2 Doolittles Left
Doolittle Tokyo Raiders
With great sadness we must announce the passing of Lt. Col. Robert L. Hite, co-pilot for Crew 16, nicknamed "Bat Out of Hell." Bobby passed peacefully in his sleep early this morning at home in Nashville, Tennessee. Funeral services are set for later this week with burial in his former home of Camden, Arkansas.
A native of Earth, Texas, Bobby joined the Army in September 1940 and was awarded his wings and commission as a 2nd Lt. in May 1941. After participating in the Raid over Tokyo, Bobby and his crew were captured by the Japanese and he went on to survive three and a half years of torture at the hands of his captors. After the war, Bobby eventually retired from the U.S. Air Force Reserve in 1969 all the while pursuing a career in the hotel business, finally settling in Camden, Arkansas.
There are now two remaining Doolittle Raiders - Lt. Col. Richard Cole and Staff Sgt. David Thatcher.
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