Under the provisions of Department of Defense 1348.33-M, the Secretary of Defense of the United States of America takes pleasure in awarding the Defense Superior Service Medal to Lieutenant Colonel Charles Frank Bolden, Jr., United States Marine Corps, for exceptionally superior service as an Astronaut, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, from 12 January 1986 to 18 January 1986. During orbit operations, Colonel Bolden exhibited exceptional abilities and piloting skills. Colonel Bolden’s timely and accurate responses to a series of malfunctions during the most stressful and dynamic phases of the mission were instrumental in insuring the completion of the mission and the safety of the crew and the vehicle. The distinctive accomplishments of Colonel Bolden reflect great credit upon himself, the United States Marine Corps, and the Department of Defense.
Sponsored by:
Awards Received
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Defense Distinguished Service Medal
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Legion of Merit
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Legion of Merit
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Distinguished Flying Cross
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Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Under the provisions of Executive Order 11545, July 9, 1970, the Secretary of Defense of the United States of America take pleasure in awarding the Defense Distinguished Service Medal to Major General Charles Frank Bolden, Jr., United States Marine Corps, was awarded the Defense Distinguished Service Medal for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished service contributing to national security and defense, in a position of great responsibility to the Government of the United States. The distinctive accomplishments of Major General Bolden reflect great credit upon himself, the United States Marine Corps, and the Department of Defense.
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Legion of Merit
Service:
United States Marine CorpsRank:
ColonelAction Date:
May 1980 – June 1994
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Legion of Merit to Colonel Charles Frank Bolden, Jr., United States Marine Corps, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States as an Astronaut, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Space Flight Program, Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, from May 1980 through June 1994. During this period, Colonel Bolden’s uncommon technical expertise, resourcefulness, and superb management abilities contributed significantly to the accomplishment of the center’s mission. As pilot of Space Shuttle Mission STS-61 C, he deployed the SATCOM Ku satellite and conducted experiments in astrophysics and materials processing during this highly successful 6-day flight. As pilot of Mission STS-31, Colonel Bolden deployed the Hubble Space Telescope and was responsible for taking much of the IMAX footage shown throughout the world. His superior performance led to his selection to command STS-45, the first flight of the Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science. As commander of STS-60, Colonel Bolden led the first joint United States/Russian Shuttle flight during which a cosmonaut participated as a mission specialist crew member. As Assistant Deputy Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Headquarters, he was recognized for his distinguished contributions and outstanding accomplishments of the program’s Total Quality Management review activities. Colonel Bolden’s impressive leadership, professional knowledge, and total dedication to duty reflected great credit upon himself and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.
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Legion of Merit
(Citation Needed) – SYNOPSIS: Major General Charles Frank Bolden, Jr., United States Marine Corps, was awarded a Gold Star in lieu of a Second Award of the Legion of Merit for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States.
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Distinguished Flying Cross
Service:
United States Marine CorpsRank:
ColonelAction Date:
March 24 – April 2, 1992
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Colonel Charles Frank Bolden, Jr., United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary achievement while participating in space flight as Commander of the Space Shuttle ATLANTIS on Mission STS-45 from 24 March to 2 April 1992. Colonel Bolden’s outstanding leadership and exceptional flying skills significantly enhanced the successful achievement of major mission objectives. He exhibited superior organizational and management ability throughout the preparation and conduct of this multi-disciplinary flight. Colonel Bolden contributed significantly to the successful formulation and training of the multi-center international team needed to conduct a mission with this level of complexity. He flew the Shuttle ATLOANTIS flawlessly through an atmospheric re-entry, manually controlling the spacecraft during the final approach and landing on the Kennedy Space Center run way. Colonel Bolden’s distinguished achievements, zealous performance, and steadfast devotion to duty in the face of hazardous flying conditions reflected great credit upon himself and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.