Ceremony in Niceville to honor passing of Doolittle Raider Col. Richard Cole

NICEVILLE, Fla — The Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce is hosting the “Final Goblet,” a ceremony marking the passing of Doolittle Raider Col. Richard E. “Dick” Cole.

The event is on April 18, 1 p.m., at the Mattie Kelly Arts Center at Northwest Florida State College, 100 E College Blvd.

General admission tickets are $10 each.

“For our community to have the opportunity to witness the Final Goblet is so bittersweet—indeed the end of a history of Legends 80 years after the raid—and one last chance for us all to pass along the story of the Raiders to our grandchildren,” said Ted Corcoran, president of the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce.

Since April 1947, a ceremonial “roll call” has honored the 80 Doolittle Raiders. Cole and all the members of Doolittle Raiders were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in May 2014 “for outstanding heroism, valor, skill, and service to the United States in conducting their bombings of Tokyo.”

Many historians credit the raid as the critical factor of the Japanese defeat at the Battle of Midway, often cited as the turning point in the Pacific war.

“The Cole family is deeply honored and appreciative of the Okaloosa County Community hosting the Goblet Ceremony for our dad, Col. Richard E. “Dick” Cole, on April 18, 2022,” said Retired Air Force Lt. Col. (Dr.) Rich Cole, Cole’s son, in a family statement.

“As the last member of this historic mission to pass away, the turning of his goblet signifies the passing of the generation of men and women who were willing to stand against tyranny and evil at any cost. It is a bittersweet moment. While there is great sadness at their passing, there is also a great celebration of their sacrifice and the legacy of their courage. We are thankful to celebrate this moment in the city where it all began.”

Special guests include invited attendees, Raider family members, government officials, and military dignitaries.

Eighty active-duty airmen from Eglin Air Force Base and Hurlburt Field will sit among family members to represent each Doolittle Raider during the ceremony.

The Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce participated in both the 1957 and 1968 Doolittle Raider reunions, held here in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, and planned the 2008 Raider Homecoming re-enactment ceremony as well as hosted the 2013 Farewell Tribute —The Raiders 71st and Final Reunion.

Tickets for the Final Goblet ceremony will be available online beginning March 7, 2022, at www.mattiekellyartscenter.org.

For more details, visit www.fwbchamber.org/Doolittleraiders.

This event is sponsored by the following outstanding Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of

Commerce Members:  Bank of England Mortgage, Bit-Wizards, Eglin Federal Credit Union, Emerald Coast Harley Davidson, Florida Power and Light, Image Printing and Digital Services, MAG Aerospace, Manor at Bluewater Bay, Okaloosa Gas, Step One Automotive Group, Talking Parents, and Vertex Solutions.