Doolittle Tokyo Raiders reunion schedule update

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Story at a Glance
• Public autograph session to take place at the museum on April 20 at 2 p.m. • Only those with a luncheon ticket on April 19 will be permitted to seek autographs that day • The film "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo" will be shown April 18 amd 19 in the museum's Carney Auditorium at 9:30 a.m. • Twenty-one B-25 Mitchell bombers plan a special tribute to the Raiders

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B-25J "Maid in the Shade" takes off from the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force during the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders reunion in 2010. This year twenty-one B-25 Mitchell bombers are planning to pay tribute to the Raiders.
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Doolittle Tokyo Raiders reunion schedule update

Posted 3/29/2012 Updated 3/29/2012

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by Rob Bardua
National Museum of the U.S. Air Force

3/29/2012 - DAYTON, Ohio -- The Doolittle Tokyo Raiders reunion schedule has been updated for events being held April 18 and 19 at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.

Due to the popularity of these events and in an effort to preserve the health and endurance of the Raiders, only those with a ticket for the April 19 luncheon at the Hope Hotel will be permitted to seek autographs on that day.

An autograph session for the general public will still be held at the museum on Friday, April 20 at 2 p.m. Autograph lines will open at 12:30 p.m. and the Raiders will sign as many autographs as their schedule allows. Please note there is a limit of one item per person.

Also, the film "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo" will now be shown in the museum's Carney Auditorium on Thursday, April 19 at 9:30 a.m. in addition to the previously scheduled Wednesday, April 18 showing at 9:30 a.m.

On April 18, 1942, 80 men achieved the unimaginable when they took off from an aircraft carrier on a top secret mission to bomb Japan. These men, led by Lt. Col. James H. "Jimmy" Doolittle, came to be known as the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders.

At this time, all five of the living Doolittle Tokyo Raiders -- Lt. Col. Richard E. Cole, Lt. Col. Robert L. Hite, Lt. Col. Edward J. Saylor, Maj. Thomas C. Griffin and Staff Sgt. David J. Thatcher -- are able to travel and plan to be on-hand for the reunion events. Others scheduled to attend the reunion include retired Navy Chief Petty Officer Allen Josey, who was an electrician on the aircraft carrier Hornet when the Raiders took off on their mission and retired Navy Aviation Machinist's Mate Elmo Wojahn, who also served on the Hornet at the time of the raid. Also attending is Hu Daxian of Zhejiang, China. Daxian is the wife of Li Senlin, who aided Doolittle Tokyo Raider crew number two.

As a special tribute to the Raiders, twenty-one B-25 Mitchell bombers plan to come from across the nation and land on the runway behind the museum on the morning of April 17. The aircraft will then be placed on static display from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. for the public to get an up-close look at each plane and meet the pilots and crews.

On April 18 at approximately 12:15 p.m., the aircraft will take-off one by one, form-up together over the Dayton area and then fly in formation over the museum at 1 p.m. - just prior to the Doolittle Raiders Memorial Service in the museum's Memorial Park.

These outdoor reunion events are weather contingent and subject to change. In order to operate the B-25s on the museum's normally closed runway, there must be relatively clear weather and a dry runway. A final weather call will be announced on April 16. For the latest updates and information on the reunion, including the complete schedule, visit http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/doolittle.asp.

The Doolittle Tokyo Raiders Association, Inc. continues to work on securing sponsorship to assist with the funding of these B-25 aircraft. Those interested in helping should visit www.doolittle-raiders.org, or contact Tom Casey with the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders Association, Inc. at (941) 921-7361 or tomcat911@comcast.net or Larry Kelley at (410) 991-2356 or b25driver@aol.com. (Federal endorsement is not implied.)

Before and after the museum reunion events, the B-25 aircraft will stage out of Grimes Field in Urbana, Ohio, to practice formation flights, and will offer public rides and static displays. For more information on the events at Grimes Field visit http://www.champaignaviationmuseum.org/Grimes_Gathering_of_B-25s.php.

The National Museum of the United States Air Force is located on Springfield Street, six miles northeast of downtown Dayton. It is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day). Admission and parking are free.

NOTE TO PUBLIC: For more information, contact the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at (937) 904-9881.

NOTE TO MEDIA: For more information, contact Rob Bardua at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force Public Affairs Division at (937) 255-1386. Media interested in attending the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders reunion events must register at http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/doolittle.asp.