On the recordJuly 11, 2016
I want to recognize SGT David Thatcher, a member of the Greatest Generation and a true American hero, who sadly passed away on June 22, 2016, in Missoula, MT. Born on July 31, 1921, in Bridger, MT to homesteaders, Joseph and Dorothea Thatcher, David grew up in Montana during the Great Depression. David enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps and in 1942 volunteered to go on a secret mission that ultimately became the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo. He was a crew member on plane No. 7, the Ruptured Duck, which crash landed in water off China after their bombing mission. His heroic efforts saved the lives of his badly injured crew members, and with the help of local Chinese guerillas, he helped his crew evade Japanese troops and make their way to safety. Sergeant Thatcher's actions and those of all of the Doolittle's Raiders were nothing but heroic, yet Sergeant Thatcher was a humble man and did not feel he did anything great. He just felt he was doing his job. Doing his job, however, helped to win a war and maintain our freedom as a nation. Sergeant Thatcher will be missed by his family, Montanans, and an entire grateful nation. ____________________
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