https://www.messingermortuary.com/obituaries/Ambassador-David-Bolen?obId=27694675

Ambassador David Bolen is listed as a Notable burial at https://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/ftlogan.asp.  He passed into eternal life 13 days before his 99th birthday. He was a highly decorated world class diplomat and statesman, who served his country with valour and grace. One of his many accomplishments as a brilliant US diplomat was to  lay the foundations for the fall of the Berlin Wall. He was a lighthouse in the field of diplomacy during the Cold War and laid the ground for the Berlin Wall to fall in one of the most silent and peaceful revolutions that the world has ever known. He also served as the US Ambassador to 3 countries in South Africa. During this time he worked diligently to dismantle apartheid and free Nelson Mandela. His successes in diplomacy are being celebrated all over the world wherever he served. He is lauded for bringing the spirit of freedom, peace and democracy to all mankind in many nations. 

Ambassador David Benjamin. Bolen was born on December 23rd, 1923 in the red clay country of Louisiana. Running was his favorite sport. He ran with lightning speed on the old dirt roads. In high school a talent scout and coach by the name of Gil Cruter saw him running during a race with some of his fellow students. He was absolutely amazed at this young sprinter with thin legs who seemed to be flying through the air as he ran. Later in life he once said, to his daughter, "God gave me the gift of great speed. I can run not on the ground but above it". Finally Gil Cruter encouraged young Dave to come to the University of Colorado for proper training. He was considered a born talent.  Dave reported that his training consisted of a mere stopwatch.  When he was invited to run for the University of Colorado in Boulder in the 1948 Olympics, he agreed. He qualified with ease and was considered the fastest American runner of his time. It was an amazing experience for him to compete in the Olympics with the best human beings in the world. Walking into the Olympic stadium in London, with the other world class Olympians from many different countries, first gave him a feeling of what the meaning of the world global meant. He described it as being incredibly humbling to stand for one's own country in a grand flag filled arena of others from different countries and cultural backgrounds in a deeply peaceful way. He ran that Olympic race well and came in fourth due to a sprained ligament. But it was in Europe that he first had the idea of dedicating his life to promoting freedom and peace through diplomacy. 

Upon arriving in London by boat, he had been confronted with the spoils of WWII. His life's mission became clear and he not only excelled in sports but in the classroom. After getting his Masters degree in economics from the prestigious Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado., he went on to get a second Masters from Harvard University. At Harvard he excelled in his computation of each situation with the utmost brilliance, speed  and precision that they nicknamed him "The Streak". He was known for his in depth questions and attention to minute details of a topic. Nothing missed his eagle eye and he easily pinpointed issues which were hidden from view. He was fearless in his mission and stood up for the flag in the most precarious situations during his diplomatic career. He was married to Betty Bolen, who was a very beautiful, versatile and accomplished artist. Her creativity and elegance gave the couple a flair of Hollywood as they went from red carpet to red carpet around the world. 

After retiring from the foreign service, Ambassador Bolen served as the International Advisor for Dupont de Nemours in Wilmington, Delaware. It was here that he could develop and apply his diplomatic skills and economic know-how to create a myriad of business solutions which changed the world. In fact, it was at Dupont that he developed a program which sanctioned South Africa to it's knees and led to the permanent dismantling of the apartheid regime there. 

Ambassador Bolen attributes his success in life to hard work, drive and determination. Those were his mantras which he preached to many young mentees all over the world. After living in Boulder, Colorado he moved to Oregon and then finally to Arizona when his wife predeceased him. The 360 day sunshine was what he liked most and being in a place of knowledge, wealth and health. He was lovingly taken care of by dedicated family members and excellently trained caregivers one of who served him a total of 13 years. There was a lot one could learn from Ambassador Bolen and he impressed everyone with his sharp wit, feisty intelligence and humor. At the ripe age of 89 he finished his memoirs, "Running Down a Dream" which describe his legacy in his own words. He ran many of life's races and won. He originally wanted to be a doctor and adopted a lifestyle which awarded him 98.9999 years of life on this earth. 

He attributed his longevity to good vitamin rich nutrition, contemplation and of course his credo drive, determination and finally astonishing staying powers. When times were rough he used to say, "Smell the roses!"  He found strength in being strong in each and every of life's challenges. Up until his very last breath he was a human being of religious integrity and unparalleled greatness in many ways. In his last hours and days he cherished reciting the Lord's prayer with his World Family members in German and English. 

He will always be cherished in the hearts and minds of all who knew him. His legacy will live on in the many Celebrations of Life in his name, the Ambassador David Bolen Day at his alma mater,  in the many Ambassador David Bolen awards at various universities and the Ambassador David Bolen running events in Boulder and Berlin, Germany. 

Ambassador Bolen competed in the London Summer Olympics in 1948.

DAVID B BOLEN

Service

WORLD WAR II

US ARMY,

SGT

Resting Place

Mementos

Tributes

Word Cloud

Biography

Milestones

Mementos

Historical Documents

Veteran programs and services

More VA resources

Get VA updates

In crisis? Get help now

Contact us