Lieutenant Colonel Richard Eugene Bolstad, a U.S. Air Force pilot, passed away on February 21, 2014 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Richard was born on July 7, 1929 and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Richard entered the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve in December 1948 and was called to active duty in August 1950 for the Korean War. He was assigned to the 1st Marine Division making the landing at Inchon, Korea. In Korea he fought all the way up to the border in China and was then pushed back by the entrance of half a million Chinese soldiers. The retreat south was bitter and savage. He received the Purple Heart.
After being released from active duty, he worked until he was accepted in the USAF Aviation Cadet Program in June 1955. He received his wings and commission in September 1956 after which he spent four years flying the F-4 Phantom Jet (F-100/C) at a base in Holland. There are two pilots in an F-4, seated front to back. During a practice flight, the aircraft malfunctioned, Dick’s ejection seat worked, sadly his partner’s did not. He was then transferred to Myrtle Beach AFB, South Carolina where he again flew the F-100.
In August 1964 he volunteered for duty in Vietnam. As the U.S. slipped deeper into the Vietnam crisis, he shifted to flying an A-l Sky Raider (A-1 E), which is a propeller driven late World War ll vintage Navy developed aircraft designed to fly low and fast, in addition to being very heavily armed. He arrived at BienHoa, South Vietnam on March 31, 1965. There he trained South Vietnamese pilots to fly the A-1 E aircraft. This was 40 percent of his mission. The rest of the time he flew close air support missions in support of ground forces, a job he loved.
October 1965 found him home on leave in Minneapolis where he became engaged to his wife, Helen “Sissy”— who he met and dated in Myrtle Beach for a year before leaving there.
Upon return from leave he was flying rescue support missions in North Vietnam when he was shot down on November 6, 1965 in an A-1E. He was captured, tortured and put in a prison, along with several others. The Vietnamese gave no acknowledgement as to whether he and the other captured pilots were dead or alive. They eventually were moved to what was called the “Hanoi Hilton.”
On February 12, 1973, seven years after their capture, all of them, including John McCain, were released and returned to Clark AB in the Philippines. The POWs then returned home to a grateful nation, still divided by Vietnam.
Dick was awarded the Silver Star by the President of the United States and Congress. Other honors include Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross and Prisoner of War.
Dick’s fiancé and sweetheart “Sissy” had waited those seven difficult years for him, not knowing anything. After returning to Myrtle Beach, SC they were married on March 17, 1973.
He is survived by his wife, daughter, two brothers, a sister and one very proud cousin, Edward C. Bolstad (US55411956).
Burial will be at Arlington National Cemetery with full honors.
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