Robert O. Harder (1945- ) was born in Jackson, Mississippi, and raised in Minnesota. He attended the University of Minnesota where he studied geography and political science. He began his military service at the University of Minnesota in the U.S. Air Force Reserve Officers Training Corps. Upon graduation in 1966, Harder received a commission into the United States Air Force as a second lieutenant. Although he had dreamed of becoming a military pilot, slight nearsightedness directed him toward navigator training and bombardier school. Harder was assigned to the 306th Bomb Wing at McCoy Air Force Base in Orlando, Florida. He flew 145 Operation Arc Light combat missions during the Vietnam War as a navigator-bombardier in B-52 bombers. In 1971, Harder returned to civilian life, and began a lengthy career in retail and merchandising, one in which he worked for Target Stores, Inc. in its infancy, and later served as a vice president of Montgomery Ward & Co. Harder also became a commercial pilot and a certified flight instructor upon his separation from the USAF. He is currently focusing on a writing career in which he writes upon military matters, American colonial and frontier life. Harder is active in various veteran and historical military societies.
From the description of [Robert O. Harder Collection]. 1948-2010. (Pritzker Military Library). WorldCat record id: 652531614
