Big celebration in Dayton next week to honor WWII’s Doolittle Raiders

B-25s fly in formation over a National Museum of the U.S. Air Force memorial service Wednesday, April 18, 2012 on the 70th anniversary of the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo.

B-25s fly in formation over a National Museum of the U.S. Air Force memorial service Wednesday, April 18, 2012 on the 70th anniversary of the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo.

The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force will mark the 75th anniversary of the Doolittle Raiders historic raid against Japan this week.

The Army Air Forces Raiders bomber five Japanese cities in the first U.S. strike against the World War II adversary in the aftermath of the devastating attack on the U.S. fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Doolittle Raider and Dayton native Richard E. Cole, was co-pilot to Col. Jimmy Doolittle, who lead 16 B-25s on a daring bombing foray over Japan on April 18, 1942 - months after Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor. Cole, who turned 100 in September, is the lone survivor of the 80 Doolittle Raiders.

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Here are the upcoming scheduled public events to mark the anniversary at the museum:

MONDAY

Beginning at 8 a.m., museum visitors may watch the arrival of B-25s Mitchell bombers from the backside of the museum’s Memorial Park.

The planes will be on public display from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on the runway behind the museum. Visitors may enter through the gate at the corner of Col. Glenn Highway and Spinning Road.

TUESDAY

The B-25s will remain on display from 9 a.m. to noon and set for take-off at 1:30 p.m. All vehicles must move from the runway grounds by noon, the museum said.

Weather permitting, the World War II bombers will fly over the museum’s Memorial Park at 2:15 p.m. A memorial service and wreath laying begins at 2:30 p.m.

At approximately 3:15 p.m., two B-1B Lancer bombers were scheduled to fly over the ceremony.

At a sold-out event at 6:30 p.m., Lt. Col. Richard Cole, the sole surviving Raider, will open the Living History Film Series: “Doolittle Raiders: The Final Toast.”

Author book signings are set throughout Monday and Tuesday inside the museum.

For additional information, log onto the museum's web site at www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Upcoming/Doolittle-Tokyo-Raid-75th-Anniversary/.

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