Had a real honor today

3393RP

3393RP

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3393RP
I was at the Commerative Air Force airshow at KRBD today. It was a great show, saw lots of warbirds fly including the B-29 FiFi.

The highlight of the day was talking to Lt Col Dick Cole. He was the copilot of Jimmy Doolittle's B-25 which led the raid on Japan on April 18,1942. Col Cole described the takeoff from the Hornet to me and how they flew at 200' for almost 600 miles before reaching the target.

Col Cole is 101 years old. He is the last surviving Doolittle raider. It was a real honor to speak with him and shake his hand.
 
A very special encounter...thanks for sharing.
Earlier this year at a fly-in, I felt the same way after talking to Marty, a P-47 pilot who served in the South Pacific.
 
101 years old and my 1 year old got to meet him, too!

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There aren't many heroes left these days. When you get a chance to meet one, take in every word and hold your head high. Show them that their sacrifice was worth it and you will carry on the pride and values they fought for.
 
I met him at the warbird event at KPDK last month. I was setting up to take a pic of the C-47 when I looked to my right and saw him sitting behind a table. I thought, holy crap, that's Dick Cole! Not a single person in line or anything. Asked if I could get a pic with him and I believe one of his family members volunteered to take it. As I knelt next to him, he slowly extended his hand to shake mine.

A real honor to see the last surviving Raider. Despite being hard of hearing, he seemed to be doing quite well at 101.
 
Acrodustertoo said:
There aren't many heroes left these days. When you get a chance to meet one, take in every word and hold your head high. Show them that their sacrifice was worth it and you will carry on the pride and values they fought for.
Click to expand...
I agree 100%.
 
Years ago when I was flying for a law firm, the CP and myself were "debriefing" at the local watering hole and talkin' aeroplanes. Old guy next to was eavesdropping and finally says, "y'all think you're such hot pilots" or something along those lines, and told us what he flew in WW2. I told him man, we're not bragging about our flying, just happy to be able to it for a living. I told him we have the utmost respect for you and what you did in the war. Told him my uncle flew C-46s over the Hump, Dad was a Marine in the Pacific, and a couple of uncles were fighting in Europe, one KIA. But if I could fly in any era of aviation it would have been yours. You pilots were doing all the exciting flying with those old radial engines and saving the world. Utmost respect for that generation. He was cool after he realized we weren't hot dogs.
 
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