1 9 3 0 s ▁to ▁promote ▁air ▁force ▁independence , ▁but ▁the ▁bomb ard ment ▁doctrine ▁the ▁cli que ▁champion ed ▁ultimately ▁became ▁the ▁foundation ▁for ▁separation ▁from ▁the ▁Army . ▁ ▁Old s ▁was ▁also ▁an ▁accomplished ▁av i ator ▁and ▁flight ▁leader . ▁As ▁commander ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 d ▁Bomb ard ment ▁Group ▁between ▁ 1 9 3 7 ▁and ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁he ▁led ▁the ▁first ▁oper ational ▁unit ▁of ▁B - 1 7 ▁F lying ▁Fort ress es ▁and ▁put ▁theory ▁into ▁practice ▁by ▁over see ing ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁standard ▁operating ▁procedures ▁for ▁the ▁heavy ▁bom ber . ▁Old s ▁show c ased ▁the ▁capabilities ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁weapon ▁by ▁leading ▁several ▁highly ▁public ized ▁good will ▁fl ights ▁to ▁South ▁America . ▁ ▁Despite ▁his ▁advoc acy ▁for ▁strateg ic ▁bomb ing , ▁during ▁the ▁United ▁States ' ▁participation ▁in ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁Old s ▁did ▁not ▁command ▁bom bers ▁in ▁the ▁field . ▁Instead ▁his ▁major ▁contribution ▁to ▁the ▁war ▁effort ▁was ▁creation ▁and ▁organization ▁of ▁the ▁Air ▁Corps ▁Fer ry ing ▁Command , ▁whose ▁task ▁was ▁delivery ▁of ▁newly ▁produced ▁aircraft ▁to ▁all ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁glo be , ▁and ▁which ▁eventually ▁became ▁the ▁Air ▁Transport ▁Command ▁and ▁success ors . ▁Health ▁problems ▁resulted ▁in ▁his ▁transfer ▁to ▁a ▁training ▁command ▁and ▁led ▁to ▁his ▁early ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 3 . ▁ ▁Personal ▁history ▁ ▁Family ▁ ▁Old s ▁was ▁born ▁" Ro bert ▁Old ys "