Doolitle Raider passes away =o(

[SOLIDKREATE]

America lost another of the Greatest Generation today. LtCol. Robert L. Hite, one of the Doolittle Raiders,the men who launched from the USS Hornet and were the first to bomb Japan in April 1942 passed away. Bobby was the co-pilot of the 16th and last B-25 to leave Hornet and he was one of the 8 men captured by the Japanese. Of those 8, 3 were executed, one died and the other 4 endured 40 months as POW's. Most of their time was spent in solitary confinement. I met Bobby many years later and never met a more upbeat person. I will miss him. The photo was taken at the 65th Anniversary Reunion of the Raid. Bobby is on the right, I'm on the left. Now there are only 2 of the Raiders left, Richard Cole and David Thatcher. Congress is awarding the Congressional  Gold Medal to Raiders April 15th at 3 pm. RIP Bobby.

 

[Heliopause]

Salute!

 

 

(BTW last week I stumbled on this article giving an account of a Dutch translator in Tokio at the time of the raid)

 

[=362nd_FS=Hiromachi]

This is a very neat material you brought Heliopause. Only one thing should be noted, B-25s were intercepted by two Ki-61s, the prototypes in fact. The shot at the Mitchels but as it was unexpected raid and planes were in training ... they only had practice ammunition which could not cause any kind of damage.

 

Anyway, those B-25 guys were really brave.  May Robert L. Hite rest in peace. 

[Finkeren]

Funny how we often percieve the measures by Japan to try hitting the US mainland as outlandish and desperate but praise the Doolittle Raid as a great achievement despite it being an even more costly mission for almost no practical gain.

 

RIP to the guy. He had to endure a lot for his country to make a point.