Air Force Posthumously Promotes Dick Cole, Last of the World War II Doolittle Raiders
8 Sep 2021
Stars and Stripes | By Rose L. Thayer
Retired Lt. Col. Richard "Dick" Cole was celebrated during the final years of his life as the last surviving member of the legendary Doolittle Raid of World War II in which 80 crew members manning 16 aircraft bombed Japanese cities, including Tokyo.
Tuesday would have been the 106th birthday of the former Air Force pilot, who died April 9, 2019. To honor him and his service, Gen. Charles Q. Brown, the Air Force chief of staff, posthumously promoted Cole to the rank of colonel in a ceremony held at Joint Base San Antonio in Texas.
"We often get caught up in the daily static of life. Let us never forget that we truly stand on the shoulders of giants," Brown said. "I'm forever grateful for the early aviators that paved the way for our nation and for Air Force."
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/09/08/air-force-posthumously-promotes-dick-cole-last-of-world-war-ii-doolittle-raiders.html
