Another member of Doolittle's Raiders left us for the great big hanger up in the sky last week. Only two Raiders are left. The 19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs unit issued the following statement:
 |
| Japs take Hite to 3 1/2 years of hell |
Doolittle Raider Lt. Col. Robert Hite was buried with military honors April 2 in Camden after a funeral service in his home church.
Hite was among 80 men who took part in the famous World War II Doolittle Toyko Raid in April 1942. Hite, 95, died March 29 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Family and friends began the commemoration of Hite's life at Saint John's Episcopal Church with a traditional funeral service. They departed the church for a gravesite service at Memorial Park Cemetery in Camden.
Hite was given a hero's escort from the church to the cemetery, as Maul Road was lined with community members waving American flags as the procession passed.
Before remarks from the reverend at the cemetery, the service opened with flyover by a B-1 from the 37th Bomb Squadron at Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota.
The Little Rock Air Force Base Honor Guard led the gravesite service and performed a flag-folding ceremony, three-volley gun salute and presented three polished rounds to Hite's son, Wallace Hite.
The service culminated with the playing of "Taps" followed by a heritage flyover including a B-25 and three P-40 aircraft.
During the Doolittle Raid mission, led by then Col. Jimmy Doolittle, Hite was the co-pilot on plane 16, a B-25 dubbed the "Bat Out of Hell." After the bombing runs, Hite's crew was forced to bailout because of low fuel. Hite landed in a rice paddy and was captured by the Japanese. He was one of eight men captured by the Japanese, and he was held as a prisoner of war for 40 months before he was liberated Aug. 20, 1945.
A small delegation from Little Rock AFB, about two hours from Camden, attended the event to offer condolences to his family and render respect to Hite and the Doolittle Raiders' legacy.
"The loss of Lt. Col. Hite was felt across our nation, as we also lost a member of our military family," said Col. Patrick Rhatigan, 19th Airlift Wing and installation commander. "The entire Team Little Rock community shares in the sorrow felt by his loved ones."
One distinguished guest included Lt. Col. Richard "Dick" Cole, fellow Doolittle Raider, who joined family and friends to honor his comrade. With Hite's passing, Cole and Staff Sgt. David Thatcher remain the only two surviving Raiders.
The Doolittle Raiders will be honored with the Congressional Gold Medal in a ceremony April 15 in Washington D.C, then present it April 18 - the 73rd anniversary of the raid - to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio.
The medal will be displayed as part of a larger Raiders exhibit in the museum.
"I was humbled to attend the service of Lt. Col. Hite," said Rhatigan. "He helped lay the foundation for our great Air Force. It was simply a privilege to join his family and friends to remember, celebrate and honor an incredible American hero."
After Hite's passing, his son Wallace told the Associated Press his father would want to be remembered for his patriotism, and for others to share the same sentiment.
"I think he would want two things: that's the attitude we ought to have about our country; and the second is, he was just doing his job."
Kingfish note: The Japs executed his pilot and gunner. He dropped from 180 to 76 lbs while a POW.
10 comments:
What a courageous and selfless patriot. I bet he never thought he'd live as long as he did.
"Japs" is probably not politically correct. Except in the context of WWII. Sucker punching mongrels...
But congrats to that nation that apparently reformed very quickly after realizing they could easily be exterminated.
What current group could learn from history?????
Back when men were men.
And Japs were Nips, among other things, and Doolittle bombed" Tokio", according to the National Geographic magazine of the day...but at least they figured out a way to make Hollis Wood's radio small enough to fit in a Nip sub. They were all in cahoots, you know...with the Krauts.
7:57 AMEN! And the neither the feminization of 'Murica nor the Political Correctness disease was yet a thought in anyone's mind.
As terrible as war truly is, that's the last war the US fought with the intention of winning it! It was kill or be killed, and we decided that collateral damage happens when you are actually trying to survive......even if we had a gun to our collective heads, can you imagine the US having the will today to bomb a major city like Tokyo indiscriminately? We're WAY to pussified to do that now.....we'd rather just give up.
Another hero of the "Greatest Generation" gone. These brave men and women are among those who have made this great nation what it is.
My father, 95, was a B-24 pilot in the south pacific and fought the Japanese as well still with us.
11:41, my dad was also in the South Pacific, but as ground crew for P38's in the Army Air Force. He's 91 now and totally bed ridden in a nursing home and has "lost" pretty much everything else in his life, but he still has those WWII memories and loves to talk about them, which I always encourage him to do no matter how many times I've heard it before.
2:46, my father was in an M-18 Tank Destroyer in the Battle of the Bulge. Like yours, he's 91, and although he's slowing down, he still gets around pretty good!
You know, I had been grown for some time before I learned that the soldiers in WWII didn't really have a "Tour of Duty." They had no idea how long they were goong to be at war. When you left, you didn't know if you were going to be gone 6 months or 6 years.....you just knew you weren't coming back until it was over! Can you imagine getting on a troop ship with that understanding?....I want to say "WOW," but what we all need to keep saying is "Thank You!"
2:46, I sit and listen to what ever Pop wants to talk about even if it makes no sense.
Its tough to witness these men and women go down, to lose their metal capacity and see them leave us when they are still with us physically.
5:34, Amen. I hope no one took my comment the wrong way (not worried about the Nips). I definitely miss my relatives, and friends, who served and are gone. Always be ready to listen to "Pop", whatever he has to say. And tell your kids WHY they should listen...BTW: love the beer comment verification.
Post a Comment