Last Surviving Member Of The Doolittle Raiders, Dies At 103 In Texas

Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Richard E. Cole, the last surviving Doolittle Raider, tours a U.S. Navy B-25 Mitchell similar to the aircraft he co-piloted. Cole has died at age 103. (Staff Sgt. Vernon Young Jr./Air Force)

Daily Mail: Last Doolittle Raider: Retired Air Force Lt. Colonel who took part in daring raids over Japan in the wake of the Pearl Harbor attack striking a crucial blow for America, dies aged 103

* Richard 'Dick' Cole, the last of the Second World War's infamous Doolittle Raiders, passed away early Monday
* The retired Air Force Lt. Col.took part in daring raids on Japanese mainland following the Pearl Harbor attack
* Led by the legendary James 'Jimmy' Doolittle, the aviators flew 16 stripped-down B-25s 650 miles to Japan
* They took off from aircraft carriers in the middle of the Pacific and bombed key Japanese positions in Tokyo
* After the audacious Tokyo raid the brave men all bailed out of their planes safely onto friendly Chinese fields
* When asked his clearest memory of the raid, he joked: 'The thing I remember most... is my parachute opening'
* While the attack caused only minor damage, it played a huge role in boosting morale on the US home-front
* Cole remained a hero within the Air Force after retiring and in 2016, announced that a new series of bombers - the B-21 stealth bombers would be named the 'Raider' in honor of Doolittle, Cole and their band of brothers

A retired Air Force Lt. Col. who took part in the daring Doolittle Raids on Japan in the wake of the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor has died, aged 103.

Richard 'Dick' Cole, the last of the Second World War's infamous Doolittle Raiders, passed away early Monday morning in San Antonio, Texas, surrounded by his family.

Cole was part of a volunteer group of 80 Army Air Force aviators who took part in a series of bombing raids in retaliation for the attack on a United States naval base in Hawaii, which killed 2,403 American citizens.

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