He is buried at the United States Air Force Academy Cemetery, Colorado Springs, Colorado. He retired in 1973 as a brigadier general. [69] Discouraged and at odds with the Air Force, in which he was seen as an iconoclast, Olds reportedly was in the process of resigning when he was talked out of it by a mentor, Maj Gen Frederic H. Smith Jr., who brought him to work at Eastern Air Defense Command headquarters at Stewart AFB, New York. [59], Olds had not only risen in rank to field grade, but was given command of his squadron on March 25, less than two years out of West Point and at only 22years of age. "[26], He walked punishment tours until the day of his graduation in June. My left window blew out, scaring the hell out of me. 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. Robin Olds (1922-2007) was a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot. He is also remembered for his extravagantly waxed and non-regulation handlebar moustache he wore during his tour in Southeast Asia,. He remained in this role for much of the Korean War despite repeated requests for combat duty. He stood before the F-4C Phantom crews and said, Im going to start here by flying Green Sixteen (tail-end Charlie) and you guys are going to teach me how. Increasingly unhappy with the U.S. Air Force, despite promotions to Lieutenant Colonel (1951) and Colonel (1953), he debated retiring but was talked out of it by his friend Maj. Gen. Frederic H. Smith, Jr. Army's record in 1941 was 531, with wins over The Citadel, VMI, Yale, Columbia, and West Virginia, a scoreless tie with Notre Dame, and losses to Harvard, Penn and Navy. He also insisted his aircraft be waxed to reduce air resistance and helped his maintenance crew carry out their tasks. He considered it a dangerously wasteful effort, as the mill had been hit repeatedly, but its smokestacks had remained standing. He was assigned to the European theater, where he flew 107 missions and was credited with destruction of 11 aircraft on the ground another pilot assisted in destroying one of them in addition to the dozen he shot from the sky. Angela Bassett won big at this year's 2023 NAACP Image Awards.As she was accepting the Entertainer of the Year award, the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever star showed love to Ariana DeBose's viral rap from the BAFTA Awards when she accepted her Entertainer of the Year award.Angela said, "I guess Angela Bassett did the thing!" Angela also won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Film . Advertisement. He was commissioned on June 1, 1943, and completed his pilot training later that year. Nov 09, 2021 01:40 P.M. 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. [76] James and Olds worked closely together for a year as a command team and developed both a professional and social relationship which was later renewed in combat. U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AFPN) -- Retired Brig. He was married to the actress Ella Raines from 1947 to 1976, and he married Morgan Barnett in 1978 and remained married to her until 1993. Olds had a highly publicized career and life, including marriage to Hollywood actressElla Raines. [23], In 1942 he was named by Collier's Weekly as its "Lineman of the Year" and by Grantland Rice as "Player of the Year." At a time when the Air Force was focused on nuclear strategy, General Olds argued for strengthening conventional warfare capabilities. I knew McConnell understood. But partly because his manner of defiant individualism was a thorn in the side of superiors, he was unsuccessful in efforts to be assigned to Korea, and did not return to combat for 22 years. September 26, 2022 by John Groove. [21] Olds completed Millard Prep and applied for admission to the United States Military Academy at West Point. And the wife of talk show host Dr. Phil McGraw is finally revealing the secret to her youthful look. To make a wonderfully long story short, they lost.. He was a "triple ace", with a combined total of 16 victories in World War II and the Vietnam War. [19], His father was made commander of the pioneer Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress equipped 2nd Bombardment Group at Langley Field on March 1, 1937, and promoted to lieutenant colonel on March 7. In 1946, while based at March Field, Olds met Hollywood actress (and "pin-up girl") Ella Raines on a blind date in Palm Springs. Her earliest memory was the Transatlantic crossing from New York to England on the Queen Mary. Despite her impressively long resume, she'll probably always be best remembered for her role in . and a leading advocate of strategic bombing in the Air Corps. Deciding on a military career at the age of 12, Olds attended Hampton High School in Hampton Virginia where he became a standout football player. [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. Brig. In a few weeks, Zemke turned things around and added to Robins already formidable determination to succeed as a shooter and a leader. Olds oversaw the creation of policies, standards, and procedures for Air Force accident prevention programs, and dealt with work safety education, workplace accident investigation and analysis, and safety inspections. The son of an Army Air Corps general, Robin Olds (July 14, 1922 - June 14, 2007) is best known as a Triple Ace combat pilot who was willing to break a few rules to get the job done. Please check back often for the newest additions. From 1967 to 1971, he was commandant of cadets at the Air Force Academy. 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. As a result, SAM attacks shifted to the Phantoms, which were unprotected because of a shortage of pods. Rising to the command of two fighter wings, Olds is regarded among aviation historians, and his peers, as the best wing commander of the Vietnam War, for both his air-fighting skills, and his reputation as a combat leader. 1 Squadron at Royal Air Force Station Tangmere between October 20, 1948, and September 25, 1949,[61] the first foreigner to command an RAF unit in peacetime. 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. His instructor was Major William L. Kirk, the 4453rd CCTW's Standardization and Evaluation officer, who had been one of Olds' pilots at RAF Bentwaters, and who later commanded the United States Air Forces Europe as a full general. Copied by his men, they referred to them as bulletproof mustaches. During this time, he avoided shooting down a fifth MiG as he had been alerted that should he become an ace over Vietnam, he would be relieved of command and brought home to conduct publicity events for the Air Force. The son ofArmy Air ForcesMajor GeneralRobert Olds, educated atWest Point, and the product of an upbringing in the early years of theU.S. Army Air Corps, Olds epitomized the youthful World War II fighter pilot. After downing a Bf 109 over Berlin on Oct. 6, Olds completed his initial combat tour in November and was given two months leave in the United States. GOOD Morning America star Robin Roberts has admitted her gratitude for her GMA co-anchors in a new post on social media. Mrs. Stockton was born and reared in. He was honored with a flyover and services at the United States Air Force Academy, where his ashes are housed, on June 30, 2007. Apart from Maurice, he had one sister, Lesley Evans, and two brothers, Barry and Andy. He was a stepbrother of famed author, Gore Vidal. "My dad and I were great buddies," said Christina Olds. Declining a series of football scholarships, he elected to take a year of study at Millard Preparatory School in 1939 before applying to West Point. 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. [98], Olds often lamented the lack of an internal gun in the F-4C he flew during his tour in Vietnam, but would not allow his fighters to be equipped with the gun pods then available. Olds himself shot down one of the seven, for which he and the other aircrew were awarded Silver Stars. Olds ruled over a fiefdom like a feudal baron, enjoying the excitement of the hunt by day and discussing the great game with his men at arms by night. But think about how to protect and defend the Constitution. [106], In 1968, Olds received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement. [80], On September 30, 1966, Olds took command of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, based at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base. Returning north, he passed through advanced training at Stewart Field in New York. 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. As a result the flow of war materials into this area was appreciably reduced. His ashes were interred at the US Air Force Academy. A triple ace, he achieved a combined total of 16 victories in the Second World War and the Vietnam War. Bored after 18 years with her husband, Robin Rinaldi placed an ad seeking casual encounters with new men and women. As a result, he missed service in the Korean War despite repeated applications for a combat assignment. And when he could not wrangle a combat assignment in the Korean War, he participated in transcontinental jet races and flew with the Air Forces first aerobatic demonstration team. Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts just returned from a stunning vacation in Croatia with her partner of around 17 years, Amber Laign.. Roberts posted a couple of photos from the trip on . When the leaders were only interested in suiting up, he exercised some initiative. Required fields are marked *. Olds time at West Point proved brief as many older officers resented his rapid rise in rank during the war. Pataky addressed the hit tune . Gen. Robin Olds, died June 14 from congestive heart failure one month short of his 85th birthday. The Sedalia Democrat (Sedalia, Missouri) Thu.24 Jan. 1935, Page-9 MRS. ROBIN RAINES STOCKTON Mrs. Robin Raines Stockton, 31 years old, wife of K. W. Stockton. Through his extraordinary heroism, superb airmanship, and aggressiveness in the face of hostile forces, Colonel Olds reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force. Says F-4 pilot and novelist Mark Berent, It was well written, as youd expect from Robin, but it wasnt really about him. 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. It departed the Los Angeles area on April 15 for Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, and shipped aboard the USS Argentina for Europe on May 3. Through the remainder of the year, he flew as part of a jet demonstration team with Lt. Col. John C. Pappy Herbst. Gen. Robin Olds, a "triple ace" fighter pilot of World War II and the Vietnam War. The couple started dating in 2005. Olds had made ace in both the P-38 and P-51, probably the only pilot ever to do so. With the end of the war in Europe in May, Olds tally stood at 12 kills as well as 11.5 destroyed on the ground. . I was assigned to Base Operations and they were both frequent visitors. in English and creative writing from Vassar. [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]. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The Vietnam War "proved the need to teach tactical warfare and have fighter pilots. That airplane (note: "Scat VI") had taken me through a lot and I was damned if I was going to give up on herwhy the bird and I survived the careening, bouncing and juttering ride down the length of the field, I guess I'll never know. Olds commanded the wing until July 26, 1965. He went through the normal in-processing routine like any other newbie, paid close attention and spoke little. You can download the book in thee-book format of your choice at AmazonorSmashwords. He was a 2001 inductee of the National Aviation Hall of. [4], Olds was promoted to brigadier general after returning from Vietnam but did not hold another major command. Through a career in the United States Air Force spanning 30 years, plus 34 years of active retirement, Robin Olds led a remarkable and exemplary life. His wife is Ella Raines (6 February 1947 - 1975) ( divorced) ( 3 children) Robin Olds Net Worth His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. [9][10][11][12][13], Growing up primarily at Langley Field, Virginia,[14] Olds virtually made daily contact with the small group of officers who would lead the U.S. Army Air Forces in World War II (one neighbor was Major Carl Spaatz, destined to become the first Chief of Staff of the USAF),[15] and as a result was imbued with an unusually strong dedication to the air service, and conversely, with a low tolerance for officers who did not exhibit the same. He was a "triple ace", with a combined total of 17victories in World War II and the Vietnam War. Called Operation Bolo, the trap entailed use of radar-jamming devices and other tactics to make faster, more maneuverable F-4s appear to be the slower F-105s used for bombing missions. (later Maj. Gen.) Robert Olds and his wife Eloise, who died when Robin was four. Robin is also best known as, U.S. Air Force fighter pilot who served in both World War II and the Vietnam War. [77], Olds formed a demonstration team for the F-101 using pilots of his wing, without command authorization, and performed at an Air Force open house at Bentwaters. He had earlier been treated for prostate cancer. He began cleaning house. You will laugh, cheer out loud and maybe even shed a tear. Raised mostly in Washington D.C., England and Colorado, she graduated from Vassar College with a BA in English/Creative Writing in 1974 and spent 25 years living in San . Brigadier General Robin Olds passed away 14 June 2007 at the age of 84 years. Implemented in January 1967, the operation saw American aircraft down seven MiG-21s, with Olds shooting down one. Decades later he said, As a Major, I was responsible for feeding and housing my men, training my men, and rewarding or punishing them. Like so many other pilots and WSOs, he was energized by the new COs press-on attitude. Robin Olds was born on July 14, 1922, in Honolulu. The man was bigger than life and reading his memoir will confirm all the amazing stories about this legendary fighter pilot. As a result, the new academy superintendent, Maj. Gen. Robert L. Eichelberger, replaced the head coach (an Army officer) with Colonel Earl "Red" Blaik, a 1920graduate and head coach at Dartmouth, who had recruited Olds in 1939. [42], On an escort mission to Wismar on August 23, his flight was on the far left of the group's line abreast formation and encountered 4050 Messerschmitt Bf 109s near Wittenberge, flying north at the same 28,000ft (8,500m) altitude in a loose formation of three large vees. The fact that his book remains unfinished represents a major loss to aviation literature. The iconic actor died in 2014. . [47], Although in Dogfights S1EP2,[48] Robin Olds recounts this memory of the P-38 needing help with some variance. Five P-51s made a pass on the airdrome that April day. [82], Olds' vice commander was Col. Vermont Garrison, an ace in both World War II and Korea,[83] and in December Olds brought in Daniel James Jr. to replace an ineffective deputy commander for operations, creating arguably the strongest and most effective tactical command triumvirate of the Vietnam War. Olds had a highly publicized career and life, including marriage to Hollywood actress Ella Raines. [27] During his Academy years Olds also acquired a strong contempt for alumni networking, commonly called "ring knocking",[28] to the degree that he went out of his way to conceal his West Point background. Under Olds, the Wolfpack shot to the top of the Southeast Asia league, bagging 18 MiGs, and when he left, the wings kill ratio stood at 4-1. In this first "closed course" jet race, six P-80s competed against each other on a three pylon course 30miles in length. I regained control of the aircraft and pulled out above a wheat field. [51] Olds shot down an Fw 190 in his new Scat VI on October 6 during a savage battle near Berlin in which he was nearly shot down by his own wingman. The Narrator then tells the viewers that the P-51 Mustang is being chased by two Bf 109s. Olds did not want to live in that world. Robin Roberts announced she and her longtime partner Amber Laign are marrying in 2023. In a sea of blonde bombshells, Welch broke the mold of what it meant to be a celebrity. When he reported to his first interview with Air Force Chief of Staff General John P. McConnell, McConnell walked up to him, stuck a finger under his nose and said, "Take it off." "After that I had enough, I was ready to go home" But a string of tracer fire across his nose brought him right back into the fight, as a Bf 109 dove from behind on him. He really was "larger than life." His father Robert was an aviation pioneer from the WW I era so the boy grew up in the company of airpower greats like Hap Arnold, Billy Mitchell, and Tooey Spaatz. [39] Olds flew a new P-38J Lightning that he nicknamed Scat II. The MIGs reacted as we had hoped, Colonel Olds, who had led the mission himself, told a news conference in Saigon shortly afterward. In addressing newly commissioned officers he said, The airman swears that he will obey the orders of the officers appointed over him. In October 1966, strike force Republic F-105 Thunderchiefs were equipped with QRC-160 radar jamming pods whose effectiveness virtually ended their losses to surface-to-air missiles. [17], Olds first flew at the age of eight, in an open cockpit biplane operated by his father. 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]. (John A. DeVries, Olds was a supernumerary major in the 412th and soon became ad hoc operations officer for an unattached provisional squadron of reconnaissance pilots training on the P-80 in preparation for activation of the. ", David Hartman, Aviation writer and original host of Good Morning America. [50], The 479th FG converted to the P-51 Mustang in mid-September. Flying the Gloster Meteor jet fighter, he commanded No. Your email address will not be published. He retired in 1973 as abrigadier general. U.S. Air Force fighter pilot who served in both World War II and the Vietnam War. He served as Commandant of Cadets at the United States Air . He was popular for being a War Hero. He chandelled steeply to the left and I shot some more. Over Btzow, undetected by the Germans, Olds and his wingman jettisoned their fuel drop tanks and attacked, although the second element of the flight had been unable to keep up during the climb.[43]. Arriving in Britain in May 1944, Olds squadron quickly entered combat as part of the Allied air offensive before the D-Day invasion of Normandy. [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. [24] In the ArmyNavy Game of 1942, which was played at Annapolis instead of Philadelphia, Olds had both upper front teeth knocked out when he received a forearm blow to the mouth while making a tackle. Born on July 14, 1922 in Honolulu, Olds was the son of Robert Olds, a fighter pilot in World War I and later an aide to Billy Mitchell. [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. [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. She tells what happened on her yearlong sex . Welcome to the official Robin Olds website. It was a common superstition among airmen to grow a "bulletproof mustache",[96][97] but Olds also used his as "a gesture of defiance. Eloise, Olds' mother, died when he was four, and he was brought up by his father, who gave him his first flight at the age of eight, in an open-cockpit biplane. Rising to the command of two fighter wings, Olds is regarded among aviation historians, and his peers, as the best wing commander of the Vietnam War, for both his air-fighting skills, and his reputation as a combat leader. Explore Robin Olds Wiki Age, Height, Biography as Wikipedia, Wife, Family relation. He warned that losses would be severe in any resumption of aerial combat. On that date, Colonel Olds led his strike force of eight F-4C aircraft against a key railroad and highway bridge in North Vietnam. American Military Serviceperson Robin Olds was born Robert Oldys, Jr. on 14th July, 1922 in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA and passed away on 14th Jun 2007 Steamboat Springs, Colorado, United States aged 84. Despite the drama in his love life, he wanted every loved one to be financially well off after his passing. His father, Maj. Gen. Robert Olds, a World War I combat pilot who helped devise the United States air-power strategy, reared him as a single parent. Near the end of the war, he was one of six P-51 pilots who attacked a German airdrome and found himself the lone survivor. 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. In March 1943, Olds was braced by an officer upon returning from leave in New York City, and compelled on penalty of an honor violation to admit he had consumed alcohol. Postwar after VE-Day, he returned to the States and reverted to his permanent rank: a 23-year-old Captain. Your email address will not be published. The MiG losses were the highest suffered in one day by the North Vietnamese during the war. Olds was aggressive, even mean, as a player, and received offers to attend Virginia Military Institute and Dartmouth College on football scholarships. A 14-aircraft aerial review included four F-4 Phantoms flying a missing man formation. It was thought to be unnecessary. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [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. He was an All-Star player for the West Point Academy football team, a husband and father of two daughters. While pulling hard on the yoke and turning hard left at 90. He never forgot it. [2] He retired in 1973 as a brigadier general . She holds a B.A. Scat XXVII (F-4C-24-MC 64-0829), the plane he flew for his four MiG kills, was retired from operational service and placed on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, with the four red MiG stars representing his four MiG kills in Vietnam painted on the splitter vane of the intake. General Olds has been an inspiration to many people throughout his lifetime. He asserted that his superior at Third Air Force attempted to have him court-martialed, but the commander of USAFE, General Gabriel P. Disosway, instead authorized his removal from command of the 81st TFW, cancellation of a recommended Legion of Merit award, and transfer to the headquarters of the Ninth Air Force at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. Just as Olds began firing, both engines of his P-38 quit from fuel exhaustion; in the excitement of the attack he had neglected to switch to his internal fuel tanks. Admitted her gratitude for her GMA co-anchors in a sea of blonde bombshells, Welch broke the mold of it... Teach tactical warfare and have fighter pilots social media want to live in that.... Every loved one to be financially well off after his passing energized by the new COs attitude. Memoir will confirm all the amazing stories about this legendary fighter pilot who served both! In 1968, Olds was born on July 14, 1922, in an open biplane. 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