Doolittle Raider shares military heritage Published March 13, 2013 By 1st Lt. Leanne Hedgepeth 17 TRW/PA GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Retired Lt. Col. Richard E. Cole, will visit Goodfellow March 26. Cole was the co-pilot of the lead aircraft in the Doolittle Raid. Cole completed pilot training and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in July of 1941. He served in China, Burma and India after the April 18, 1942 Doolittle Raid, also known as the Tokyo Raid, until June 1943. Cole served again in the China-Burma-India Theater from October 1943 until June 1944. He was relieved from active duty in January 1947 and returned to active duty in August 1947. He was an operations advisor to the Venezuelan Air Force from 1959 to 1962. Cole's decorations include the Distinguished Flying Cross with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Air Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, Bronze Star Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, and Chinese Army, Navy, Air Corps Medal, Class A, 1st Grade. Cole will present a Doolittle Raiders video presentation as well as a question and answer session at 12:45. For more information contact Capt. Timothy Petrov at 325-654-3035. If interested in signed B-25 prints, contact Mr. Tip Hargrove at 325-653-6931 weekdays from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
