Doolittle Raiders Final Toast-- Part 2

This past Saturday, November 9th, Liz and I watched the proceedings on a live stream from the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright Patterson AFB, northeast of Dayton, Ohio. This was major history in my book. Early on, we saw a video featuring past Doolittle Reunions. It was sad to see fewer and fewer attendees, especially in the last ten years. Just four remain now.

Then there were a lot of speeches. I was surprised that the president was not there. Then they had a roll call by plane. The names of each five-man crew was called off and the three in attendance answered with "Here" when their name was called. Somewhere at home, I'm sure Col. Hite did the same (he was unable to attend due to health). Relatives of "Those Who Have Passed On" stood when their name was called.

I particularly enjoyed the talk about the first reunion in 1946 which must have been quite a party with all sorts of antics keeping guests at the Miami hotel up to the wee hours and a "Raid" on the hotel pool. Col. Doolittle paid $2,000 for it, but said that in the future, the Raiders had to pay their own way.

Then we heard the history of the toast and the bottle of 1894 Hennessy cognac given to Doolittle in the 1950s with the 1894 being his birthday. I always thought the bottle in the goblet case was the original, but it wasn't. The very original one disappeared while at the U.S. Air Force Academy. The replacement bottle was always kept at the homes of various Raiders, so this was the first time the public had ever seen the original, well replacenment.

Col. Cole, Doolittle's co-pilot, had some difficulty opening the bottle, but once done, the toast was made. Liz and I toasted right along with the Raiders, I with a shot of Rebel Yell and Liz with a Rumchata.

Like I Say, "The Greatest Generation." -- GreGen

Hoping to See the Doolittle Goblets and JFK's Air Force One This Friday

I'm leaving tomorrow for North Carolina and planning on being at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB, northeast of Dayton this Friday. I'm going there because of the recent Doolittle Toast on November 9th and, of course, this Friday is November 22nd, the 50th anniversary of the JFK Assassination.

The museum is the repository of the Doolittle Raiders and it also has the Air Force One jet that carried the Kennedys to Dallas that day and then Kennedy's body back and where Lyndon Johnson was sworn in as the new president with Jackie Kennedy standing by his side in that famous photo. Plus, Kennedy was quite the war hero, especially with the PT-109 incident.

That Would Be Quite a Connection With the Date. --GreGen

The Doolittle Raiders Final Toast-- Part 1

This past Saturday, Liz and I stayed home long enough to see the ceremony live from the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base's National Museum of the US Air Force, featuring three of the surviving Doolittle Raiders and their Final Toast to "those who have gone on before."

This was major history happening right before our eyes and we got to see it. It streamed live on the National Museum USAF and you can probably still see it at the site. I have been keeping tabs on the surviving Doolittle raiders on this blog and on my history blog before this for three years now. I also kept up with the last survivors of World War I.

Dignitaries were there, but I have to wonder why President Obama, the vice president or Secretary of Defense weren't in attendance. What these men accomplished and the courage they displayed is what the Greatest Generation is all about and they took it to a new level. I WOULD have been there.

The Greatest of the Greatest. --GreGen

Liz and I Toasted Doolittle Raiders' Final Toast Yesterday

We watched the ceremony live from the National Museum of the USAF in Dayton, Ohio, yesterday. And, as three of the four survivors took that Final Toast of the 1894 Hennesy Brandy, we had a toast of our own. That was a moving ceremony and big-time history. --GreGen

Final Toast for the Doolittle Raiders Today

As I prepare to leave to go to the Tom Grovsner Marine Corps Birthday Breakfast (marking the 238th) and Toys for Tots Kickoff at the Fox Lake, Il., American Legion in a few minutes, I went to the National Museum of the USAF site and found a tag for the Doolittle Raider Final Toast at the upper left-hand corner and a short video reading "One Aircraft Carrier...16 Bombers....80 Men....One Incredible Mission."

That pretty-well sums it up.

I'll be watching the live feed at the site this afternoon at 5 P.M. CST. The Mission Officially Ends Today. --GreGen

It's the Final Toast for the Doolittle Raiders-- Part 2

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

It's the Final Toast for Doolittle Raiders-- Part 1

From the Oct. 30, 2013, Contra Costa Times "Doolittle Raiders to gather for a final toast" by Peter Hegarty.

"They carried off one of the most legendary attacks of World War II and boosted American morale when victory over Japan seemed far from certain."

But for the survivors of the Doolittle Raid, their mission will only truly end when they raise a final toast to those who were with them that fateful day and who have since died. Just four of the men are still living.

Richard Cole, Edward Saylor and David Thatcher will be at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, tomorrow, November 9th, to do just that.

Each will lift a silver goblet of brandy during the solemn ceremony. The fourth survivor, Robert Hite will not be in attendance due to poor health.

Some of the Greatest of the Greatest Generation. --GreGen