Charles Douglas Fisher – Colonel, Unied States Air Force

From a contemporary press report:

On August 4, 1999, CHARLES DOUGLAS FISHER died of cardiovascular arrest. Doug served in the military from 1942 to 1970. He was born in Yonkers, New York, and spent his boyhood years along the Hudson River in the town of Beacon. The Fisher family moved to Rockville Center on Long Island in the 30’s. Doug attended Pasadena Junior College in California and Cornel University in New York. He received a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois and a Masters degree in Public Administration from the American University in Washington, DC.

Doug enlisted as an Aviation Cadet early in WWII and went on to enjoy a long and varied career in the Air Force. He was commander of the Kaena Point satellite tracking station in Hawaii during the early US satellite test flights. He was a member of the State Department’s Inter-department Radio Advisory Committee from 1965 – 1967 and served on the international negotiating team in Geneva, Switzerland that prepared the US position on the 1967 International Telecommunications Union Maritime Mobile Conference. His final Air Force assignment, 1967 – 1970, was with the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the Pentagon. The Legion of Merit was among his many decorations and awards.

Following his Air Force career, Doug worked for the Federal Communications Commission in Washington, DC, where he specialized in Maritime Communications. He was a US spokesman at the Aeronautical World Administrative Radio Conference in Geneva in 1978.

Throughout his life Doug was interested in the development and growth of the youth of America. An Eagle Scout, he participated in the National Boy Scout Jamboree in Washington, DC in 1937. He chaired swimming associations in Hawaii, California and Virginia. He was a voting member of the annual Sullivan Award Committee.

In retirement, Doug devoted his time to the restoration of antiquarian books and contributed countless hours in this pursuit for historical societies, libraries and friends. Doug was an accomplished pianist and loved gardening and Civil War history. He and his wife, Eloise, moved to Florida in 1996. His three children, Bruce, Barbara and Katy, reside in Virginia. A memorial service was held in Florida on August 6. Inurnment will be held at Arlington National Cemetery Columbarium on Friday, October 15, at 11 a.m. Those wishing to attend should meet at the Administration Building by 10:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, a contribution to the US Olympic Committee is appreciated.

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard