Oliver R. Crawford

Oliver "Ollie" Ray Crawford (born July 19, 1925) 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 World War II 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
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. 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.