Gathering of Eagles Maj Gen Charles F. Bolden Jr USMC

<p>Charles F. Charlie Bolden Jr. was born on 19 August 1946 in Columbia South Carolina and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Science in 1968. Commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps he received his Wings of Gold in May 1970 as an A-6A Intruder pilot. From June 1972 to June 1973 he flew more than 100 combat missions into North and South Vietnam Cambodia and Laos with Marine All-Weather Attack Squadron 533. Following two years as a recruiting officer in Los Angeles and various assignments at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro California Bolden graduated from the U.S. Navy Test Pilot School in June 1979. He spent the next year as an ordnance test pilot at the Naval Air Test Center Patuxent River Maryland flying numerous projects in the A-6E Intruder EA-6B Prowler and A-7C/E Corsair II. Selected as a NASA astronaut candidate in May 1980 he qualified as a space shuttle pilot in August 1981 becoming the first black Marine astronaut.</p><p>This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore you will see the original copyright references library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world) and other notations in the work.</p><p>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America and possibly other nations. Within the United States you may freely copy and distribute this work as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.</p><p>As a reproduction of a historical artifact this work may contain missing or blurred pages poor pictures errant marks etc. Scholars believe and we concur that this work is important enough to be preserved reproduced and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.</p><br>