Staff Sergeant David J. Thatcher passes
The Doolittle Tokyo Raiders announced the passing of Staff Sergeant David J. Thatcher, 94, who was the engineer-gunner for Crew 7 (Ruptured Duck). That leaves only Lieutenant Colonel Richard Cole, the co-pilot for Crew 1 as the sole survivor of that secret mission to payback Japan for the raid on Pearl Harbor.
After bombing targets in Tokyo, [The pilot of #7, Lieutenant Ted] Lawson headed the plane towards China. Running low on fuel, Lawson tried to land the plane on a beach in darkness and heavy rain, but instead crashed in the surf after hitting a wave causing the plane to flip over. The crash seriously injured all the members of the crew except for Thatcher, who was briefly knocked out in the crash but suffered only a bump to his head.
After regaining consciousness and making it to shore, Thatcher saved the lives of his crew by gathering them on the beach, administering first aid and making contact with some friendly Chinese guerillas who had come upon the crew. He convinced the guerillas to take the crew to safety in inland China. Over the next few days, the crew repeatedly barely escaped capture by Japanese patrols searching for the Raiders. For his bravery in saving the lives of his crew, Thatcher was awarded the Silver Star. His other decorations included the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Chinese Army, Navy and Air Corps Medal, Class A, 1st Grade.
After they were rescued, Thatcher went on to fly 26 more missions over Africa and Europe until the war ended. He was discharged in 1945
According to the Facebook announcement, Thatcher married to the love of his life for 70 years, Margaret Dawn Goddard Thatcher, and worked for the Post Office until his retirement in 1980.
A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday, June 27 at Garden City Funeral Home in Missoula. A full military ceremony with honors will follow at 11:45 a.m. at Sunset Memorial Gardens where Thatcher will be buried. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be given to the Doolittle Raiders Foundation for scholarships or the River Valley Church, 308 W. Pine St., Missoula, MT 59803.
Category: Historical
RIP
Rest easy, Sergeant.
BAMFr. You can take your pack off now, SSG.
Rest in Peace, Sergeant.
Reading that the plane crashed on the beach in China, and Sgt. Thatcher was not seriously injured, brought up a memory. The Ruptured Duck and it’s crew were featured in the movie “Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo”.
Lt. Lawson wrote the book.
How war news used to be reported…back when American journalists were Americans first and journalists second.
R.I.P. Warrior, you’ve earned your place in History and Valhalla.
Godspeed, SSG Thatcher. May you have been in heaven for half an hour before the Devil knew you were gone.
RIP, Brother. You have earned your eternal peaceful rest.
Rest in Peace, Staff Sergent
Rest in peace, Staff Sergeant.
RiP to a gallant ally.
Wasn’t the last man supposed to open a bottle of wine in honor of the others who passed before him?
Or am I confusing the Doolittle Raiders with another group of survivors?
CGL: you are correct. It was to be the last two survivors who would open a bottle of vintage congnac (1896, the year Jimmy Doolittle was born) and drink a toast to their comrades.
Each man on the mission has a goblet with his name on it, each name engraved twice to allow his name to be readable with the goblet right side up or upside down. While each man was alive, his goblet was upright. On his death, the goblet was turned upside down.
However, the last four decided to make 2014 the last reunion, and the three who could attend drank the toast.
Details at http://www.historynet.com/doolittle-raiders-drink-a-final-toast.htm,
video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDKPYpkU5Cg.
The story of the bottle of cognac (Hennessey) is interesting.
And now there is one…
Fair winds and following seas, Sergeant Thatcher.
Men such as him truly were the greatest generation.
May their posterity live driven to attempt such honor and bravery. Rest well dear Warrior.
A life well spent. Rest in peace, Staff Sergeant.
Rest well Staff Sergeant. If 30 seconds was ever a lifetime, it was that day over Tokyo.
Went on to fly 45 missions in Africa and Europe.
Truly a man with balls the size of a Texas Longhorn bull.
Thank you Staff Sgt, rest in peace and thank you for all you did for God, Country and the rest of us living today in freedom.