[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 71 (Wednesday, May 1, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2565-S2566]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                REMEMBERING LIEUTENANT COLONEL DICK COLE

  Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. President, I am here on the floor to talk about an 
American hero.
  General Douglas MacArthur once said, ``Duty, Honor, Country. Those 
three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you 
can be, what you will be.'' Those words--duty, honor, country--are 
exemplified through the life and legacy of Lieutenant Colonel Richard 
Cole.
  Lt. Col. Cole, who went by Dick, was born and raised in my 
grandfather's hometown, Dayton, OH. He graduated from Steele High 
School and completed 2 years of college at Ohio University before 
enlisting in the Aviation Cadet Program of the U.S. Army Air Corps in 
November 1940. He commissioned as a second lieutenant in July 1941 and 
received his pilot wings at Randolph Field in Texas. From there, he 
joined the ranks of the 34th Bombardment Squadron of the 17th 
Bombardment Group.
  Soon after, Lt. Col. Cole became one of the 80 volunteers who signed 
up for the Doolittle Mission, which was to become the first offensive 
strike on mainland Japan during World War II. In a turn of fate, a 
Japanese vessel spotted the USS Hornet, forcing the mission to commence 
a day early. Therefore, what was originally planned

[[Page S2566]]

as a 400-mile trip to mainland Japan turned into a 645-mile journey to 
the target, putting the pilots in grave danger because the planes did 
not have enough fuel to reach their destination.
  Lt. Col. Cole served valiantly as Lt. Col. James Doolittle's co-
pilot, and together, they led the squadron of 16 Army Air Force bombers 
from the Hornet to Tokyo. The squadron succeeded in bombing their 
target, but as predicted, his plane ran low on fuel and they were 
forced to bail out over China. His parachute worked, and he landed in a 
tree, where he spent the night and climbed down in the morning. He 
ultimately found some Chinese students who took him to Doolittle. After 
the raid, Cole went to India, helped establish the dangerous Hump 
flying route and flew more than 100 missions carrying cargo, earning 
three Distinguished Flying Crosses. The Doolittle Raiders received the 
Congressional Gold Medal in 2015 and donated it to the National Museum 
of the U.S. Air Force in Ohio.
  The raid provided a psychological lift back home and marked a turning 
point in the Pacific theater of the war. He was humble about his role 
in this mission and chalked it up to duty. In 2016, when remembering 
the raid, he said: ``We were the only B-25 crew operating for months. 
We were going on that mission whether we wanted to or not. That 
straightens out that fairy tale.'' He was awarded the Distinguished 
Flying Cross for heroism for this mission.
  Cole remained in China to continue flying bombing and transport 
missions through the end of the war. He is the only American serviceman 
of the 16 million who served in World War II to have flown in three 
elite groups: the Doolittle Raiders, the Himalayan Hump Route pilots, 
and the 1st Air Commandos.
  After retiring from a distinguished 26-year long career in the U.S. 
Air Force, he spent much of his time as an ambassador for the Air Force 
and Doolittle Raiders. He traveled the country to keep the history and 
legacy of the Doolittle Raiders alive and honor those who served beside 
him.
  On April 9, Lt. Col. Cole passed away at the age of 103 years old. 
What an incredible life. He captured the hearts of everyone who met 
him, and he will forever be remembered as a hero who faithfully 
executed his duty for our Country.
  Godspeed, Lt. Col. Dick Cole.

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