Lieutenant Colonel Charles Herman Older, An Airman's Story
Lieutenant Colonel Charles Herman Older, An Airman's Story
Lieutenant Colonel Charles Herman Older was born on September 29, 1917, in Hanford, California. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1939 and soon answered the call to military aviation, earning his wings in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve.
In 1941, Older transferred to the American Volunteer Group (AVG), famously known as the “Flying Tigers.” The AVG was formed to aid China in the Second Sino-Japanese War before the United States formally entered World War II. Flying Curtiss P-40 Warhawks marked with the iconic shark mouth insignia, Older flew combat missions in the China-Burma-India Theater.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor and the United States’ entry into World War II, the AVG was absorbed into the U.S. Army Air Forces. Older continued flying combat missions and became a decorated fighter pilot, credited with multiple aerial victories against Japanese aircraft. His service in the China-Burma Theater placed him among the early generation of American combat aviators who shaped air warfare doctrine in the Pacific.
Following World War II, Lieutenant Colonel Older remained affiliated with the U.S. Air Force Reserve. At the same time, he pursued legal studies at the University of Southern California, earning his law degree. When the Korean War began, he returned to active duty, once again deploying overseas, a second wartime call answered.
After completing his military service, Older devoted himself fully to the law. He built a respected legal career before being appointed to the California Superior Court by Governor Ronald Reagan. He would serve on the bench for more than 20 years.
Among the many cases over which he presided, Lieutenant Colonel Charles Older became nationally known for serving as the judge in the Charles Manson trial, one of the most notorious criminal trials in American history. His courtroom management during a volatile and media-heavy proceeding reflected the discipline and steadiness forged decades earlier in wartime skies.
Lieutenant Colonel Charles Herman Older died on June 17, 2006.
His life represents a rare arc of American service: Marine aviator, Flying Tiger, Army Air Forces combat pilot, Air Force Reserve officer, Korean War veteran, and longtime California judge. He served his nation both in the cockpit and in the courtroom, in moments of war and in the administration of justice.
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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life
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