The Doolittle Raiders reunions once were the stuff of legend.

Of course, the men who flew the famed B-25 bomber mission over Japan on April 18, 1942, took their cue from their leader.

"Colonel Doolittle told them, ‘If we make it through this, I'll throw you the damnedest party you've ever seen,'" said Bob Joyce of Omaha, a son of one of the raiders, the late Richard Joyce of Lincoln. "And he did."

The surviving raiders always reserved a few solemn moments to honor their fallen when they gathered at a different city each year.

Then they reveled.

Entertainers such as Jimmy Stewart, Bob Hope and Jonathan Winters headlined the events. Rumor has it some of the raiders might have gotten kicked out of a swanky hotel or two.

Now, just five of the 80 Doolittle Raiders are still living, down from eight last year. The youngest is 89, the oldest 95.

Their 69th anniversary reunion will be Thursday through Sunday in Lincoln, Omaha and at the Strategic Air and Space Museum near Ashland. They will attend a number of public events, including a field appearance Saturday at the Huskers' Spring Game. Two B-25 bombers and two P-51 Mustangs are scheduled to fly over Memorial Stadium in their honor.