Oliver R Crawford

Oliver R. Crawford
Oliver R. Crawford Gathering of Eagles 2000 Lithograph
Nickname	Ollie
Born	July 19, 1925 (1925-07-19) (age 86) Amarillo, Texas
Service/branch	United States Air Force
Years of service	1943 - 1959
Battles/wars	World War II
Other work	Business Executive

Oliver "Ollie" Ray Crawford (born July 19, 1925)^[1] is one of America’s foremost advocates for a strong and modern United States Air Force.

Early years

Crawford’s desire to fly was whetted by Army Air Corps aircraft flying over his hometown early in World War II. At age 17, he volunteered to become an aviation student and began military training at Buckley Field, Colorado after turning 18. Crawford completed fighter pilot training at Luke Field, Arizona, and on 15 April 1945 earned his wings and commission. He next transitioned to the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk four months before WWII ended. In 1946, Crawford was released from active duty, but remained in the reserves for 13 years. His duties included flight instructor at Tinker Field, Oklahoma.

Work in Industry

He attended South Texas University of Law and later became associated with Time, Inc. Crawford was an officer and director of several companies owned by the corporation. He flew many company aircraft from the Douglas DC-3 to the Fokker F-27 and F-28. In 1974, he started TECOM, Inc. a Department of Defense contractor. In 1981, he founded two new companies, Crawford Technical Services and CTS Nevada. A charter member of the Air Force Association (AFA), the Air Force nominated Crawford for the Elder Statesman of Aviation Award in both 1987 and 1988. He was awarded its highest tribute when named "Man of the Year" in 1989. In 1990, he was elected President of AFA. He formed the Air Force Memorial Foundation, instituted an AFA recognition program for members of Congress who supported a strong national defense, and another for executives from the aerospace industry. In 1992, Crawford received the Air Force’s Exceptional Service Award for his contributions to defense. Key to this award was the AFA role in the education of members of Congress on stealth technology. Internationally, West Germany awarded him its highest civilian honor, the Commander’s Cross of The Order of Merit.

AVG Recognition

Crawford convinced the USAF to officially recognize the contributions made by the American Volunteer Group (AVG), the "Flying Tigers," during World War II. The Air Force presented the Presidential Unit Citation to the AVG in 1992. In 1996, AVG pilots received the Distinguished Flying Cross and all other Flying Tigers were awarded the Bronze Star.

Further Work

Crawford being fitted for a pressure suit in preparation for his high-flight in the U-2

In addition to his accomplishments as a business and civic leader, Crawford has flown nearly 100 types of civilian aircraft and has more than 13,000 hours in his log books. He is the only P-40 pilot from World War II who until recently, was still piloting the Commemorative Air Force's P-40 Warhawk in airshows. He is vice chairman of the Air Force Memorial Foundation and a trustee of the Falcon Foundation of the Air Force Academy. Crawford and his wife, Nancy, live near San Antonio Texas.

In 2009, Crawford became the oldest person to receive a high-flight in the Lockheed U-2 Dragon Lady.^[2] After receiving training on the use of a pressure suit and experiencing the decompression chamber at Beale Air Force Base in California, Crawford reached an altitude of over 60,000 feet on his U-2 flight.^[2]

References

1. ^ [1]
2. ^ ^{a b} Johnson, Tech. Sgt. Luke (February 10, 2010). "Aviation enthusiast oldest person to receive U-2 high-flight". United States Air Force. http://www.beale.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123189821. Retrieved February 12, 2010. 

External links

United States Air Force portal

 This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Government document "Air University's Gathering of Eagles Biography of Oliver R. Crawford".

• Ollie Crawford's Farewell Flight in the Commemorative Air Force #48 "Tex Hill" P-40N.
• The #48 "Tex Hill" P-40 Sponsorship Group site

Persondata
Name	Crawford, Oliver R
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1925-07-19
Place of birth	Amarillo, Texas
Date of death
Place of death