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RODEO 2009: Doolittle Raiders land at competition

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol
  • RODEO 2009 Public Affairs
Three veterans of the Doolittle Raid of April 18, 1942, met with participants and staff of Air Mobility RODEO 2009 here.

Retired Lt. Cols. Richard E. Cole and Edward J. Saylor and retired Maj. Thomas C. Griffin, all veterans of the historic raid on Tokyo led by Lt. Col. James H. "Jimmy" Doolittle, are part of the RODEO atmosphere filled with heroes of Air Force heritage. 

The April 1942 air attack on Japan launched from the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Hornet, according to the U.S. Navy's Naval Historical Center in Washington, D.C. 

"It was the most daring operation yet undertaken by the United States in the young Pacific War," Navy archives show. "Though conceived as a diversion that would also boost American and allied morale, the raid generated strategic benefits that far outweighed its limited goals." 

History shows the idea for the raid began in January 1942, a month after the Pearl Harbor attacks. U.S. Fleet commander Adm. Ernest J. King and Air Forces leader Gen. Henry H. Arnold greeted it with enthusiasm. 

"General Arnold assigned the technically-astute (Colonel) Doolittle to organize and lead a suitable air group," the history states. The modern, but relatively well-tested B-25B 'Mitchell' medium bomber was selected as the delivery vehicle. Tests showed that it could fly off a carrier with a useful bomb load, enough fuel to hit Japan and continue on to airfields in China. 

Colonel Cole, who was stationed at then-named McChord Field, talked about how his involvement started in the time leading up to the raid, starting with the attacks on Pearl Harbor.

"I was here back in 1940 and they didn't have accommodations for people," Colonel Cole said. "They rented rooms to people in town. I was staying in one of those rooms when I learned about Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. We were listening to records in the afternoon. At about 3:30 (p.m.) or so, someone came in and told us what happened.

"He said, 'It's awful. It's awful. The Japanese have attacked Pearl Harbor,'" Colonel Cole said. "I thought we were the last ones in the service to know about it."

While Colonel Cole was at McChord, Colonel Saylor and Major Griffin were stationed in Oregon. Within a short time, they were all called to be a part of the historic raid mission. Few of the Raiders even knew about the mission before it was going to happen. Colonel Cole was one of the few.

"There had to be some very secret preparations for it," said Colonel Cole, who ended up being Colonel Doolittle's co-pilot on the raid. "Colonel Doolittle sent me and another man up to Washington to work with intelligence. Everything was very secret. The men we worked with were just told to get the stuff that we asked for, and not ask any questions. What we wanted were maps and charts to put 20 planes over the Japanese islands and into China. Then we also wanted to know the potential location of military targets.

"We got all of that information," Colonel Cole said. "When we took off, every person had to know exactly where he was going with an assigned target on the Japanese islands. We got all that information together and flew back down to Florida. We crated it up and brought all that information out once we were out in the Pacific on the carrier. Each crew was then assigned a specific target."

Colonel Saylor said he was one of the Raiders who heard the news on the carrier.

"We just set about doing our job in getting ready," Colonel Saylor said. "Initially, we didn't even know where we were going. We were out to sea a ways before we found out. After a few days we shuffled the airplanes and cleared half a runway for take-off. By that time we were motivated to do the job at hand."

For the raid, Major Griffin was the navigator on Crew 9 and Colonel Saylor was the engineer. Colonel Cole's position as Colonel Doolittle's co-pilot was just coincidence since Colonel Doolittle wasn't supposed to be on the mission in the first place.

"I don't think I was selected to be Colonel Doolittle's co-pilot," Colonel Cole said. "The guy who was supposed to be (my pilot) became ill and (Colonel) Doolittle took his seat."

The raid was a success, the naval history shows. Most of the 16 B-25s, each with a five-man crew, attacked the Tokyo area with a few hitting Nagoya.

"Damage to the intended military targets was modest and none of the planes reached the Chinese airfields -- though all but a few of their crewmen survived," the history said. "The Japanese high command was deeply embarrassed. Three of the eight American Airmen they had captured were executed."

After completing the Tokyo mission, all three went back to fighting in World War II. "We didn't think we had a choice," Colonel Cole said. 

Colonel Cole remained in the China-Burma-India theater until 1944 and then served in a variety of locations. Colonel Saylor served overseas and in the U.S. throughout World War II before accepting a commission in 1947 as an aircraft maintenance officer. Major Griffin served in North Africa until he was shot down and captured by the Germans where he remained a prisoner of war until his release in April 1945.

"I was held at an interrogation center in Frankfurt," Major Griffin said. "When they would interrogate me, they would ask about the war in the Pacific and I'd tell them I don't know anything about the war."

Major Griffin also went on to fly the C-47 Skytrain. When asked to compare it to the C-17 Globemaster III of today, he said, "It's a far bit faster than a C-47."

When asked about being considered a hero, Colonel Saylor replied for all of them.

"That's for somebody else to say," Colonel Saylor said. "I didn't feel heroic. After the raid, I spent the next few years in Europe taking pieces of bodies out of airplanes. I also saw the scenes of Normandy. There's no way you can call yourself a hero. I've seen too much.

"What we did (in the raid), I guess you could say was heroic," Colonel Saylor said. "I just say that I was just doing my job. After the war, people just sort of picked up on the raid and started advertising it and honoring it."

And they were all honored during RODEO 2009. Dozens of participants lined up to meet them and get autographs. One Airman even termed it to be a "rock star" environment. Another page of history maybe? For the Doolittle Raiders, it's just informing another generation.

"We just want people to remember World War II," Major Griffin said. "We're glad to be here and meet everyone, but most importantly, we want today's generation to remember those guys we lost in that last great war."