Full Interview: Staff Sergeant David Thatcher

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Staff Sergeant David Thatcher was the Engineer-Gunner aboard Crew 7 of the famed Doolittle Tokyo Raid. After his plane, the Ruptured Duck, dropped bombs over their target in Tokyo, the crew made their way towards China. After crash landing on the water near a small island, Thatcher and his crew eventually made their way to the shore. The only one not severely injured, Thatcher was awarded a Silver Star for his actions in attending to his crew.
Recorded on February 12, 2015.

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26 июл 2016

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Комментарии : 28

@jonmajarucon51 2 года назад

I read the "ruptured duck" when I was a kid. To see this great man and hear his story is inspirational. God bless him and that brave crew. Those were such dark times during the war.

@Agent-kb3zb 2 года назад

R. I. P. S/Sgt. David J. Thatcher who died on June 22, 2016 at Missoula, Montana at age of 94.

@buckeyerailrider 6 лет назад

Mr. Thatcher, my children, is the definition of HERO..!

@mattkaustickomments 3 года назад

Humble Hero. What an amazing adventure.

@robdee81 3 года назад

At such a crucial time this mission lifted the moral of the public. Rest in peace Mr Thatcher and thankyou for your service.

@richardbowers3647 3 года назад

One downside. The news papers picked up this story & named names of villagers who helped. That did not end well for them.

@RicktheCrofter 2 года назад

Interesting that he said that he was on the first American bombing raid over Rome. Because that mission was also led by Jimmy Doolittle, as commander of the 12th Air Force, (if I remember correctly.)

@brendanoreilly6917 2 года назад

Incredible. Hugely important public record. Thanks.

@metsoneredsoxtwo 6 лет назад

a Great American, God Bless David Thatcher, rest in Peace, he should have won the medal of honor for his actions to save his Crew!. :-)

@johnchestnutt6892 Год назад

This interview is certainly more informative, meaningful, and poignant than what I ever learned in school. Everything the crew went through to survive after the bombing is amazing and so impressive!

@fitzspike 2 года назад

Great interview!

@liamjudd9816 Год назад

Thank you Sir!!! I salute you!!

@Peter-od7op 2 года назад

Great interview

@neo-YoutubeStoleMyHandle Год назад

A very long road home...God Bless...

@AdamKeele Год назад

I had distinct honor to play Taps at Staff Sergeant Thatcher’s funeral in Missoula, Montana. I was in the Washington Air National Guard at the time while living in Missoula, and went to his funeral. At the time I was working as a brewer at Highlander, and wanted to pay my respects, so I had to clock out and change at work before heading to the funeral home. I put my Blues on because it felt like the appropriate thing to do. I had been on the honor guard when I was active duty, and being a trumpet player, I bulged most of the time. More and more, the “bulging” was done by a non-trumpet players with the fake bugles, so I got in the habit of bringing a trumpet with me to any military funeral just in case so the member could get a real sounding of Taps. Since this was a big deal, I expected the Air Force to find a real trumpet player for it. I got to the cemetery earlier and saw the honor guard from Malmstrom getting set up. Then I saw a 1st Lt with the tale tell fake bugle. He said he had played trumpet in high school, but didn’t feel he could do it justice in the short notice he got, so decided to use the fake bugle instead. I had said I was honor guard when I was active and had played in the Army in Germany, and just as a habit of precaution, brought my trumpet with me. He asked if I could play, so I quickly made my way back to vehicle to grab it. Played a very quick warmup and headed back. Checked to make sure there wasn’t anything that had changed with procedures since my last time, then I picked out a good position and stood by. It was a hot and sunny day! The Air Force had arranged a B-1 from Ellsworth AFB to fly over during the ceremony as apart of training mission that day, but also to meet up with a B-25 to fly in formation. Quite a sight. Just before that, Lt Col Dick Cole, the last surviving Raider and Doolittle’s co-pilot, paid his final respects and saluted Thatcher’s casket. Afterwords, one of the Doolittle Raider Air Force liaisons had me come back to the building at the cemetery with him to meet Lt Col Cole. He said I did a fine job at Taps and gave me the Doolittle Raiders’ coin. While I’ve played Taps for hundreds of veterans and active service members in my career, and they are equally all as meaningful, this one certainly meant a lot to me. Glad to see his interview on here among the many dedicated veterans of WWII that did incredible things for the world. May we never forget their service and sacrifice.

@DaxingZhangAndFamily 7 месяцев назад

So, so, so envious of you. I drove for 3 days to his small house in Missoula, Montana, and interviewed him. And thanked him on behave of all the Chinese people for his bravery and courage on the Raid. But he just kept of saying to me, "without your people, I'd not be even alive today. I thank you and thank your people." I did not want to be "intrusive" by setting up a video camera in front of him, which I regret tremendously today. I am so glad that this taping was done and made available to us all. Many thanks to the interviewer (who clearly is Chinese, BTW:)

@Peter-od7op 2 года назад

These guys so young so tough. I show my son thats 17

@mathbrown9099 Год назад

If my information regarding SSgt Thatcher is correct, he may be among the most brave of the Doolittle Raiders. He was overwhelmed with motion-sickness, yet still kept his head and did his job. The movie “Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo” and the fine book Gen. Doolittle wrote should be viewed and the book read by every American. Maybe if more do watch and read there may not be such fear over some Chinese objects. God bless SSgt Thatcher and all the Doolittle raiders.

@janwest5627 2 года назад

It's annoying when asking the same question about how the crew got along.

@DaxingZhangAndFamily 7 месяцев назад

Come on. Please be thankful that SOMEONE did the interview. David Thatcher was NOT difficult to locate, and he was actually pretty much forgotten toward the end of his life by the public. When I went looking for him in Missoula, where he and his wife, Dawn, lived with some of their children in July of 2014, guess what happened? A young lady at a flower shop said she'd never heard of his name when I asked her whether she knew where he lived. (I only had his address that day and just wanted to save time locating him. And I assumed that EVERYONE in that rather small town would know where he lived and lead me there...) "I have heard of Margret Thatcher? Haha!" The lady joked, seeing how surprised and disappointed I was. I then saw a postman outside of her shop, and assume that HE must know doing his job. (David Thatcher worked for the U.S. postal service himself until his full retirement.) "Sorry, sir. Don't know." The postman also said. So, I don't want to be offensive here. But if someone more knowledgeable of David's experience during and after the Raid had the initiative desire to do a better interview, he/she could easily have done so. But they didn't. And this interviewer did. So, let's all just be thankful to both him and the great American hero, David. Peace out....

@perrywidhalm114 3 года назад

Notice the contrast between the interviewer's questions that seem written from a WWII movie script and Sgt. Thatcher's dry, factual responses.

@jimksa67 2 года назад

yeah, the interviewer is a yada yada

@DaxingZhangAndFamily 7 месяцев назад

@kaycox5555 Год назад

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

@alzlogar9497 Год назад

Huge respect for David Thatcher and these interviews with such heroes. But I must say, the interviewer is ill informed on the Raid and it’s history. His questions are redundant, idiotic, and condescending.

@DaxingZhangAndFamily 7 месяцев назад

Redundant, maybe, as I think the interviewer wanted David to talk more about his time in China and what he thought of the Chinese. But I hear in his voice nothing but respect for David. I hear someone in awe (and a bit nervous, which could understandably be perceived as "condescending" in this case.) Please be thankful that SOMEONE did the interview. David Thatcher was NOT difficult to locate, and he was actually pretty much forgotten toward the end of his life by the public. When I went looking for him in Missoula, where he and his wife, Dawn, lived with some of their children in July of 2014, guess what happened? A young lady at a flower shop said she'd never heard of his name when I asked her whether she knew where he lived. (I only had his address that day and just wanted to save time locating him. And I assumed that EVERYONE in that rather small town would know where he lived and lead me there...) "I have heard of Margret Thatcher? Haha!" The lady joked, seeing how surprised and disappointed I was. I then saw a postman outside of her shop, and assume that HE must know doing his job. (David Thatcher worked for the U.S. postal service himself until his full retirement.) "Sorry, sir. Don't know." The postman also said. So, I don't want to be offensive here. But if someone more knowledgeable of David's experience during and after the Raid had the initiative desire to do a better interview, he/she could easily have done so. But they didn't. And this interviewer did. So, let's all just be thankful to both him and the great American hero, David. Peace out....

@yourmom9758 22 дня назад

I grew up living on the same block as him in Missoula. As a young boy, in Cub Scouts, i used to sell him and his wife popcorn. Every time I stopped by their house I would end up sitting and talking with them for hours. I only found out who he was and what he did when he was near death--I was in my 30s. What an amazing man and friend to a small boy.