Richard E. Cole — Doolittle Raid co‑pilot and U.S. Air Force officer

Early life and entry into service

Cole was born in Dayton, Ohio, and came of age during a period of rapid development in military aviation. He entered military aviation in the era of the United States Army Air Forces, receiving flight training and assignments that prepared him for operations in the early years of American involvement in World War II. His training and assignments reflected the urgent demand for skilled crews in long‑range bombing and carrier launch operations.

Doolittle Raid and wartime service

In April 1942 Cole flew as co‑pilot in the lead aircraft of the raid that carried B‑25 Mitchell medium bombers from an aircraft carrier to targets in Japan. The mission proved a pivotal morale boost for the United States and demonstrated the ability to strike the Japanese home islands. Following the raid, Cole remained in China to support continued Allied operations; records show he stayed there until June 1943 and later returned to the China‑Burma‑India (CBI) theater from October 1943 to June 1944. Throughout this period he continued flying and undertaking operational duties associated with long‑range missions in difficult conditions.

Later career and postwar activities

After World War II Cole continued his career in the evolving U.S. air services, which became the independent U.S. Air Force in 1947. In the later decades of his career he served in roles that included international advisory work — notably as an operations advisor to the Venezuelan Air Force from 1959 until 1962 — before retiring from active duty in 1966. His postwar assignments illustrate how experienced wartime aviators were often employed to help build and modernize allied air forces during the Cold War era.

Honors, longevity, and legacy

Cole received recognition for his role in one of World War II’s most famous air operations. He marked his 100th birthday in September 2015, a milestone noted by military and public media, and in 2016 he became the last living member of the Doolittle Raider cohort. He died on April 9, 2019, at the age of 103. His life and service are remembered for their link to a daring, formative mission and for a long career bridging wartime experience and postwar aviation development.

Service highlights

• Co‑pilot of the lead aircraft in the April 1942 Doolittle Raid with Jimmy Doolittle.
• Stayed in China after the raid to support Allied operations (until June 1943).
• Returned to the China‑Burma‑India theater October 1943–June 1944.
• Served as operations advisor to the Venezuelan Air Force, 1959–1962.
• Retired from the Air Force in 1966 and lived to be 103, noted publicly at age 100.

Further reading and archival material: For more detailed accounts of the raid, service records, and oral histories of participants, consult surviving collections and veteran interviews held in national and military archives or at institutions that preserve World War II aviation history. Related institutional pages and collections may be found through official military and historical organizations by following curated references and research guides (pilot and crew records, regional archives, service histories, and other resources).

Additional biographical summaries and commemorations are available from museums and veteran associations that preserved the memory of the Doolittle Raid and its aircrews (local memorials, Air Force historical offices, centennial celebrations).