Apr 16, 3:02 AM EDT

Doolittle's Raid survivors' 70th reunion in Ohio

By DAN SEWELL
Associated Press


CINCINNATI (AP) -- The jovial banter and storytelling will halt, and guests will be ushered out of the meeting room, the door shutting behind them.

Five men, all in their 90s, will come to military-erect attention. Before them will be a wooden display case with 80 silver goblets. On each, a name is engraved twice: to be read right-side-up - for those still alive - or to be read placed upside-down, in memory of the 75 now dead.

"To those who have gone," 96-year-old Lt. Col. Richard Cole will toast, raising his goblet high.

The other four surviving Doolittle's Raiders - Maj. Thomas Griffin, Lt. Col. Robert Hite, Lt. Col. Edward Saylor and Master Sgt. David Thatcher - will answer in unison: "To those who have gone."

The ceremony Wednesday will come 70 years to the day after the bombing raid over Tokyo led by Lt. Col. "Jimmy" Doolittle that helped change the course of World War II. Four days of celebration are planned April 17-20 at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force near Dayton, including a fly-in of B-25 bombers like they flew. Special guests include survivors or relatives of the USS Hornet aircraft carrier crew that launched them and of Chinese villagers who helped save them after the raid.

The toast ritual grew from early get-togethers led by Doolittle, who died in 1993.

"It is a very private moment," said Cole, a Dayton native who lives in Comfort, Texas. "You remember the ones who didn't make it, you think about them, and you are sorry they aren't with us. And then the ones fortunate to still be living trade off stories."

The stories are many, their bond forged in a daring mission.

"I didn't expect to survive. We should have been shot down," said Saylor, 92, a Brusett, Mont., native who lives in Puyallup, Wash.

Pilots volunteered and trained in Florida for what they only knew was "extremely hazardous." Navigator Griffin, from Green Bay, Wis., got top-secret briefings with pilot David Jones in Washington, just five months after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

"We needed to hit back," recalled Griffin, now 95 and living near Cincinnati.

Once at sea, the rest learned targets - factories, plants, military facilities on mainland Japan. They knew the uncertainties: what if the Navy task force was attacked? What defenses would they face? And with B-25s unable to land on a carrier decks, could they reach friendly bases in China?

"We didn't know we were supposed to be afraid," summarized Saylor, 22 then.

The Raiders brushed aside Doolittle's assurances that anyone was free to withdraw.

"It was a mission in the war. We did what we were required to do," said Thatcher, of Missoula, Mont., age 90.

After encountering Japanese patrols, the raid launched ahead of plan, some 200 miles farther from shore for fuel-stretched bombers. Doolittle's plane took off first at 08:20 from a pitching carrier deck.

"It's the Charge of the Light Brigade," said historian Hugh Ambrose. "They know that a betting man would probably bet against them ... brave heroism in the face of an enemy that at that time was winning the war."

They flew low in radio silence, skimming seas and then treetops. Cole recalls the country song "Wabash Cannonball" running through his head. He tapped his foot in time until Doolittle shot him a questioning look.

They were greeted by anti-aircraft guns and puffs of black smoke. Flak shook planes.

"As we got there, there was no conversation, until the bombardier told Col. Doolittle that the initial bombing target was in sight," said Cole, who was in the lead plane. "At that point, Col. Doolittle said to open up the bomb bay doors."

The bombs dropped, "and we got the heck out of there."

The danger was just beginning. All 16 planes lacked enough fuel to reach bases and either crash-landed or ditched in dark, rough weather along China's coast south of Shanghai.

"The most scary time for me was standing in a plane at 9,000 feet, in the middle of a pretty bad storm, looking down into a black hole and ready to exit into the unknown," said Cole.

"I never learned how to swim," added a chuckling Saylor, who held onto a damaged raft. "I was raised on a cattle ranch out in Montana."

Thatcher was aboard the plane dubbed "The Ruptured Duck," which crash-landed into water. Pilot Ted Lawson's leg was badly broken, later amputated. They narrowly stayed ahead of Japanese searchers, who killed villagers suspected of helping the Americans.

"We had a lot of near-misses, when they raided places we had been the night before," said Griffin, now 95 and living near Cincinnati.

Eight Raiders were captured, and three executed. A fourth died in captivity. Three had died off China.

"The Chinese people were of immeasurable help to us," Cole reflected. "If it hadn't been for them, I wouldn't be alive today to tell you about this."

Although the Tokyo raid inflicted light damage compared to Pearl Harbor, it shook Japanese confidence and uplifted Americans, said Ambrose, author of "The Pacific."

"It was a symbolic act," he said. "It did wonders for the American people. It was just the sort of calling card that let people understand that ... yes, we're going to do it."

Surviving Raiders got new assignments. Ten more would die in the war.

The Raiders' postwar gatherings have become popular drawing cards for museums, air bases and other locales.

"Young people, parents and their grandparents are there to meet these gentlemen and hear their stories firsthand," Ambrose said. "It's a chance to experience living history ... It becomes a part of us."

Hite, 92, who survived Japanese captivity, had recent health issues, but the Odell, Texas, native and Nashville, Tenn., resident is expected to attend and join the toast.

"It's going to be special," said Griffin. "I can't help but think it's going to be our last big one."

Six years ago, there were still 16 survivors.

By plan, the last two Raiders living will someday make the final toast. They will sip from cognac vintage 1896 - the year Doolittle was born.

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Online:

National Museum of the U.S. Air Force: http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/doolittle.asp

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Contact the reporter at http://www.twitter.com/dansewell

Dick Clark Dies at 82

LOS ANGELES -- KTLA has confirmed that Dick Clark died from a heart attack Wednesday at the age of 82.

Clark served as chairman and chief executive officer of Dick Clark Productions, which he has sold part of in recent years.


Clark is best known for hosting long-running television shows such as American Bandstand, five versions of the game show Pyramid, and Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve.

Clark has long been known for his departing catchphrase, "For now, Dick Clark...so long," delivered with a military salute, and for his youthful appearance, earning the moniker "America's Oldest Teenager."

Clark suffered a significant stroke in late 2004.

With speech ability still impaired, Clark returned to his New Year's Rockin' Eve show on December 31, 2005/January 1, 2006.

Subsequently, he appeared at the Emmy Awards on August 27, 2006, and every New Year's Rockin' Eve show since then.

Clark has been married 3 times -- and has 3 children from his first two marriages.

He is survived by his current wife Kari Wigton

I told my wife tonight that I was watching Dick Clark before she was born.

True statement.

I was born in '56, and she was born later.

My mother used to put me in my playpen in front of the TV in the late 1950's to watch American Bandstand. I've been told that the first song I ever learned was "You Ain't Nothing but a Hound Dog."

For a guy who was known for his eternal youthful look, Dick Clark ended up passing away at a somewhat young age for our current times and life expectancies.

Just catching the 937th airing of Urban Cowboy on CMT.

I guess it took 937 airings for me to catch that Major League's Lou Brown was a quite a bit slimmer cowboy in the John Travolta country flick.


Charlie Donovan: How would you like to manage the Indians this year?
Lou Brown: Gee, I don't know...
Charlie Donovan: What do you mean, you don't know? This is your chance to manage in the big leagues.
Lou Brown: Let me get back to you, will ya, Charlie? I got a guy on the other line asking about some white walls.

I do most of my bill paying electronically and rarely look at paper bills.

The past couple of months I noted my iPhone AT&T bill had inched about $10 higher when paying. Yesterday I received a paper bill that I normally do not examine. I scanned it and noted I was being billed $9.99 for something I supposedly subscribed to called "Horoscopegenie Alert."

I called this morning to tell AT&T their security system was leaving customers vulnerable to scams, and that I sure as heck did not subscribe to this crap. I followed up that I recognize junk texts and simply click them off.

The AT&T rep said, "well that's why you were charged." "You needed to respond to the text in order not to subscribe." "But I'll be happy to refund the $19.98 you have been charged."

After I hung up the phone I typed "horoscopegenie" into Google and immediately found this article:


Is AT&T’s Partnership With HoroscopeGenie Legal?


Date: March 28, 2012

Topic: Mobile, The Law & Paid Content Tags: , AT&T, Gossip, HoroscopeGenie

Recently, The New York Times ran a Q&A about the unscrupulous practice of “cramming.” In short, the reader detailed how two online content creators, Gosspi and HoroscopeGenie, got AT&T to charge users for their apps without expressed confirmation or consent. How? With some very tricky marketing copy through a text message that read: “HoroscopeGenie Alert: 3 horoscopes/wk for $9.99/mo Reply HELP for help, STOP to cancel. Msg&data rates may apply.”

We checked with Attorney Lisa Dubrow about this practice, and she unequivocally said that it’s illegal. “Without affirmatively agreeing to a service you cannot be legitimately charged,” she wrote in an email. “That does not stop unscrupulous marketers who rely on consumers not noticing small amounts charged on their phone or credit/debit card statements.”

AT&T refunded the complaining consumer’s charge, but then remained curiously silent when the NY Times called for a comment. That’s probably because affiliate relationships are a great revenue-generator for telecommunications companies, and AT&T let dollars trump good business practices.

The takeaway for online subscription sites, particularly those selling subscriptions to mobile apps? You’ll want your marketing copy to be catchy (and brief given the limited space in text messages), but double- and triple-check to make sure you’re obeying the law and forcing customers to consent to your service instead of defaulting them into it. Even if your affiliate agreement with a telecommunications company lets you pass on these requirements, the government won’t.


http://paywall-times.com/index.php/is-a ... nie-legal/

Cali

Who do you have in the Derby today?

I'm picking the 5 horse on Cinco de Mayo.....Dullahan

What a finish!

I had the #7 and the #20 in cheap tri's just looking for a lotto score. It didn't work out this time, but both faired better than expected. Just not in the top 3.


I'll take it as a win, as I had a cheap bet for my usual Kentucky Derby Day Wagers.

It's been a rugged few weeks prepping for this move. I had prepped for movers to come in and take this stuff we had ready, and they did as I had arranged.

And today, my wife produced at least another ten truck loads of stuff "she forgot about" in move prep after the movers had left.
ulil

I love my wife dearly.

I'd l'd love if she as lnamby pamby on decisions on things like moves.


I made 6 recycle center runs and one Goodwill run on my personally loaded truck today.

Once I'm out of Calfornia,

Whoa, I guess a few more truckloads showed up--TFiC didn't even get to finish his sentence.

VT'er wrote:Whoa, I guess a few more truckloads showed up--TFiC didn't even get to finish his sentence.

LOL!

Truly, I was pretty whipped and raw at that point. I married this girl 11 years ago when we both owned separate houses. Mine in South Carolina, and hers in California. We briefly tried a "cross continent marriage" as I was traveling for work every week and just used The Bay Area as my departure point.

She sold her house and prepped for the move to our new joint California home 11 years ago while I was on the road.


She said at the time the move was overwhelming her so we hired professionals to pack and box.

When we had those things eventually moved into our new joint home, I was intrigued to note at least 15 boxes noted marked "DD to sort." DD is my wife. I also noted as I opened boxes after that move that the "pro movers" had boxed at least three to five bags of trash to store and ship.

Nearly 11 years later, I pulled 11 of those 15 boxes marked "DD to sort" out of our attic, and sat with my wife as she recently sorted and disposed of most of the contents.

After my wife's move prep this past Saturday, I totally now understand what must have happened as she packed 11 years ago.

I went from Thursday morning to Sunday morning with a total of 6 hours of sleep and did not sleep at all from 7AM on Thursday until after midnight on Friday....technically Saturday.

Way worse than college finals cramming.

When we moved out here to Montana we hired professional movers. It was a bit pricey for my taste but gotta admit, it was so worth it.

When I moved myself from Georgia to South Carolina and rented a 22 foot truck wih 9 gears, I loaded it myself, started off at 3 AM with wife and all went well until about half way when the rental truck threw a rod about 4:30 AM.

Longest day of my life

So where are you now, CALI?