force photo) Washington D.C. -- National Museum of the U.S. Air Force Director Lt. Gen. (Ret.) John Hudson accepts the Doolittle Raiders Congressional Gold Medal on behalf of the Raiders on April 15, 2015. (left to right) Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Museum Director Lt. Gen. (Ret.) John Hudson, Representative Pete Olson (R-TX-22nd District), Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). (U.S. Air Force photo)

Event Schedule

April 17-18

Anniversary events on April 17-18 are still being finalized but plans include the return of several B-25 Mitchell bombers landing on the runway behind the museum and being placed on static display.

The Air Force Museum Theatre is planning a living history event with films on the Doolittle Raid.  The Air Force Museum Store will have commemorative merchandise available to purchase as well as have authors available to sign books.

April 18

A memorial service and B-25 flyover will take place in the museum's Memorial Park (weather permitting)

(Time to be announced)



Updated 1/11/17

Area Lodging

For information on lodging in the area, please check with the local convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs):

Dayton/Montgomery County CVB
Greene County CVB
Butler County Visitors Bureau
Greater Springfield CVB
Miami County CVB
Warren County CVB

75th Anniversary News

Doolittle Raider Videos

Security Notice

Please note that for security reasons, all bags are subject to search, and weapons are not permitted within the museum. In addition, all adults may be asked to show their picture identification card upon entering the museum.