Retired Maj. Nolan Herndon, a Doolittle Raider from South Carolina, died on Oct. 7 of pneumonia. He was 88. The State reports that Herndon was the navigator on the No. 8 B-25 Mitchell bomber, one of 16 bombers that launched off the USS Hornet to attack the Japanese mainland after the attack on Pearl Harbor. His aircraft was one that did not crash or run out of fuel after the mission. In an earlier interview, Herndon told the newspaper that No. 8 was diverted to the Soviet Union on a secret mission.
The Air Force displayed all the firepower it has amassed on Okinawa in an unusually diverse show of force this week. IIn a May 6 “Elephant Walk,” Kadena Air Base showcased 24 F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters, eight F-15E Strike Eagles; two U.S. Army Patriot anti-missile batteries near the runway; and…