Former NASA Administrator Celebrates 50th Anniversary of the Rose Garden

AFR President Molly Dey with Charlie Bolden

U.S. Marine Major General Charles F. Bolden, Jr. (Ret.) is a former attack pilot, astronaut, NASA Administrator and today the Founder and CEO Emeritus of The Charles F. Bolden Group LLC. Part of his trajectory was from the Rose Garden, a satirical nickname for the remote and covert Royal Thai Air Base in Nam Phong, Thailand during the Vietnam War. The locale was a harsh, snake-infested jungle with an unimproved 10,000-foot runway, but was quickly upgraded and became very effective in prosecuting the war. Personnel at the base were designated Task Force Delta.

1^st Lieutenant Bolden flew more than 100 missions from the base into South and North Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos in the early 1970s, primarily in the A-6A Intruder. His assignments were mostly nighttime interdiction, bombing hard targets such as bridges, roadways, fuel and ammunition depots, as well as moving targets of troop and ammunition convoys. Many sorties were only 500 feet off the ground. The site’s strategic flight location was critical in supporting the South Vietnamese Army, as well as allied campaigns in the north.

“We usually flew in the evening and the Viet Cong knew we were coming, but not from where, so we had the element of surprise,” Bolden said. “We didn’t carry many offensive weapons, mainly just 500 to 2,000 pound bombs, and had to be on alert, especially from anti-aircraft gun fire and service-to-air missiles. Sometimes the barrages were so thick, it was touch and go straight to the target and hopefully back.”

The 50th Anniversary of Marine Corps Air Station Rose Garden was held on May 19th-22nd in Arlington, Virginia. More than 300 veterans, and their families, turned out.

“This was a very special gathering as we had all the Rose Garden units there: combat forces, security, transport, maintenance, senior officers and enlisted personnel alike,” Bolden said. “It was a true showing of everyone who operated and made the base, which played a critical role in the history of Marine Corps aviation. The festivities and tributes were both exciting and somber in sharing 50 years of memories, tall tales, joy and also sadness for those we’d lost. The Evening Parade at Marine Barracks 8th & I, tour of the National Museum of the Marines Corps, and most of all the camaraderie were key highlights.”

The Rose Garden nickname originated from a popular song that was used as a tool for recruitment. The Marines co-opted country music legend Lynn Anderson’s 1971 hit tune “You Never Promised Me a Rose Garden” in a television ad campaign featuring a hard-nosed drill sergeant in the face of a green recruit. When the first Marines arrived at the crude facility, they dubbed it the Rose Garden. While other branches of the military were presenting a newer, kinder and gentler public relations strategy, the Marines’ approach sent enlistment soaring.

The base was crucial for helping South Vietnamese forces and also became a landing pad for B-52s returning in distress from combat missions into North Vietnam. When peace negotiations broke down, the U.S. began flying the massive bombers over heavily defended Hanoi and North Vietnam. The planes took many hits and the Rose Garden was the closest safe harbor for disabled aircraft that couldn’t make it to Guam. “We were there when one B-52 was so shot up it barely made it in,” Bolden recalled. “In 1973 Task Force Delta and its Marine combat forces would be the last to exit Vietnam. The remains of that plane may well be hidden in overgrown jungle today.”

Bolden’s illustrious career began as a graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1968 with a degree in Electrical Science, followed by flight training and in 1970 becoming a naval aviator. After Vietnam, Capt. Bolden went on to earn a master’s degree in Systems Management from the University of Southern California and later served as a test pilot after completing the course of instruction at the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in Patuxent River, MD. He was promoted to major and selected as an astronaut candidate, officially becoming a NASA astronaut in 1981, as well as being promoted to lieutenant colonel in the Marine Corps. Bolden flew on four Space Shuttle missions from 1986 to 1994, starting as pilot of the Columbia in 1986, and the Discovery in 1990 for the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope.

“To serve on the Space Shuttle was indeed an honor and being in space is of course incredible,” Bolden said. “In low orbit, about to 250 to 400 miles up, you can’t see the whole ball of earth, but you can see how thin the atmosphere is and how little there is to protect us. It sinks in quickly how fragile our planet is and the importance of keeping our air and oceans healthy, which so far we haven’t been doing a good job of. If you are not an environmentalist when you leave earth, you very likely will become one after you return.”

In 1992 Bolden commanded the Atlantis, supervising experiments and research on the earth’s climate and atmosphere. He again served on the Discovery in 1994 for the first joint American/Russian Shuttle mission and said the experience was one of the most rewarding of his time in space, with more than 680 flight hours.

“The two Russian cosmonauts came to Houston with their families and trainers to prepare for the voyage, and also to get assimilated to American culture,” he explained. “I was a little reluctant at first, but after our initial dinner I knew everything would be very positive. Our kids and their kids grew up together in those two years and we all became close friends. We were ideally hoping to make the world a better place. With all that is going on now, the only semblance of cooperation and normalcy between our two countries seems to be the International Space Station.”

Bolden left his post as a NASA astronaut in 1994 and returned to the operating forces of   the Marine Corps, where he was made Deputy Commandant of Midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy. “Going back to the academy really helped me develop my leadership abilities, and it was very fulfilling working and being with the kids. I got up with them at 6 a.m. every morning and was in the best shape of my life.”

Bolden left the Academy as a colonel, was promoted to brigadier general and made Deputy Commanding General of the 1^st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton. He then served as Commanding General of the 1^st Marine Expeditionary Force in Operation Desert Thunder in Kuwait, and in 1998 was promoted to major general and made Deputy Commander of U.S. Forces in Japan. His last post was Commanding General of the 3^rd Marine Aircraft Wing at Marine Corps Air Station in Miramar in San Diego, California. Major General Bolden retired from the Marine Corps in 2003 after 34 years of service and more than 6,000 flight hours. “My service in the Marines will be with me forever, and the Rose Garden reunion really brought the early days back home,” he said.

After holding several positions in the private sector of the aerospace industry, Bolden began perhaps the apogee of his career. In May of 2009, President Barack Obama nominated him to be Administrator of NASA. He was unanimously confirmed by the Senate to become the 12^th NASA Administrator, the second astronaut to hold the post and the first African American to occupy the position on a permanent basis. Operations of the International Space Station (ISS) were a key priority during his tenure, as well as space and aeronautics technology research and development. He also supervised plans for the beginning of the cooperation between NASA and the commercial space industry. NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate to develop new technologies for future missions was formed under his watch, including the Space Launch System and its Orion crew module spacecraft, now in testing and destined for the moon. Bolden also oversaw the Mars Curiosity Rover program and other projects aimed for the future.

“The most rewarding part of being NASA Administrator was to serve with President Obama and promote his agenda for the space program,” said Bolden, 75. “Part of the focus was to expand non-traditional partners in Africa, Asia and across other continents and into other countries, helping them to enter the realm of space-faring nations. NASA is the perfect vehicle for spreading science, technology, engineering and math plus arts and design education (STEM + AD) to youth around the world, and I had the pleasure of visiting 52 countries. I’m also very proud to be a part of the Mars Curiosity program and the transfer into commercial space flight. I think we helped restore NASA’s prominence as the premier aeronautics and space research and development organization in the world.”

Bolden retired from NASA in January, 2017 and over the decades has received scores of medals, awards and honors. Just a few include the Distinguished Flying Cross, four NASA Space Flight Medals and induction into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame and The Early & Pioneer Naval Aviators Association, a.k.a. “The Golden Eagles”. The elite organization includes Navy, Marine and Coast Guard aviators, Medal of Honor recipients, astronauts, fighter aces and others who have contributed significantly to U.S. Naval aviation. Bolden is also in the National Aviation Hall of Fame and holds many honorary doctorate degrees. Roads and schools in his home state of South Carolina bear his name.

When pressed about his favorite awards, the affable and humble Bolden shared: “The Distinguished Flying Cross is truly an honor, and the Single Mission Air Medal has real meaning because on that mission out of the Rose Garden we barely survived the most brutal barrage of flak I’ve ever taken. The most special is receiving the Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy in 2020 because of the people who won it ahead of me. That stellar lineup includes the Wright Brothers of course, Charles Lindbergh, General James Doolittle, and more recently astronauts Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins. To be among such company is both a humbling and proud feeling, especially since I was a presenter of the award to Michael Collins the year before I had the honor.”

Today Bolden is the CEO Emeritus of The Charles F. Bolden Group, which he founded in 2017 to foster leadership for the global advancement of science and security in space and aerospace exploration. The company also promotes initiatives in art, design, education and health. “I’m just an advisor now; my son Che’ Bolden is the CEO,” said Bolden, who lives with his wife Alexis (Jackie) Bolden in Arlington, Virginia. “Che’ is a retired Marine colonel and I’m very proud of both him and my daughter, Dr. Kelly Bolden MD.”

As far as advice for our nation’s youth, Bolden refers to three pieces of guidance his mother and father gave him: Study hard, work hard, and never be afraid of failure.

“All three have been invaluable to my life and career,” Bolden reflected. “I think the third is particularly important, especially for young women and young people of color. Not being afraid to try is how you learn.”

With all of his accomplishments, Bolden’s current goal is to be the best grandfather he can be to his new grandson, Walker Elias Bolden. In his spare time he cycles 20 miles a day and tries his hand at golf.

“According to Jackie, ‘tries’ is the operative word when it comes to golf,” he said.

By Scott B. McCaskey, Creative Writer for Armed Forces Reunions, Inc. and AFR Tours.

Decorated Aviator Recounts Three Decades of Service and Golden Eagles Reunion

Colonel Dave (Frosty) Seder was a senior in college contemplating a marketing career before he met a charismatic Marine recruiter in full dress blues with a photo of a Phantom F-4 fighter bomber. After a courtesy flight, Seder was hooked. Following graduation, he joined the Marines and excelled in Officer Candidate School and flight training. Arriving in Da Nang, South Vietnam as a 1^st Lieutenant in early 1969, Seder piloted 500 bombing and reconnaissance missions, primarily in the Phantom F-4, and also the TA-4F Skyhawk and O-1 Bird Dog. He spent nearly 900 hours in combat, mostly over South Vietnam and Laos, including the infamous Ho Chi Minh Trail.

“We hit a lot of Viet Cong and North Vietnamese bunker complexes, often from about 500 feet off the ground and sometimes less,” Seder said. The “Ho Chi Minh Trail was a heavily defended major supply line and our planes took some anti-aircraft hits, (one that pierced the windscreen inches from his head). We had some scares, saved some lives and killed a lot of bad guys. The Marines and soldiers on the ground and helicopter crews were really in harm’s way, and had it much harder than we did.”

Frosty and Molly at The Golden Eagles 2022 Reunion

Seder recently got to see many of his brethren aviators at The Early & Pioneer Naval Aviators Association Reunion April 7th to 10th at the Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, Va. An elite organization, also known as The Golden Eagles, the 200-member group was established in 1956. Navy, Marine and Coast Guard aviators, Medal of Honor recipients, astronauts, aces and others who have contributed significantly to U.S. Naval Aviation, fill its ranks. The reunion was managed by Norfolk, Virginia-based Armed Forces Reunions, Inc., the nation’s leading military event planner since 1988.

“Our gathering was a tour de force, especially because of COVID preventing us from meeting the last two years,” said Seder who was inducted in 2012. “There was plenty of pageantry, but it’s always the people, sharing stories and catching up, all centering on camaraderie and respect.”

After leaving Vietnam as a captain in late 1970, Seder began a series of billets serving in numerous Marine Fighter Attack Squadrons (VMFAs), including on the USS America in 1971 for the first Marine deployment of Phantoms from an aircraft carrier. He went on to become a flight instructor and was promoted to Major in 1977, followed by several assignments as Flight and Training Operations Officer stateside and abroad. In 1978 as Operations Officer of VMFA-115 he developed the “Block Training Program,” which significantly improved the efficiency and proficiency for training Marine pilots. The program was adopted throughout Marine aviation and Seder was selected as the Marine Aviator of the Year for 1980.

“I’m very proud of that award, but it was really about the quick learning and performance of our guys in VMFA-115. It really worked out, and several of us were made strike leaders for our 1981 cruise on the USS Forrestal,” Seder said.

Promoted to Lt. Colonel in 1982, he became the Anti-Air Warfare Requirements Officer for the Marine Corps. Seder went on to contribute to the development and introduction of the F/A-18 Hornet and became commanding officer of VMFA–451, which flew the new plane. “I loved the Phantom and flew almost 4,000 hours in that plane, but the Hornet was a better fighter and bomber, the next generation, with extraordinary accuracy and a great weapon suite,” Seder said.

Promoted to full Colonel in 1988, he became the primary staff officer for logistics at the 4^th Marine Aircraft Wing in New Orleans, LA. “I learned so much at the 4^th wing, which played a major role in Operation Desert Storm,” he said. Seder had several more command posts until his final tour as Chief of Staff at the Third Marine Aircraft Wing in El Toro, CA. He retired in 1997, but not before two flights on the Hornet and nearly 7,000 flight hours during his career. “The wonderful thing about all my billets is I was always able to fly,” said Seder, 78. “Anyone who knows ‘Frosty’ will tell you I love to fly.”

So how did Seder get the nickname Frosty? “It was in 1970 in a Phantom and the air conditioning got stuck at 65 degrees below zero centigrade for nine minutes. My feet were frozen, got a dose of frostbite and was in a wheelchair for three days. I recovered, and the call-sign stuck,” said Seder, who lives with wife Marion “Donna” Seder in Fairfax, Va.

In a career spanning 31 years, Seder earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, 43 Strike Flight Awards, two Legion of Merit Medals and scores of other decorations and accolades, but said the medals don’t quite resonate as much as accomplishing the missions. “Medals were more important when I was young. The three primary things I’m proud of today are first being a Marine; the squadron and group I was honored to lead and what those Marines and sailors accomplished; and my tours as Chief of Staff and Assistant Wing Commander of the 3^rd Marine Aircraft Wing. Throughout my career I viewed an important part of my job as a leader and commander was to be there for the Marines and sailors to filter out the pressure and magnify the praise.”

After retirement from the Corps, Seder worked in the private sector and spent 20 years at Boeing as Director of Marine Corps Systems, essentially an interface between Boeing and the Marines on multiple levels. He fully retired two years ago – but once a Marine, always a Marine – he now serves on the board of the Marine Corps Aviation Association, on the Scarlet and gold Committee for the Marine Corps Scholarship foundation and as North East Flight Leader for the Golden Eagles. When asked if he still flies, Seder said: “Manned aviation flight has been around for about 120 years. I flew through about a quarter of that ‘sweet spot’ and feel pretty good about it. The skies are now best left to the young jockeys.”

By Scott B. McCaskey, Creative Writer for Armed Forces Reunions, Inc. and AFR Tours.