| Archie J. Old Jr. | |
| Birth Date: | 1 August 1906 |
| Birth Place: | Farmersville, Texas |
| Death Place: | March AFB, California |
| Allegiance: | United States |
| Branch: | United States Air Force |
| Serviceyears: | 1930–1965 |
| Rank: | Lieutenant General |
| Commands: | Fifteenth Air Force 5th Air Division 7th Air Division 20th Combat Bombardment Wing 45th Combat Bombardment Wing 530th Air Transport Wing 96th Bomb Group |
| Battles: | World War II |
| Awards: | Distinguished Service Cross Air Force Distinguished Service Medal Silver Star (2) Legion of Merit Distinguished Flying Cross (5) Purple Heart Air Medal (9) |
Archie J. Old Jr. (August 1, 1906 – March 24, 1984) was a lieutenant general in the United States Air Force.[1] [2]
Old was born in Farmersville, Texas, on August 1, 1906.[2]
Old flew 43 combat missions against Germany. On October 14, 1943, Old led the second raid on the Schweinfurt ball-bearing factories in the Fertile Myrtle III. Of 291 B-17s that reached the target, 60 were downed by flak or enemy fighters, for a loss rate of 20 percent. On June 21, 1944, Old led the second shuttle bombing run to Russia.[3] [4] The B-17 that Col. Old was in for the first Schweinfurt mission aborted, so Col. Curtis Lemay and BGen. Robert Williams led the first Schweinfurt raid on 17 August; Col. Old and Maj. Thomas F. Kenny led the second Schweinfurt raid on 14 October 1943. On June 21, 1944, Col. Old led the second Shuttle Mission to Russia.[5]
In July 1948 he was named commander of the Atlantic Division of the Military Air Transport Service.[2]
In 1951 Old got two of SAC's important overseas jobs of commanding the 7th Air Division in England and the 5th Air Division in French Morocco.[2] Old retired September 1, 1965. He died March 24, 1984, at the base hospital at March Air Force Base.[6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]
Old appeared, playing himself, in "Massacre", a 1966 episode of the television show Twelve O'Clock High.[13]