The Doolittle Raiders gathered for their final reunion April 17-21 at Fort Walton Beach not far from the Eglin Field airstrip where crews trained to get the lumbering Mitchell off the ground in 500 feet to mimic their takeoff on a carrier.
The surviving Doolittle Raiders have held reunions to carry on the legacy of the mission. At every gathering, there is a case with 80 silver goblets inscribed with each raider's name.
Only four remain upright; the rest are inverted for those who died in the raid or since. The surviving raiders offer a toast in remembrance to those who “gave their all in success of our mission, and to those who have joined them since.”
The four who remain are: Cole; former Staff Sgt. David Thatcher, 91, a Silver Star recipient; retired Lt. Col. Edward Saylor; and retired Lt. Col. Robert Hite, 93. Hite did not travel to the reunion.
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Three of the four remaining Doolittle Tokyo Raiders, from left to right: Lt. Col. Richard Cole, Lt. Col. Edward Saylor and Staff Sgt. David Thatcher in the hangar dedicated April 16 to Saylor at Eglin Air Force Base. (Thomas Brown / Staff)
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