RIP Colonel Cole
RIP Colonel Cole
There are moments…and there are men…that galvanize a nation, and change history.
Lt. Colonel Richard E. Cole was one of those men. As co-pilot to Jimmy Doolittle on the legendary Doolittle Raid of April 18, 1942, Cole and his 79 comrades of the Doolittle Raiders led the first strike on Japan following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Their audacity rallied a nation badly in need of a win, and helped turn the tide of World War II.
Today – April 9, 2019 – Lt. Colonel Richard Cole passed away at the age of 103. He was the last of the 80 Doolittle Raiders, the last witness to one of the great moments in American military history.
The American Veterans Center has been honored to know many heroes throughout our history. None have meant more to us than Richard Cole. May he Rest in Peace, and may the spirit embodied by the 80 legends of the Doolittle Raid live on, among future generations of Americans.
In an interview from 2015, he reflects on his service and its remarkable legacy.
