Lt. Col. (ret.) Richard Cole – Doolittle Raider Tribute Vignette
The first to take-off of the U.S.S. Hornet on April 18, 1942, is the last to land. One of World War II’s first truly joint operations consisted of 80 U.S. Army Air Forces aviators who were trained by U.S. Navy pilots to master taking off in a fully-loaded B-25 Mitchell bomber from the deck of an aircraft carrier. Led by Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle, their efforts resulted in the first aerial attack of the Japanese home islands by U.S. bombers in WWII. Recount with late U.S. Air Force legend Lt. Col. Richard “Dick” Cole, on his first combat mission.