Transporting the Past: A Reunion Story

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Jeff Walston
  • 917th Wing Public Affairs Office
Barksdale AFB, La. --  In today's techno-savvy world, it's indeed rare when Airmen get the chance to put hands on pure history. True remnants of WWII and the Korean War are few and far between, let alone from WWI. For the most part, special items and records of heroic deeds of warriors who blazed distant battlefields are tucked away in relative's homes, behind glass in museums or in display cases within wing or squadron hallways wasting away as Airmen often oblivious to the courage and sacrifice they represent walk silently by.

When Master Sgt. Greg Steele, 47th Fighter Squadron, visual information specialist, was offered the opportunity to mount an expedition to Detroit, Mich., on behalf of the 917th Wing Commander to bring back a piece of the 93rd Bomb Squadron's history donated by the family of a WWI Ace, he jumped at it. Sergeant Steele is a former bomb loader for the 93rd BS and had a personal interest in the trip.

After a few hours on the internet, Sergeant Steele was armed with enough knowledge about the WWI Ace to keep from being embarrassed when he met his family.

Charles Rudolph D'Olive, was born July 10, 1896, in Suggsville, Ala., and enlisted as a sergeant joining the Signal Corps in Memphis, Tenn., on April 28, 1917. A member of the first class of pilots trained for WWI, he became a 1st Lt. after he soloed at Chanute Field in May 1917. After eight weeks of training, the graduates were on their way to France. On August 22, 1918, he was posted to the 93rd Pursuit Squadron near Vaucouleurs, France.

Lieutenant D'Olive, achieved the first aerial kill for the 93rd Pursuit Squadron, when he downed a German Fokker D.VII, near Vieville-en-Haye on September 12, 1918. He shot down a total of five German Fokker aircraft, in a span of seven days, from September 12-18, 1918.
On September 13, 1918, Lieutenant D'Olive, joined together with another American pilot, engaging and fighting five enemy aircraft. Against tremendous odds, while outnumbered by the enemy, Lieutenant D'Olive shot down three enemy planes and out-fought an entire enemy formation.
For extraordinary heroism in action near St. Benoit, France, on September 13, 1918, Lieutenant D'Olive received the Distinguished Service Cross. (DSC)

Unfortunately, due to a clerical error on the official record, Lieutenant D'Olive was only credited for two kills on September 13, 1918, and fell short of the five aerial kills needed to be listed as an Ace.

Lieutenant D'Olive was later appointed flight commander of the 141st Pursuit Squadron. He finished his part of the "Great War" and went on to raise a family and become a successful businessman, all the while knowing he was indeed and Ace.

By shear luck, in the mid 60s while listening to the radio in his car on the way to work, Mr. D'Olive heard the U.S. Government was closing out service records for WWI veterans. He made the arrangements to have his records close out.

During a review of his personal records, it was noticed that Lieutenant D'Olive's DSC citation reflected three kills, but the official record from the engagement on September 13, 1918, tallied up only two. He petitioned the Air Force, and his record was integrated, between the citation and the other records. In 1965, more than 47 years after the fact, Lieutenant D'Olive was finally declared a WWI Ace.

With the knowledge of Mr. D'Olive's accomplishments in hand, contact was again made with the family.

For more than two months, calls were made, and emails were sent while planning which records, photos and items from Lieutenant D'Olive's collection would be consigned to the 917th Wing and the 93rd BS for display at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., and how to best transport the items, some of which are more than 92 years old.

That decided, Sergeant Steele loaded up his scanners, a laptop, personal belongings and hopped into a vehicle and drove to Detroit, Mich., on October 8, 2009.

After two full days on the road, Sergeant Steele was ready when Mrs. d'Olive Mozena walked down the steps of her home to meet him, October 10. Sergeant Steele and members of the Mozena family got to know each other and discussed Lieutenant D'Olive's life-time accomplishments before they started sorting through the hundreds of photos and documents to find what needed to be scanned, photographed or packed for the trip back to Barksdale.

"We are so pleased these items will be in a place where they can be appreciated," Mrs. d'Olive Mozena said.

After Sergeant Steele's mission was complete, with photos scanned, documents copied and items packed Mrs. d'Olive Mozena presented a leather replica of the 1918 era 93rd Pursuit Squadron patch to Sergeant Steele for being a prior member of the 93rd BS.

"To be able to hold the actual cloth that made up the outer skin of one of the actual planes he shot down was unbelievable. It's hard to imagine today, just how these men fought a war in such machines," Sergeant Steele said. "I am thankful that Lieutenant D'Olive's family trusts us with these delicate pieces of history. It was an honor to meet them."

Sergeant Steel pulled away from the Mozena home; his car packed with family history he was entrusted to deliver to Barksdale.

When these items from WWI are put on display, the descendants of 1st Lt. Charles Rudolph D'Olive and Airmen of the 93rd Bomb Squadron will be forever bonded by "the Great War" and the courage of one man who rose to the lofty heights of an Ace as he protected others in his deeds.