WACO, TX — The son of the last surviving member of the Doolittle Raiders died on Thursday.
The family said Sambo Cole passed away from health complications. He was a Waco resident.
Sambo is the son of Richard Cole, who died at 103. Richard was the last surviving member of the Doolittle Raiders who rallied the nation's spirit during World War II.
The family released a statement on the death of Sambo:
"He was one in a million and a million in one; he was the type of person you only meet once, but he meant something different to everyone. He read people better than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s like you introduced him to your soul. He was different with everyone because he took the time to get inside their world; he knew the best way to communicate with people, to provide entertainment and comfort for every individual, was to meet them on their court. Even though he had a different approach to every person, he was still Sambo; he was always himself. There was no ambiguity about where you stood with him. If he loved you, you knew it. If he loved you, you were lucky. I don’t think a single word in any language could ever describe how special he was. He was funny, he was intelligent, he was witty and rough around the edges, but most of all, he had a heart of gold that larger than life. He helped everyone; from giving advice to throwing benefits that packed the house, if you needed him, he was there. He wouldn’t just give you the shirt off his back; he’d even include the shoes on his feet. He was a good man and we are heartbroken to lose him. No one will ever replace him. His loss is felt by everyone who knew him and even people that didn’t. There are people missing him that wished they’d met him. He was just Sambo, and Sambo wasn’t “just” anything. We’ll all miss him until we’re with him."
