Charles Older interview (video and transcript, 2 of 7), 1991

Notes:

Interview of Charles Older by filmmaker Frank Boring for the documentary, Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers. Charles Older trained as a pilot in Long Beach and Pensacola, earning his Navy wings in 1940. He then served in the Marine Fighting Squadron One and was qualified in gunnery, dive bombing, and carrier landings. Older joined the American Volunteer Group (AVG) in August 1941 and sailed to Burma. He served as a Flight Leader for the 3rd Squadron "Hell's Angels," and participated in the squadron's first combat over Rangoon where he downed two enemy aircraft. By the time the AVG disbanded in 1942, he had 10 total victories. After leaving the AVG, Older joined the US Army Air Forces and returned to China in 1944 with the 23rd Fighter Group. After the war, Older left the Air Force as a Lt. Col. and earned a law degree from the University of Southern California. He practiced law until becoming a superior court judge for Los Angeles. In the 1970s, he gained notoriety for presiding over the Charles Manson murder trials. In this tape, Older describes his experience meeting the other members of the AVG, their journey overseas to Rangoon, and the train ride to their barracks in Toungoo.

Date Created:

1991-04-26T00:00:00Z

Data Provider:

Grand Valley State University. University Libraries

Subject Topic:

Oral history, United States--History, Military, China--History, Military, Veterans, China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group, and World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American

Language:

eng

Rights:

<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a>

URL:

https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/document/42037