The toasting tradition began in 1959 when the city of Tucson, Arizona, presented the Raiders with a set of 80 silver goblets, each with the name of a Raider. In the past reunions, a toast was made to those who had died since the previous meeting, then, that member's goblet would be turned upside down in the display case.
Due to advancing age and health issues, it was decided that the reunion this past April would be the very last one. However, the surviving members wanted one last private toast and that is what will happen tomorrow.
Efforts are also underway to award a Congressional Gold Medal, the nation's highest civilian award, to all the Raiders.
The Raid started off from Alameda NAS and was launched from the USS Hornet. The original Hornet was later sunk in the Battle of Santa Cruz Island in October 1942. The current USS Hornet was being built at the time as the USS Kearsarge but was given the name.
The final toast is not open to the public but will have a live feed at the Pentagon Channel at 6 P.M. EST. It is also going to be available at www.nationalmuseum/af.mil and www.af.mil.
I plan to be watching when this history takes place.
To the Raiders. --GreGen
The USS North Carolina (BB-55) My all-time favorite warship. As an elementary school student in North Carolina, I donated nickels and dimes to save this ship back in the early sixties.
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