Robin Olds (1922-2007) was a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot. Decades later he said, As a Major, I was responsible for feeding and housing my men, training my men, and rewarding or punishing them. His mother, his father's first wife, Eloise Karine Wichman Nott (1896-1926), died when Robin was four and he was raised by his father. It was more about people he knew.. Robin Olds died on June 14, 2007. WASHINGTON -- Robin Olds, an Air Force brigadier general who was a flamboyant legend of military aviation as a fighter pilot in World War II and Vietnam, died Thursday at his home in Steamboat. Because do you know what that is? En route he arranged with the 4453rd Combat Crew Training Wing, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, (where Col. James was now Deputy Commander of Operations) to be checked out in the Phantom, completing the 14-step syllabus in just five days. Brig. Husband/ Wife: Under Review: Child/ Kids: Not Available: Total Children . Implemented in January 1967, the operation saw American aircraft down seven MiG-21s, with Olds shooting down one. Retiring to Steamboat Springs, CO, he became active in public affairs. Her earliest memory was the Transatlantic crossing from New York to England on the Queen Mary. View military histories of over 2 million, If you are a veteran, reconnect with people. What to do? Two weeks later, on May 20, he destroyed two MiG-17s in what one of his pilots described as a "vengeful chase" after they shot down his wingman during a large dogfight,[90] bringing his total to 16confirmed kills (12 in World War II and four in Vietnam) and making him a triple ace. [91][92], He was awarded a fourth Silver Star for leading a three-aircraft low-level bombing strike on March 30, 1967, and the Air Force Cross for an attack on the Paul Doumer Bridge in Hanoi on August 11, one of five awarded to Air Force pilots for that mission. U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AFPN) -- Retired Brig. Your email address will not be published. US Air Force Brigadier General. In 1946, while based at March Field, Olds met Hollywood actress (and pin-up girl) Ella Raines on a blind date in Palm Springs. On his second transition flight, at the point of touchdown during landing, Olds learned a lesson in "false confidence" when the powerful torque of the single-engined fighter forced him to ground loop after the Mustang veered off the runway. [54] Promoted to major on February 9, 1945, Olds claimed his seventh victory southeast of Magdeburg, Germany the same day, downing another Bf 109. September 26, 2022 by John Groove. [68], Olds was assigned to command the 71st Fighter Squadron, which was soon detached from the 1st FG to the Air Defense Command and based at the Greater Pittsburgh Airport in Pennsylvania. Although at first seemingly random in nature, it quickly became apparent that the MiGs were ground-controlled intercepts designed to place the supposed F-105s in a vise between enemies to their front and rear. [45][46] His combat report for that date concluded: Still in a shallow dive, I observed a P-38 and a Me 109 going round and round. In other words, he went freelance. Returning to the United States after the war, Olds was assigned at West Point as an assistant football coach for Red Blaik. As I straightened out at the top, I saw the pilot bail out. [3] He retired in 1973 as a brigadier general, after 30 years of service. He served as commandant of cadets for three years and sought to restore morale in the wake of a major cheating scandal. Olds and Ella Raines separated in 1975 and divorced in 1976. He knew from his sources that all was not well in the 8th TFW and resolved to see it from the perspective of the FNG (the freaking new guy). He closed in and fired twice more, with his third burst sending the Messerschmitt down in flames. As our way to help you celebrate the New Year, were offering the first book in the Hamfist series FREE! The man was bigger than life and reading his memoir will confirm all the amazing stories about this legendary fighter pilot. And the wife of talk show host Dr. Phil McGraw is finally revealing the secret to her youthful look. He said "It sounds like an exaggeration but I managed to pull out, right above this wheat field near the town of Rostock." Following his exchange assignment, Olds returned to March AFB to become operations officer of the 94th Fighter Squadron of the 1st Fighter Group, flying North American F-86A Sabres, on November 15, 1949. Olds had a highly publicized career and life, including marriage to Hollywood actressElla Raines. After reviewing and reading through this list, I am surprised that there was nothing written about General Chappy James who played a significant role in the F105 operations in North Vietnam. [94], Air Force Inspector General and Olds' West Point classmate Lt Gen Louis L. Wilson Jr. sent Olds to Southeast Asia in the autumn of 1971 to determine the state of readiness of Air Force pilots. An enemy round tore a hole the size of a basketball in his right wing, but the fire went out and he made it home. By the end of World War II, Olds had established his reputation as a talented fighter pilot in the P-51 Mustang, having shot down 12 enemy aircraft and destroyed another 11.5 on the ground, all in . Made Deputy Chief, Air Defense Division at the Pentagon in 1958, Olds produced as series of prophetic papers calling for improved air-to-air combat training and the increased production of conventional munitions. Seen as a rising star, Olds was selected for a U.S. Air Force-Royal Air Force exchange program in 1948. I was stationed at RAF Bentwaters while Col Olds was the wing commander and Lt Col Chappy James was the DO. As a result, he missed service in the Korean War despite repeated applications for a combat assignment. Navy and Marine Corps fighters, reaping the benefits of their TOPGUN program, immediately enjoyed considerable success with a 12:1 kill-loss ratio. First, he cut loose the deadwood, the ticket punchers and careerists who had sniveled some counters - missions that counted toward completion of a tour when in fact they had not gone north. Like the rest of the Air Force, it had barely broken even with Hanois MiGs, peaking at a 2-1 exchange rate. He became the only person enshrined in both the National Aviation Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame. He found what he feared: most Air Force fighter crews couldnt fight their way out of a wet paper bag. Commander John Nichols, a Navy MiG killer brought to Udorn, Thailand to teach dogfighting to the Air Force blue suits, saw Olds taxi his F-4 into the chocks after a practice mission. As the second plane pulled a full 360 turn, Olds stayed with him. The canopy came open, followed by General Olds helmet in a high, lofting arc. When is Robin Roberts Marrying? Says F-4 pilot and novelist Mark Berent, It was well written, as youd expect from Robin, but it wasnt really about him. [29], By an act of Congress on October 1, 1942, during Olds' second class year, the academy began a three-year curriculum for the duration of the war for cadets entering after July 1939. [103], When the Operation Linebacker bombing campaign began in May 1972, American fighter jets returned to the offense in the skies over North Vietnam for the first time in nearly four years. Her husband has three children from a previous relationship;[112], Robert Ernest Olds, who was stillborn in 1958. Despite his MiG-killing fame, he was perhaps proudest of the strike against North Vietnams best-defended target: Thai Nguyen steel mill. Brigadier General Robin Olds passed away 14 June 2007 at the age of 84 years. He was a 2001 inductee of the National Aviation Hall of. U.S. Air Force fighter pilot who served in both World War II and the Vietnam War. Not to mention his self-confessed tendency to say exactly what he happened to think, no matter how inappropriate it was or who he was talking to. Olds turned his flight left and began a ten-minute pursuit in which they climbed to altitude above and behind the Germans. Robin Olds (July 14, 1922 - June 14, 2007) was an American fighter pilot and general officer in the U.S. Air Force. A new regime had arisen, and the Wolfpack began showing results. Through the remainder of the year, he flew as part of a jet demonstration team with Lt. Col. John C. Pappy Herbst. Their son is named after Robin, whose middle name was McLaurin. Olds had a highly publicized career and life, including marriage to Hollywood actress Ella Raines. If you ever wanted to fly a P-51 Mustang in combat over Germany or shoot down a MiG over North Vietnam flying your F-4 Phantom, reading this is the closest you can get without actually doing it. His ashes were interred at the US Air Force Academy. The free-wheeling environment at Ubon fueled morale, and the Wolfpacks was stratospheric. He thought about the words, absorbed, them, and passed them along. [94], In February 1971 he began his last duty assignment as director of aerospace safety in the Office of the Inspector General, Headquarters USAF, and after December 1971 as part of the Air Force Inspection and Safety Center, a newly activated separate operating agency located at Norton Air Force Base, California. General Olds, rated a triple ace for having shot down a total of 16 enemy aircraft during World War II and the Vietnam War, served his country in assignments . Selecting service in the U.S. Army Air Forces, Olds completed his primary flight training in the summer of 1942 at the Spartan School of Aviation in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The TV anchor said that she and her girlfriend of 23 years would walk down the aisle this year. Naturally he wanted to follow in their footsteps. Robin first flew at age 8 in an open-cockpit biplane operated by his father. [71] He then was made chief of the Weapons Proficiency Center at Wheelus Air Base, Libya, in charge of all fighter weapons training for the United States Air Forces Europe until July 1958.[72]. And he was born to fly. Enshrined in the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2001, Olds later died on June 14, 2007. His reputation as a superbly skilled fighter pilot and outstanding leader continues to inspire active duty, retired and aspiring pilots and air crews alike. His father died of pneumonia on April 28, 1943, after hospitalization for constrictive pericarditis and Libman-Sacks endocarditis,[108][109] at the age of 46, just prior to Olds' graduation from West Point.[110]. Robin is also best known as, U.S. Air Force fighter pilot who served in both World War II and the Vietnam War. Weighing his options, he decided to risk it all and flat planed. His fourth MiG kill in Vietnam was recreated in the season 2 episode "No Room For Error". Olds, then 84years old, appeared as a commentator. [30], Olds completed primary training in the summer of 1942 at the Spartan School of Aviation in Tulsa, Oklahoma,[31] and basic and advanced training at Stewart Field, New York. [47], Although in Dogfights S1EP2,[48] Robin Olds recounts this memory of the P-38 needing help with some variance. In an ultra-low-level attack, leaving rooster tails on the paddies behind them, Olds and two wingmen put their bombs on target. This led him to be subject to compressibility. [62][63][64], In April 1946, he and Lieutenant Colonel John C. "Pappy" Herbst formed what he believed was the Air Force's first jet aerobatic demonstration team. Robin Olds Met Hollywood Actress Ella Raines on a Blind Date In 1946, while based at March Field, Olds met Hollywood actress (and "pin-up girl") Ella Raines on a blind date in Palm Springs. In his first two dogfights, he was alone with his wingman, having left formation to hunt on his own. [44] Despite battle damage to his own plane, including loss of a side window of its canopy, Olds shot down two during the dogfight and another on the way home to become the first ace of the 479th FG. Kirk accompanied Olds for practice firing of AIM-7 Sparrow and AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles on the Point Mugu missile range while Olds was en route to Travis Air Force Base for his charter flight overseas. Following a low-level bridge-bombing mission to Montmirail, France, on August 14, Olds shot down his first German aircraft, a pair of Focke-Wulf Fw 190s. Years later, Wetterhahn compared Olds arrival with that of Brig. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [73] In this assignment he prepared a number of papers, iconoclastic at the time, which soon became prophetic, including identifying the need for upgraded conventional munitions (foretelling the "bomb shortage" of the Vietnam War), and the lack of any serious tactical air training in conventional warfare. He flew P-38s and P-51 Mustangs with the 434th Fighter Squadron, becoming the first Ace of the 479th Fighter Group in 1944-45. The Air Force said the cause was congestive heart failure. Olds with his trademark mustache, conducting a pre-combat mission walk around inspection of his F-4 fighter, at, 1971 inspector general tour and 1973 retirement, A private site asserts that this was a derogatory comment, and that they were usually referred to as ". [67], Olds went to England under the U.S. Air Force/Royal Air Force Exchange Program in 1948. (1936), born from his father's third marriage to Helen Post Sterling and an older maternal half-brother, Carter Nott (19191998), born from his mother's first marriage to Frederick Dickson Nott. Robin Olds [1] (July 14, 1922 - June 14, 2007) was an American fighter pilot and general officer in the U.S. Air Force. The old ways were not only out, they were deceased. [73], Most of their 29-year marriage, marked by frequent extended separations and difficult homecomings, was turbulent because of a clash of lifestyles,[113] particularly her refusal to ever live in government housing on base. [19], Instead of entering college after graduating in 1939, Olds enrolled at Millard Preparatory School for West Point in Washington, D.C., a school established to prepare men for the entrance examinations to the military academies. [79] Olds rewarded Kirk by granting him a transfer to his command in Thailand in March 1967. [56][57] South of Bremen, Olds noticed contrails popping up above a bank of cirrus clouds, of aircraft flying above and to the left of the bombers. Explore Robin Olds Wiki Age, Height, Biography as Wikipedia, Wife, Family relation. After he received a conditional commitment for nomination from Pennsylvania Congressman J. Buell Snyder, Olds moved to Uniontown, Pennsylvania, where he lived in the YMCA and supported himself working odd jobs. Pataky addressed the hit tune . Advertisement. After relinquishing command of the 8th TFW on September 23, 1967, Olds reported for duty to the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in December 1967. In all, he downed 16 enemy aircraft in the two wars, making him a triple ace. Olds observed a Bf 109 of Sonderkommando Elbe attack the bombers and shoot down a B-24. Your email address will not be published. Receiving his wings from Gen. Henry Hap Arnold, Olds graduated from West Point on June 1, 1943, after completing the academys accelerated wartime curriculum. Robin Lord Taylor is an American television and film actor, and director. General Olds received many medals, including the Air Force Cross, the branchs second-highest decoration. RFT 185: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System, Who Decides the Punishment in a Smuggling Court, Which of the following Is the Legal Standard of Proof at a Civil Trial, Which Is the Oldest and Most Original Source of International Law, When Did Abortion Become Legal in Illinois. Traveling to Britain, he commanded No. Robin Olds was previously married to Ella Raines (1947 - 1976).. About. But his greatest moment came on Jan. 2, 1967, when, as a colonel, he created an aerial trap for enemy MIGs. Olds was promoted tobrigadier generalafter returning from Vietnam and became Commandant of Cadets at theUnited States Air Force Academy. The wing had converted to the F101 and he loved to show us what it could do during annual air shows. Olds was also selected as an All-American as the cadets compiled a 63 record, beating Lafayette College, Cornell, Columbia, Harvard, VMI, and Princeton, and falling to Notre Dame, Penn, and Navy. To the new Inspector General, Lt Gen Ernest C. Hardin Jr., Olds offered to take a voluntary reduction in rank to colonel so he could return to operational command and straighten out the situation. In 1978, Robin Olds married his second wife, Abigail Morgan Sellers Barnett. [41] On July 24 Olds was promoted to captain and became a flight and later squadron leader. As viewers may know, the ABC co-host never . Olds scored his first kill on August 14, 1944, when he turned a Focke-Wulf 190 into a fiery German-filled inferno, but it was on a particularly balls-out mission 11 days later that Captain Robin Olds truly made a name for himself as a man that needed to have a special flight suit constructed just to contain his ridiculously-oversized steel testicles. It was the best assignment I had during my almost 12 years in the USAF. Born July 14, 1922, in Honolulu, Hawaii, Robin Olds was the son of then-Capt. [37], Olds was promoted to first lieutenant on December 1, 1943. U.S. Air Force Brigadier General Robin Olds (July 14, 1922-June 14, 2007), son of Army Air Corps Major General Robert Olds, is a Triple Ace fighter pilot who flew combat missions in WWII and Vietnam. U.S. Air Force fighter pilot who served in both World War II and the Vietnam War. On that date, Colonel Olds led his strike force of eight F-4C aircraft against a key railroad and highway bridge in North Vietnam. Olds wears USAF flight gear typical of the 1967 time frame, including: K-2B Flying Suit, CSU-3/P Anti-G Suit, SRU-21/P Survival Vest, PCU-3/P Torso Harness, B-3A Gloves, and a Pilot's Survival Knife. Learning of the outbreak of World War II while at Millard, he attempted to leave school and enlist in the Royal Canadian Air Force. His inability to rise higher as a general officer is attributed to both his maverick views and his penchant for drinking.[4]. ChristinaOlds is the daughter of Robin Olds, an Americanfighter pilotand general officer in theU.S. Air Force. He is also remembered for his extravagantly waxed and non-regulation handlebar moustache he wore during his tour in Southeast Asia,. This defiance grew into the modern-day practice called Mustache March in the U.S. Air Force, in which Airmen of all ranks grow their mustaches out of regulations for the entire month of March in defiance of AF hair grooming standards. Gen. Robin Olds once said his magnificent mustache represented his defiance. General Olds went on to serve in many countries and positions, including assignments to Air Force headquarters and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He was a "triple ace", with a combined total of 16 victories in World War II and the Vietnam War. Robin Olds, who died four years ago at age 85, lived a story-book life. Gen. Robin Olds, a World War II fighter ace who became an aviation legend by commanding the Air Force wing that shot down seven MIGs over North Vietnam in the biggest air battle of the Vietnam War, died last Thursday at his home in Steamboat Springs, Colo. Leading the first flight, Olds overflew the primary MiG-21 base at Phc Yn and was on a second pass when MiGs finally began popping up through the cloud base. [62][78], In September 1966, Olds was tapped to command an McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom wing in Southeast Asia. [24], Olds developed ambivalent feelings about West Point, admiring its dedication to "Duty, Honor, Country", but disturbed by the tendency of many tactical officers to distort the purpose of its Honor Code. March 16, 2015 12:01am. He was no less than one of the greatest fighter pilots in U.S. history a triple ace who scored at least 17 victories in World. He was a "triple ace", with a combined total of 17victories in World War II and the Vietnam War. I rolled over on my back, following him and gave him an ineffective burst at long range. He retired in 1973 as a Brigadier General of the United States Air Force (USAF) after 30 years of service. His initial twin-engine training at Williams Field, Arizona, was in the Curtiss AT-9, followed by transition fighter training[35] to the Lockheed P-38 Lightning in its P-322 variant. Five P-51s made a pass on the airdrome that April day. This called for 8th TFW F-4s to mimic F-105 operations in an effort to draw enemy aircraft into combat. Lt Col James was as motivational whenever I saw him speak. . Far too many military personnel, policemen, and politicians mouth their oath of office as a rote exercise. Table of Contents show. [84] The Olds-James combination became popularly nicknamed "Blackman and Robin". His 259 total combat missions included 107 in World War II and 152 in Southeast Asia, 105 of those over North Vietnam. Your orders have to be legal and proper. While he knew that he would be capable of effectively using them, he was also aware that none of his pilots were trained in the use of a gun or dogfighting. TogetherWeServed.com Inc. All Rights Reserved | Not a U.S. Government Website. His Air Force Cross Citation reads: #RezaNorouzi, his wife & kids were arrested 2yrs ago His sons were 2 y/o and 2 months old at the time His wife and sons were in solitary confinement for 2 months The IR regime didn't provide powdered milk so they had to feed the baby cheese. At first on the command staff of the 86th Fighter-Interceptor Wing at Landstuhl Air Base, West Germany, Olds then commanded its Sabre-equipped 86th Fighter-Interceptor Group from October 8, 1955, to August 10, 1956. After brief service at Shaw AFB in South Carolina, Olds was given command of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW) at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base. Olds dove to help and in his excitement dove too fast. Despite intense, accurately directed fire, multiple surface-to-air missile attacks on his force, and continuous harassment by MiG fighters defending the target, Colonel Olds, with undaunted determination, indomitable courage, and professional skill, led his force through to help destroy this significant bridge. Beside the case was a fire ax beneath a sign reading: In case of war, break glass.. Hell, if I was one of them Id have got 50 of us!. [74] From November 1959 to March 1960, his section worked intensely to develop a program reducing the entire structure of the ADC with the purpose of generating $6.5 billion for classified funding to develop the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird.reconnaissance aircraft. Cape Town - Police in Limpopo have opened a case of murder as well as an inquest docket after the husband shot and killed his wife and, later, turned the gun on himself on Sunday.Provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said the couple worked as paramedics.Mojapelo said the 44-year-old wife had obtained a protection order against her husband.The pair were estranged at the . OLDS ROBIN: (1922-2007) American fighter pilot, a 'triple ace' with a combined total of 17 victories in World War II and the Vietnam War. Into combat year, were offering the first ace of the page across from the article title a. Was a `` triple ace '', with his third burst sending the Messerschmitt down flames... 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