Sixteen B-25 aircraft would take off from the carrier Hornet and strike Tokyo and other military targets. Discovered early by a Japanese picket ship the crews elected to take off on what was considered a suicide mission knowing that they did not have enough fuel to get to their destination in China.
Cooper is a pilot with 35 years of service. He has combat experience in Vietnam, Desert Storm and Bosnia and has commanded three different air bases. He is a graduate of both the Industrial College of the Armed Forces and Air War College and has a master’s degree in aviation history.
Cooper conducts the docent training program at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force and also serves on the board of trustees at the Foundation of the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.
All WACO aviation lectures are free and open to the public and are held in the Willis Wing of the WACO Air Museum at 1865 South County Road 25A in Troy. Programs are scheduled to last one hour, beginning at 7 p.m., with questions to follow. Doors will open at 6:30.
Donations to the WACO Air Museum are accepted. All lectures are sponsored in part by Collins Wheels and Brakes. For questions, please call 937-335-9226 or visit www.wacoairmuseum.org.
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