Dolan, Charles H., 1895-1981.

Aeronautical engineer.

Charles (Carl) H. Dolan was the last surviving member of the Lafayette Escadrille until his death in 1981. He enlisted in the French Foreign Legion in 1916, later moved to the Lafayette Escadrille and, in 1917, he transferred to the United States Army Air Service. After the war, Dolan was stationed in Florida and placed in charge of Air Training Systems. He left the military in 1920 but, at the request of General Billy Mitchell in 1921, Dolan went to China and served as Chief Air Advisor to the Chinese government. Returning to Hawaii in 1924, Dolan worked with various senate and congressional committees on airline safety issues, conducted feasibility studies for airplane service between the Hawaiian Islands, assisted in writing the original charter for the Civil Aeronautics Administration, and was the chairman of the committee that designed Honolulu International Airport. Charles Dolan was recalled to active duty during the Korean conflict and assigned to the Military Airlift Command as the Air Force representative to the Sperry Corporation. He retired from the United States Air Force with the rank of Colonel at age sixty. Colonel Dolan continued to respond to numerous requests to speak about the aviation industry, to describe his pioneer flight experiences, and to serve as a representative to various Lafayette Escadrille activities until his death in 1981.