Podcasts about doolittle raiders

Join us on The Big Fat Podcast as we uncover the remarkable journey of David Thatcher, a local hero from Stillwater County, Montana. From his humble beginnings in the rugged landscapes of Montana to becoming a key member of the historic Doolittle Raid during WWII, David's story is one of courage, survival, and a return to a quiet life of service. Discover how this unassuming man played a pivotal role in one of the most audacious missions of the war, and how his legacy continues to inspire. This episode, part of our "They Gazed on the Beartooth" series, is brought to you in collaboration with the Museum of the Beartooths and sponsored by Pinnacle Property of Montana. Like, subscribe, and share to keep history alive! Thank You To Our Sponsor Pinnacle Property Of Montana Donna West Owner/Broker https://www.pinnacleproperty.com Thank You to Penny Redli, Executive Director - Museum Of The BearTooths https://www.museumofthebeartooths.com Also In Studio: Cole Waltner  https://www.youtube.com/@chasingthewildoutdoors Chapter Timestamps: [00:00:00] - Introduction: David Thatcher's Life and Legacy Overview of David's journey from Montana to the Doolittle Raid. [00:01:00] - Early Life in Stillwater County Discussion on David's childhood, education, and family connections in Stillwater. [00:03:00] - Enlisting in the Army Air Corps Details on how David joined the military and his initial training. [00:06:00] - The Doolittle Raid: Preparation and Mission Insights into the secretive training, the USS Hornet, and the mission objectives. [00:10:00] - The Raid and Its Aftermath The journey, the bombing, and the crash landing in China; survival stories. [00:16:00] - Post-Raid Heroics David's actions post-crash, receiving the Silver Star, and the trek to safety. [00:23:00] - Life After the Raid David's continued service during WWII, his return to civilian life, and marriage. [00:30:00] - Personal Reflections and Artifacts Personal anecdotes from interviews, and the significance of memorabilia. [00:38:00] - Legacy and Memorials How David's story is remembered locally and nationally, including the Thatcher Memorial Highway. [00:45:00] - David Thatcher's Humility Reflections on David's character, his modest nature, and contributions to history. [00:52:00] - The Doolittle Raiders' Reunions The camaraderie among the Raiders and their annual gatherings. [00:56:00] - Educational Impact and Community Memory How David's story educates and inspires, especially in local schools. [01:02:00] - The Museum Exhibit Description of the museum's exhibit dedicated to David Thatcher. [01:08:00] - Conclusion and Acknowledgements

If somebody asked you to go on a dangerous mission, no other details, would you volunteer?Well, in 1942, that's exactly what 120 crewmen of the US Army Air Force did. In this episode, find out how it went and who Jimmy Doolittle was. From an impossible take off, through the first attack on mainland Japan in a millennium, to capture by Japanese forces.Don is joined once again by Michel Paradis, leading human rights lawyer, historian, and national security law scholar. His book on this topic is 'Last Mission to Tokyo: The Extraordinary Story of the Doolittle Raiders and Their Final Fight for Justice'.Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign here for up to 50% for 3 months using code AMERICANHISTORYYou can take part in our listener survey here.

In the dark days after the devastating Pearl Harbor attacks during the spring of 1942, the United States was determined to show the world that the Axis was not invincible. Their bold plan? Bomb Tokyo. On April 18, 1942, sixteen B-25s, known as the Doolittle Raiders, hit targets across Japan before escaping to China. The eighth plane, however, did not follow the other raiders. In VANISHING ACT: The Enduring Mystery Behind the Legendary Doolittle Raid over Tokyo (St. Martin's Press;) Retired US Air Force fighter pilot Dan Hampton uses never-before-published documents and photos in exclusive collaboration with Japanese researchers and access to some Doolittle Raiders' descendants, to shed light on where this eighth plane went, reveal the story of a secret WWII mission and definitively solve the final mystery of the Doolittle Raid. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Dan Hampton flew 151 combat missions during his twenty years (1986–2006) in the United States Air Force. For his service in the Iraq War, Kosovo conflict, and first Gulf War, Col. Hampton received four Distinguished Flying Crosses with Valor, a Purple Heart, eight Air Medals with Valor, five Meritorious Service medals, and numerous other citations. He is a graduate of the USAF Fighter Weapons School and USAF Special Operations School. A frequent guest on CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC discussing foreign affairs and geopolitics, he has also appeared as an analyst on Bill O'Reilly, Hannity, Tucker Carlson and Anderson Cooper360. He is the nationally bestselling author of Viper Pilot, Lords of the Sky, The Hunter Killers, The Flight, Chasing the Demon, Vengeance, Valor, and a novel, The Mercenary. For more info on the book click HERE  

This is a talk Mike had with Tom Griffin from the Doolittle Raiders. By Request this is being reposted.

This is a talk Mike had with Tom Griffin from the Doolittle Raiders. By Request this is being reposted.

Today on The Neil Haley Show, Neil "The Media Giant" Haley and Dr Robert Marx of the Dr Robert Marx Show interview Dan Hampton. ABOUT THE BOOK In the aftermath of the Pearl Harbor attacks, on April 18, 1942, sixteen B-25s, known as the Doolittle Raiders, hit targets across Japan before escaping to China. The eighth plane, however, did not return with the rest of the raiders. Instead, Plane 8's pilots did not attack Tokyo, but headed across Japan to the Soviet Union, supposedly due to low fuel. Yet, this bomber was the only plane on the mission with maps of the Soviet Union aboard. Why did Plane 8's flight plans, recently discovered in the Japanese Imperial Archives, show them nowhere near their target? The facts have long indicated that bombing Tokyo was merely a cover for Plane 8's real mission, but what was their secret objective? No one, aside from the two pilots and whoever sent them on this mission, truly knew why they were there, nor has the reason ever been revealed. Until now. AUTHOR BIO Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Dan Hampton flew 151 combat missions during his twenty years (1986–2006) in the United States Air Force. For his service in the Iraq War, Kosovo conflict, and first Gulf War, Col. Hampton received four Distinguished Flying Crosses with Valor, a Purple Heart, eight Air Medals with Valor, five Meritorious Service medals, and numerous other citations. He is a graduate of the USAF Fighter Weapons School and USAF Special Operations School. A frequent guest on CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC discussing foreign affairs and geopolitics, he has also appeared as an analyst on Bill O'Reilly, Hannity, Tucker Carlson and Anderson Cooper360. He is the nationally bestselling author of Viper Pilot, Lords of the Sky, The Hunter Killers, The Flight, Chasing the Demon, Vengeance, Valor, and a novel, The Mercenary.

Today we talk about inflatable space station modules made by Max Space, the return of horse-drawn caissons at Arlington Cemetery has been delayed, the cost of sustaining the F-35 is now forecasted to exceed $1.5 trillion, medical beard waivers have nearly doubled in the Air Force and Space Force, why the Marines were at Mar-A-Lago, and the 82nd anniversary of the Doolittle Raiders. To help out Mrs Texas, Krendra Harralson, please visit https://www.lovewithoutboundaries.com/

“D” is for Doolittle Raiders. On April 18, 1942, eighty Americans and sixteen B-25 bombers carried out the first attack on the Japanese Islands following Pearl Harbor. The participants began training for the mission in Columbia.

Steve is joined by screenwriter and film historian Steve Bonds as they discuss the MGM war film "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo" on its 80th anniversary and the legacy of the original Doolittle Raiders.

Two of them had movies made about their wartime exploits — “30 Seconds over Tokyo” and “The Great Escape”; a third, captured and imprisoned in the raid, returned to Japan after the war as a Christian missionary. (Pendleton, Umatilla County; 1940s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1505a.part3-doolittles-pendleton-raiders-337.html)

This edition features stories on the historic reunion of the Doolittle Raiders and flight delays and stranded travelers affected by the volcanic activity in Iceland. Hosted by Senior Airman Brad Sisson.

The two remaining Doolittle Raiders donated their Congressional gold medal to the Air Force Museum.

In this week's podcast, we are delighted and honored to talk to Melinda Liu, legendary journalist and long-time observer of post-Mao China. In addition to her long-time stint as Beijing Bureau Chief for Newsweek, Melinda has also covered the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, the 1991 liberation of Kuwait, and the fall of Saddam Hussein. The conversation begins with updates on China's “zero Covid” strategy against a backdrop of a new set of lockdowns in Beijing. Melinda then provides a journalist's overview of the evolving censorship mechanism in China since Deng's reforms, tracing the periods of relative openness and transparency and the increasing totalistic information control paradigm in the new era. Melinda also recounts the fascinating story of her father's involvement during WWII as translator and go-between for the Doolittle Raiders, the small group of American pilots who conducted a bombing raid in Tokyo and were forced to land in an occupied area of China.

Today's Story: Final Turn for the Doolittle Raiders

Mike spoke to Tom Griffin. One of the Doolittle Raiders. This is a conversation from 2013.

Mike spoke to Tom Griffin. One of the Doolittle Raiders. This is a conversation from 2013.

Lewis Varvel joined the U.S. Navy because he didn't want to be in the Army, but his service during World War II would still be harrowing and consequential. Varvel enlisted prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor and was sent to Norfolk, Virginia, to be part of the original crew aboard the aircraft carrier USS Hornet.After arriving on the west coast, Varvel and the Hornet headed into the Pacific to play a critical role in the fight against imperial Japan. In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Varvel takes us onto the flight deck as the Doolittle Raiders took off to bomb Japan just four months after the attack at Pearl Harbor.Varvel also provides vivid detail of the Hornet's role at Midway and Guadalcanal, and he shares his memories of the day it was sunk by Japanese October 1942.

Shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered military planners to strike at the heart of Japan. This daring bombing mission was entrusted to Col. James Doolittle of the U.S. Army Air Corps.On April 18, 16 bombers took off from the deck of the USS Hornet, with each bomber carrying five crew members. The engineer on the 15th bomber was Edward Saylor.Mr. Saylor shared his story with us at the American Veterans Center conference in Washington several years ago. In this conversation, Col. Saylor discusses his preparations for the raid, the two great challenges as the Doolittle Raiders got closer to Japan, dropping bombs over the target, and his harrowing efforts to avoid Japanese forces after the mission.

Today's Story: The Last Doolittle Raider

This episode covers the flight paths of the 16 Doolittle Raiders. A solid hour of hell is visited upon The Japanese Empire. Adm. Yamamoto and his Combined Fleet will send 6 carriers to chase down Adm. Halsey's Task Force 16, but it is long gone. Tokyo learns that war is a two way street. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Two of them had movies made about their wartime exploits — “30 Seconds over Tokyo” and “The Great Escape”; a third, captured and imprisoned in the raid, returned to Japan after the war as a Christian missionary. (Pendleton, Umatilla County; 1942) (For text and pictures, see http://offbeatoregon.com/1505a.part3-doolittles-pendleton-raiders-337.html)

Today I sit down with Andrew, 10 year veteran law enforcement officer and owner of Austere TacMed. We talk about life, police work, and running a small business. We also go down the rabbit hole of talking about World War Two for a minute as Andrew's uncle was one of the Doolittle Raiders.   The non-profit shoutout today goes to the Brian Terry Foundation and the Danger Zone Auction.    https://www.honorbrianterry.com    

Human Rights Lawyer and historian Michel Paradis talks to Al and James about his book 'Last Mission To Tokyo'. The thrilling war story-meets-courtroom-drama focuses on the Doolittle Raiders in Tokyo and attempts to try the Japanese for war crimes committed throughout the Second World War. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Host Karen J. Greenberg welcomed journalist Carol Rosenberg and attorney Michel Paradis at CNS on October 1st for a conversation based on Paradis’ new book Last Mission to Tokyo: The Extraordinary Story of the Doolittle Raiders and Their Final Fight for Justice. The full webinar can be watched on our website at CenterOnNationalSecurity.org/events. Vital Interests Podcast with Karen Greenberg is brought to you by the Center on National Security at Fordham Law.

The skill and bravery of the Doolittle raiders during WWII, who bombed Tokyo in 1942 captured the American public’s imagination, but not all the crews returned. Eight US flyers became Japanese prisoners of war who were tortured, put on trial for war crimes and found guilty… Not all of these men would make it home. In this episode we’re not going to be talking directly about the Doolittle raid but rather focus on the post war, war crimes trial of a number of the Japanese officers who were connected with the treatment of the Doolittle flyers that became Prisoners of War. Joining me is Michel Paradis, author of Last Mission to Tokyo. Michel is a specialist in International Law and Human Rights and has worked for over a decade with the US Department of Defence. He is also a lecturer at Columbia Law School.

In this episode of Horns of a Dilemma, Aaron O’Connell, associate professor of history at the Clements Center at the University of Texas at Austin, and Michel Paradis, a law professor at Columbia Law School and Georgetown Law School, discuss Paradis’ book, Last Mission to Tokyo, examine the aftermath of the Doolittle Raid. In April 1942, Col. Jimmy Doolittle lead a group of Army aviators launching B-25 bombers from Navy aircraft carriers to bomb Tokyo on a one-way mission. All but eight of the raiders escaped captivity. However, those eight were tried for war crimes by the Japanese and sentenced to death. Three were executed and five had their sentences commuted. Pardis’ book takes a look at the trial of the Japanese lawyers after the war who arranged the military commission and trial of the Doolittle Raiders.  

In 1942, Lt. Col. James H. Doolittle led an audacious one-way bombing raid to hit targets in Japan which many thought impossible. With nowhere to land their planes, eight American airmen who were captured afterward by Japanese troops in occupied Chinese territory, and later subjected to trials and death sentences. In his fascinating new book, "Last Mission to Tokyo: The Extraordinary Story of the Doolittle Raiders and Their Final Fight for Justice," Columbia Law Professor Michel Paradis takes the reader deep inside the first postwar war crimes tribunals organized by the Allies in Shanghai, which included trials of lawyers involved in the prosecution of the captured Doolittle airmen. In speaking with Robert Amsterdam about the book, Paradis remarks that much of the prosecutions that took place following the war were quite flawed examples of "victors' justice," but nevertheless set important precedent. "When we fall short in upholding justice, and we fall into the trap of victors' justice and revenge and show trials, you end up creating really unpredictable outcomes," Paradis says. "Now, here in 2020, 75 years later, Yamashita's trial is remembered as an outrage. (...) And we don't remember Yamashita as the really horrible fascist war criminal that he was. This is an issue that I try to explore in the book."

Michel Paradis joins us to talk about his book, Last Mission to Tokyo: The Extraordinary Story of The Doolittle Raiders and Their Final Fight for Justice. A few of the pilots are captured by the Japanese, tortured and sentenced to death. And it will be those Japanese officers connected with this cruelty, that will be tried by the American Government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1942, freshly humiliated from the attack on Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt demanded a show of strength against the Japanese. Jimmy Doolittle, a stunt pilot with a doctorate from MIT, came forward and led eighty young men on a seemingly impossible mission across the Pacific. Dubbed “The Doolittle Raiders,” they struck the mainland of Japan and permanently turned the tide of the war in the Pacific. But their legendary l mission wasn’t the end of the story. In his debut history, LAST MISSION TO TOKYO: The Extraordinary Story of the Doolittle Raiders and Their Final Fight for Justice (Simon & Schuster), legal scholar and historian Michel Paradisuncovers one of the last untold stories of a seminal moment in World War II: the pair of trials in Shanghai that determined the future of legal and military history. With incredible and gripping detail, he recounts the dramatic aftermath of the Doolittle mission, which involved two lost crews captured, tried, and tortured at the hands of the Japanese; the dramatic rescue the survivors in the last weeks of the conflict; and the international manhunt and trial led by two dynamic and opposing young lawyers - Major Robert Dwyer, a prosecutor determined to bring justice to the Raiders, and Lieutenant Colonel Edmund Bodine, assigned to defend the Japanese - who were forced to confront the questions of what constitutes a fair trial, when we should show mercy to our enemies, and right and wrong in the fog of war. The result is a heart-stopping, perspective-shifting courtroom drama that opens our eyes to a final act in the story of the Greatest Generation. Like compelling World War II histories such as Lucky 666 and Nuremberg: Infamy on Trial, LAST MISSION TO TOKYO is a thrilling war story meets courtroom drama that also offers a deep dive into the Japanese perspective that fans of Clint Eastwood's "Letters from Iwo Jima" will find fascinating. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Michel Paradis is a leading human rights lawyer and national security law scholar. He has won high-profile cases in courts around the globe and worked for over a decade with the US Department of Defense, Military Commissions Defense Organization, where he led many of the landmark court cases to arise out of Guantanamo Bay. He also holds the position of Lecturer at Columbia Law School, where he teaches on the military, the constitution, and the law of war. He received his doctorate from Oxford University and his law degree from Fordham Law School. He has appeared on or written for NPR, MSNBC, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic Foreign Policy, Lawfare, America, The Intercept, and the late Weekly Standard. He lives with his family in Manhattan. Learn more at www.michelparadis.com and follow him at www.twitter.com/michelparadis --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/steve-richards/support

Michel Paradis is a scholar of international law and human rights who has worked for more than a decade for the U.S. Department of Defense Military Commissions Defense Organization, where he has worked on a number of the landmark court cases to arise out of Guantanamo Bay. Most recently, he is the author of the book "Last Mission to Tokyo: The Extraordinary Story of the Doolittle Raiders and Their Final Fight for Justice." It's the story of two military commissions that arose out of the first U.S. bombing raid over Japan during World War II: One, the trial by the Japanese of a number of Americans who participated in the raid, and the other after the war, of the Japanese who conducted the first trial for their conduct of that trial. Benjamin Wittes spoke with Michel about the extraordinary history he uncovered, how he came to be interested in these cases and how they relate to the ongoing U.S. experiments with military commissions.

history, building dam, B 25 bombs, Doolittle Raiders

This is audio from Niceville City Council member Sal Nodjomian, talking about the city's approval of a resolution supporting the renaming of the post office in honor of the Doolittle Raiders.

Gene Kranz grew up idolizing World War II pilots like Jimmy Doolittle and the Doolittle Raiders. Kranz later joined the U.S. Air Force, which would prepare him for an historic career at NASA.In this interview with Greg Corombos, Kranz talks about his Air Force work and then shares in great detail what it was like to be on the front lines of history as the flight director for the Gemini and Apollo programs, including the Apollo 11 moon landing and the rescue of Apollo 13.Don't miss this extended conversation with NASA legend Gene Kranz.

Richard "Dick" Cole recently passed away. Dick was the last of World War II's famous Doolittle Raiders, the 80 flyers, aboard 16 B-25s, that left the USS Hornet on April 18, 1942, to drop bombs over Japan. The mission was payback for Pearl Harbor and a huge morale boost to an American public that had known nothing but defeat and loss prior to the Doolittle mission. It is with sadness that we say goodbye to our good friend, but also an honor to have known him. Thanks Lee Kirgan for providing this particular interview with Lt. Col. Cole.

We can't think of a better way to celebrate Memorial Day on our podcast than by posting one of the last, if not the last, interview Lt. Col. Dick Cole ever did. Lt. Col. Cole was the last surviving member of the Doolittle Raid of World War 2. The Doolittle Raid, also known as the Tokyo Raid, was America's initial response to the attack on Pearl Harbor. Lt. Col. Cole passed away this past April 9, only nine days before the 77th anniversary of the Doolittle Raid. The interview is conducted by Alan Wakim. Along with Lt. Col. Cole was his daughter, Cindy Chal. We hope you enjoy this historic interview and enjoy a blessed Memorial Day. Want to watch the video interview instead? Click the YouTube link here.

On EAA’s The Green Dot, the crew sat down with Jeff Thatcher, director of the Children of the Doolittle Raiders Association and son of Doolittle Raider David Thatcher, to talk about the legacy of the Doolittle Raid nearly 80 years later.

The Doolittle Raid, also known as the Tokyo Raid, on Saturday, April 18, 1942, was an air raid by the United States on the Japanese capital Tokyo and other places on the island of Honshu during World War II, the first air operation to strike the Japanese Home Islands. It demonstrated that the Japanese mainland was vulnerable to American air attack, served as retaliation for the attack on Pearl Harbor, and provided an important boost to American morale. The raid was planned and led by Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle of the United States Army Air Forces. Sixteen B-25B Mitchell medium bombers were launched without fighter escort from the U.S. Navy's aircraft carrierUSS Hornet (CV-8) deep in the Western Pacific Ocean, each with a crew of five men. The plan called for them to bomb military targets in Japan, and to continue westward to land in China—landing a medium bomber on Hornet was impossible. The bombing raid killed about 50 people, including civilians, and injured 400. Fifteen aircraft reached China, but all crashed, while the 16th landed at Vladivostok in the Soviet Union. Of the 80 crew members, 77 initially survived the mission. Eight airmen were captured by the Japanese Army in China; three of those were later executed. The B-25 that landed in the Soviet Union was confiscated, with its crew interned for more than a year before being allowed to "escape" via Soviet-occupied Iran. Fourteen complete crews of five, except for one crewman who was killed in action, returned either to the United States, or to American forces.[ After the raid, the Japanese Army conducted a massive sweep through the eastern coastal provinces of China, in an operation now known as the Zhejiang-Jiangxi campaign, searching for the surviving American airmen and inflicting retribution on the Chinese who aided them, in an effort to prevent this part of China from being used again for an attack on Japan. The raid caused negligible material damage to Japan, but its consequences had major psychological effects. In the United States, it raised morale. In Japan, it raised doubt about the ability of military leaders to defend the home islands, but the bombing and strafing of civilians also steeled the resolve of many to gain retribution and was exploited for propaganda purposes.[ It also contributed to Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto's decision to attack Midway Island in the Central Pacific—an attack that turned into a decisive strategic defeat of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) by the U.S. Navy in the Battle of Midway. The consequences were most severely felt in China, where Japanese reprisals cost an estimated 250,000 lives.[ Doolittle, who initially believed that the loss of all his aircraft would lead to his court-martial, received the Medal of Honor and was promoted two ranks to brigadier general. Doolittle and Hornet skipper Captain Marc Mitscher decided to launch the B-25s immediately—10 hours early and 170 nautical miles (310 km; 200 mi) farther from Japan than planned. After re-spotting to allow for engine start and run-ups, Doolittle's aircraft had 467 feet (142 m) of takeoff distance. Although none of the B-25 pilots, including Doolittle, had ever taken off from a carrier before, all 16 aircraft launched safely between 08:20 and 09:19. The B-25s then flew toward Japan, most in groups of two to four aircraft, before flying singly at wave-top level to avoid detection.[ The aircraft began arriving over Japan about noon Tokyo time, six hours after launch, climbed to 1,500 feet (460 m) and bombed 10 military and industrial targets in Tokyo, two in Yokohama, and one each in Yokosuka, Nagoya, Kobe, and Osaka. Although some B-25s encountered light antiaircraft fire and a few enemy fighters (made up of Ki-45s and prototype Ki-61s, the latter being mistaken for Bf 109s) over Japan, no bomber was shot down. Only the B-25 of 1st Lt. Richard O. Joyce received any battle damage, minor hits from antiaircraft fire. B-25 No. 4, piloted by 1st Lt. Everett W. Holstrom, jettisoned its bombs before reaching its target when it came under attack by fighters after its gun turret malfunctioned.[ The Americans claimed to have shot down three Japanese fighters – one by the gunners of the Whirling Dervish, piloted by 1st Lt. Harold Watson, and two by the gunners of the Hari Kari-er, piloted by 1st Lt. Ross Greening. Many targets were strafed by the bombers' nose gunners. The subterfuge of the simulated gun barrels mounted in the tail cones was described afterwards by Doolittle as effective, in that no airplane was attacked from directly behind.[ Fifteen of the 16 aircraft then proceeded southwest off the southeastern coast of Japan and across the East China Sea toward eastern China. One B-25, piloted by Captain Edward J. York, was extremely low on fuel, and headed instead for the Soviet Union rather than be forced to ditch in the middle of the East China Sea. Several fields in Zhejiang province were supposed to be ready to guide them in using homing beacons, then recover and refuel them for continuing on to Chongqing, the wartime Kuomintang capital. The primary base was at Zhuzhou, toward which all the aircraft navigated, but Halsey never sent the planned signal to alert them, apparently because of a possible threat to the task force.[ The raiders faced several unforeseen challenges during their flight to China: night was approaching, the aircraft were running low on fuel, and the weather was rapidly deteriorating. None would have reached China if not for a tail wind as they came off the target, which increased their ground speed by 25 kn (46 km/h; 29 mph) for seven hours. The crews realized they would probably not be able to reach their intended bases in China, leaving them the option of either bailing out over eastern China or crash-landing along the Chinese coast.[ All 15 aircraft reached the Chinese coast after 13 hours of flight and crash-landed or the crews bailed out. One crewman, 20-year-old Corporal Leland D. Faktor, flight engineer/gunner with 1st Lt. Robert M. Gray, was killed during his bailout attempt over China, the only man in that crew to be lost. Two crews (10 men) were missing. The 16th aircraft, commanded by Capt. Edward York (eighth off—AC #40-2242) flew to the Soviet Union and landed 40 miles (65 km) beyond Vladivostok at Vozdvizhenka, where their B-25 was confiscated and the crew interned. Although York and his crew were treated well, diplomatic attempts to return them to the United States ultimately failed, as the Soviet Union was not at war with Japan and therefore obligated under international law to intern any combatants found on its soil. Eventually, they were relocated to Ashkhabad, 20 miles (32 km) from the Iranian border, and York managed to "bribe" a smuggler, who helped them cross the border into Iran, which at the time was under British-Soviet occupation. From there, the Americans were able to reach a nearby British consulate on 11 May 1943.[ The smuggling was actually staged by the NKVD, according to declassified Soviet archives, because the Soviet government was unable to repatriate them legally in the face of the neutrality pact with Japan and unwilling to openly flout its treaty obligations with Japan in light of the fact that Vladivostok and the rest of the Soviet Far East were essentially defenseless in the face of any potential Japanese retaliation. Nevertheless, by the time of the American aircrew's "escape" from Soviet internment, Japan's armed forces were clearly on the defensive and drawing down their strength in Manchuria in order to reinforce other fronts. Meanwhile, Soviet forces had gained the strategic initiative in Europe. Even if the Americans' "escape" managed to gain significant attention in Tokyo, it was by then thought extremely unlikely that Japan would respond with any sort of military retaliation. Doolittle and his crew, after parachuting into China, received assistance from Chinese soldiers and civilians, as well as John Birch, an American missionary in China. As did the others who participated in the mission, Doolittle had to bail out, but he landed in a heap of dung (saving a previously injured ankle from breaking) in a paddy in China near Quzhou. The mission was the longest ever flown in combat by the B-25 Mitchell medium bomber, averaging about 2,250 nautical miles (4,170 km). The Doolittle Raiders held an annual reunion almost every year from the late 1940s to 2013. The high point of each reunion was a solemn, private ceremony in which the surviving Raiders performed a roll call, then toasted their fellow Raiders who had died during the previous year. Specially engraved silver goblets, one for each of the 80 Raiders, were used for this toast; the goblets of those who had died were inverted. Each Raider's name was engraved on his goblet both right side up and upside down. The Raiders drank a toast using a bottle of cognac that accompanied the goblets to each Raider reunion.[ In 2013, the remaining Raiders decided to hold their last public reunion at Fort Walton Beach, Florida, not far from Eglin Air Force Base, where they trained for the original mission. The bottle and the goblets had been maintained by the United States Air Force Academy on display in Arnold Hall, the cadet social center, until 2006. On 19 April 2006, these memorabilia were transferred to the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.[ On 18 April 2013, a final reunion for the surviving Raiders was held at Eglin Air Force Base, with Robert Hite the only survivor unable to attend.[ The "final toast to fallen comrades" by the surviving raiders took place at the NMUSAF on 9 November 2013, preceded by a B-25 flyover, and was attended by Richard Cole, Edward Saylor, and David Thatcher.

On April 18, 1942, the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders left a legacy by boosting American morale after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The story of the Doolittle Raiders is one of extraordinary valor and serves an example of the courage and selflessness presented by veterans of the Greatest Generation. As we mourn the passing of Lt. Colonel Richard E. Cole - the last surviving Doolittle Raider - and honor the 77th anniversary of the Doolittle Raid this week, we're sharing a special documentary program telling the story of Jimmy Doolittle's legendary raid on Japan. Featuring Doolittle and his raiders telling their stories, in their own words.

San Antonio Express-News Senior Reporter Sig Christenson details the life and service of recently deceased Dick Cole, the last serving member of the legendary Doolittle Raiders who boosted American morale with a daring air raid on Japan in the fifth month of World War II. Find more of Sig Christenson's coverage of military issues at https://www.expressnews.com/author/sig-christenson/.

The Sensitivity Police are out in full force as news anchor quits after complaint lodged because he said a guest "looked great" and the guest wasn't offended, giant inflatable breasts appear in London, Sony unveils 16K TV, Premium Cigar imports hit record levels in 2018, The Masters is this weekend and the last of the Doolittle Raiders died this week.

Today's Story: Retired Lieutenant Richard E. Cole, the last surviving member of the Doolittle Raiders, passed away Tuesday in San Antonio, Texas at the age of 103.

Today's story: Retired Lieutenant Colonel Richard E. Cole passed away.

Everyone knows, or at least recognizes, the image of the Flying Tigers (飞虎队 fēihǔduì). The shark-faced noses of these American airmen’s planes streaked across the skies of China, as they racked up an impressive string of successes in defending China from Japanese forces from 1941 to 1942. They are so recognizable, in fact, that their story has obscured the equally fascinating stories of other American pilots who landed in China — or, in the case of the two stories on this podcast, crash-landed. Melinda Liu, the Beijing bureau chief for Newsweek, joins Kaiser Kuo and David Moser to tell the story of the Doolittle Raiders, whose unprecedented — and successful — mission to bomb Tokyo from an aircraft carrier ended with scattered landings throughout Japan-occupied eastern China. Melinda’s father, it just so happens, met some of these pilots and was able to translate for them as they continued to sneak through occupied territory. Jonathan Kaiman, the Beijing bureau chief for the Los Angeles Times, relates an incredible tale of how a blond, blue-eyed American pilot flying the “Hump” from India to Chongqing allegedly found himself enslaved by the Yi minority in southwest China. Melinda has a 10-minute video documentary of the Doolittle Raiders’ story in China, and John’s piece in the LA Times on the legend of the American slave can be found here. Recommendations: David: A Chinese state-media-run YouTube channel called zuǒyòu shìpín 左右视频, which has amazing and rare videos of people speaking early modern Chinese language, historical stories (from a state media perspective, but with unique source material), and much more. Melinda: Dick Cole’s War: Doolittle Raider, Hump Pilot, Air Commando, by Dennis R. Okerstrom, about the last surviving Doolittle Raider — 102 years old now! And Target Tokyo: Jimmy Doolittle and the Raid That Avenged Pearl Harbor, by James M. Scott, which includes fascinating details from Western missionaries who were paired up with some of the fallen pilots. Jon: Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, a historical mystery by David Grann about a Native American tribe in southwest Oklahoma that struck oil beneath its land and was among the richest people in the world — until the murders started. Kaiser: “The risk of nuclear war with North Korea,” by Evan Osnos at the New Yorker. The Retreat of Western Liberalism, by the Financial Times’ Edward Luce. And as a counterpoint to Luce’s view of liberal identity politics, “The first white president,” by Ta-Nehisi Coates at the Atlantic.

In an interview before his death, World War II veteran Jacob DeShazer tells his role as one of the Doolittle Raiders who was taken prisoner by the Japanese. His surviving widow, Florence, tells of their experience as missionaries to Japan after the war.

In an interview before his death, World War II veteran Jacob DeShazer tells his role as one of the Doolittle Raiders who was taken prisoner by the Japanese. His surviving widow, Florence, tells of their experience as missionaries to Japan after the war.