Charles Older

R.T. Smith in front of Charles Older's P-40B in Kunming, China

Charles Herman "Chuck" Older (September 29, 1917 – June 17, 2006) was the third highest scoring ace of the American Volunteer Group (the "Flying Tigers") and later the judge in the Charles Manson murder trial.

In his military career, he served in both World War II and the Korean War. According to his family, Older had more than 18 enemy kills, and was the third highest-scoring Flying Tiger ace. Later, Older served as a major in the Army Air Forces, fighting in the China-Burma Theater.

Born in Hanford, California, he earned a degree in political science from the University of California Los Angeles in 1939 and later graduated from University of Southern California law school. After a distinguished legal career, he was appointed to the bench of the Los Angeles Superior Court by Governor Ronald Reagan in 1967. He served for twenty years before retiring. His most famous case was the Charles Manson trial. The trial lasted ten months, the longest in American history at the time. Prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi praised Older for his firm but fair handling of the difficult case. At one point, Manson tried to attack the judge and had to be restrained by bailiffs.

He died on June 17, 2006 at the age of 88 of complications from a fall in his home in West Los Angeles. He was survived by his wife, Catherine Day Older, and three daughters.