Recent News

Doolittle Raider Remembered

On 18 April, The Citadel honored the memory of a legendary Airman and Alumni, Lieutenant Colonel Horace E. "Sally" Crouch. Lt Col Crouch was a member of the "Doolittle Raiders," a group of 80 airmen who conducted the first allied bombing attack on Japan during WWII. Martin Crouch, Lt Col Crouch's son, presented a signed lithograph to The Citadel, commemorating the raid and his father's participation.

On 18 April 1942, Lt Crouch joined 79 other crew members participating in a raid on Tokyo. Dubbed "Doolittle's Raiders," 16 B-25 aircraft launched from the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Hornet for the first attack on mainland Japan. Lt Crouch's aircraft, tail number 40-2250, took off at 0853 to attack targets in southern Tokyo. Lt Crouch, the bombardier, hit both designated targets.

The planes were intended to continue on to an airfield in China. Unfortunately, due to an early launch, bad weather, and other factors, none of the aircraft reached the designated airfield. Lt Crouch's crew eventually bailed out over China and were rescued by the Chinese Army.

For his actions that day, Lt Crouch was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Chinese Army, Navy, Air Corps Medal, Class A, 1st Grade.

In 1998, "Sally" Crouch was inducted into the South Carolina Aviation Association's Hall of Fame. He passed away in Columbia, SC on 21 Dec 2005 at the age of 87.

 

D.C. visit gives cadets big picture 

During the ROTC weekend in October, more than 40 Citadel cadets from the Air Force ROTC Detachment 765 visited Washington, D.C. to gain a perspective from senior military leaders on current and future operations of the Air Force.  The cadets left on October 25, and after more than 13 hours of traffic arrived in our nation’s capital.  With less than 4 hours of sleep, the Air Force contingent was ready to tour the White House.  The group was also given a detailed guided tour of Capitol Hill, and made a side trip to South Carolina representative J. Gresham Barrett’s (Class of 83’) office, although the Congressman wasn’t in.  The highlight of the day was an in-depth tour of the Pentagon from Special Agent Smith, an OSI agent attached to the Secretary of the Air Force, whose son is a sophomore at The Citadel.

“The trip gave the cadets a big picture of how the Air Force operates in OEF/OIF, future weapon systems, airframes and a roadmap of Air Force personnel in the future,” said Capt. Mark Betters, Detachment 765’s Commandant of Cadets.  “Now, they understand what actually goes on in Washington, D.C.”

While at the Pentagon, the cadets were given briefings by the senior military advisor for the Secretary of the Air Force, Col. Darryl Burke, as well as the Air Force Operations Center.  The briefings provided insight on the where the Air Force is headed in years to come, including possibilities of a Cyberspace command.

“It was extremely interesting to see just how intricate of a role the Air Force plays in our nation’s defense and to get the point of view from some of the people who are deciding where the Air Force is heading in the future,” said Cadet Justin Wylie.

In addition to the tours and briefings, the cadets were also given time to visit local attractions in the D.C. area.  Saturday morning was spent at Arlington National Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknowns, and cadets spent the afternoon exploring the mall and checking out various monuments, memorials, museums and other points of interest.

Warrior Day 2007

On September 27th, a portion of The Citadel's parade field was taken over by Air Force ROTC cadets for several hours. The cadets participated in a fitness challenge, climbed a rock wall (provided by the Charleston Department of Recreation), played football, and held a tug-of-war. The event served as both a stress reliever for the cadets and a chance to build esprit-de-corps in the cadet wing.

The Air Force turns 60

Air Force ROTC Det 765 celebrated the Air Force's 60th birthday in style. On September 17th, the cadet wing, cadre, and guests from The Citadel staff and faculty joined together to celebrate the occasion. Following comments from The Citadel's president, Lt Gen John Rosa, retired Air Force Colonel Richard Evans (Citadel class of 1969) and AFROTC Cadet Michael Winton (Citadel class of 2010), the oldest and youngest Air Force members present, ceremonially cut the cake.