JBSA-Randolph to host commemorative toast for Doolittle Raider Published April 16, 2014 JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas -- Retired Lt. Col. Richard "Dick" E. Cole, World War II veteran and one of four surviving Doolittle Raiders, will celebrate Friday on the 72nd anniversary of the Doolittle Tokyo Raid. The commander of Air Education and Training Command, Gen. Robin Rand, invites you to a commemorative toast for Doolittle Raider Cole at the JBSA-Randolph Parr Club International Ballroom Friday, Apr. 18, beginning at 5 p.m. On April 18, 1942, 80 men achieved the unimaginable when they took off from an aircraft carrier on a top secret one-way mission to bomb Japan using Army medium bombers. These men, led by Lt. Col. James H. "Jimmy" Doolittle, came to be known as the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders. Cole, now 98, was the copilot of Aircraft No. 1 - Jimmy Doolittle's very aircraft. They were the first crew to take off and first Americans to attack targets in Japan in World War II. Bob Hite, representing his uncle, retired Lt. Col. Robert L. Hite, copilot of Aircraft No. 16, is also expected to attend. The guest speaker will be Retired Maj. Gen. Mike Skinner, former mobilization assistant to the AETC commander.