The remaining members of the World War Two Doolittle raid on Tokyo gathered at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force Saturday to offer a final toast to their fallen comrades.
Hundreds of people watched as three of the four living Doolittle Raiders - Lieutenant Colonel Richard Cole, Lieutenant Colonel Edward Saylor and Staff Sergeant David Thatcher, all in their 90s - sipped an 1896 cognac from specially engraved silver goblets.
The cognac was passed down for the occasion from their late commander, Lieutenant General James Doolittle, who was born in 1896. The fourth survivor, Lieutenant Colonel Robert Hite, could not attend the ceremony because of health issues.
The 80 Doolittle Raiders who carried out the 1942 air attack inflicted little major damage on Tokyo, but are credited with boosting American morale from what had been a low point, and destroying the Japanese sense of invincibility.
Hundreds of people watched as three of the four living Doolittle Raiders - Lieutenant Colonel Richard Cole, Lieutenant Colonel Edward Saylor and Staff Sergeant David Thatcher, all in their 90s - sipped an 1896 cognac from specially engraved silver goblets.
The cognac was passed down for the occasion from their late commander, Lieutenant General James Doolittle, who was born in 1896. The fourth survivor, Lieutenant Colonel Robert Hite, could not attend the ceremony because of health issues.
The 80 Doolittle Raiders who carried out the 1942 air attack inflicted little major damage on Tokyo, but are credited with boosting American morale from what had been a low point, and destroying the Japanese sense of invincibility.