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Posted

The last surviving crewman of the 16 B-25 bombers that took off from USS Hornet died today.

Known for the incredibly aggressive mission taking off from an aircraft carrier and bombing Tokyo, the group is well known for its annual reunions.

Each member had a goblet with his name engraved in both directions.

At each reunion they would toast the fallen of that year, drink a shot of cognac and rotate the goblet.

 

Today, the last goblet is turned over.

So well done. 

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Posted

He was over 100, so he lived a long and full life. What an amazing and courageous mission. RIP.

 

 

@plenzmd1 will probably point out that I was his babysitter when he was young. That was a myth. He lived down the street, but my sister did all the babysitting. 

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Posted

Man, I always marvel at the balls all veterans of combat have,,  mad respect. 

 

Hate to admit, just always figure I would turtle and these dudes humble me. 

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Posted
1 hour ago, sherpa said:

The last surviving crewman of the 16 B-25 bombers that took off from USS Hornet died today.

Known for the incredibly aggressive mission taking off from an aircraft carrier and bombing Tokyo, the group is well known for its annual reunions.

Each member had a goblet with his name engraved in both directions.

At each reunion they would toast the fallen of that year, drink a shot of cognac and rotate the goblet.

 

Today, the last goblet is turned over.

So well done. 

 

Not just a crewman.  Doolittle's co-pilot on the raid.  I would have loved to hear his stories.  

 

And just a few days shy of 77 years since the raid, too.

Posted
3 hours ago, The Senator said:

 

Unbelievable that those brave guys put B-25s in the sky from the deck of a carrier.  No steam catapults or anything like that, just courage and a big set of balls.

 

RIP,  Lt. Richard Cole

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/09/obituaries/richard-cole-dead.html

.

 

 

Just a little help by timing the takeoffs to benefit from a rising bow. which if mistimed would have been disastrous.

It would have been interesting to see if they would have made it to their Chinese landing sites except for being discovered and reported by a Japanese picket ship, which necessitated launching 10 hours and 160 miles further from Japan.

 

 

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