Returning to Europe in January 1945, he was promoted to Major the following month on February 9, and received his seventh aerial victory the same day, using his P-51Ds new K-14 gunsight to calculate the deflection and hit a Bf-109 at 450 yards over Magdeburg with his first burst, a result that surprised even Maj. Olds. It seemed that the 38 needed help so I started down. After fatally damaging the Bf 109 he dived away and restarted his engines. Jane Ridley. 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 . General Olds, who in the course of a long career flew 65 kinds of military planes, almost perfectly filled the role of hotshot flier. Robin Olds was born in Honolulu. with Robin McGraw," the 66-year-old admitted that she did have a cosmetic procedure a few years back, just not a face-lift. [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. Despite the drama in his love life, he wanted every loved one to be financially well off after his passing. Naturally he wanted to follow in their footsteps. He was born on July 14, 1922 and his birthplace is Honolulu, HI. The Focke Wulf zoomed up and the pilot bailed out. He flew with his father aboard an open cockpit biplane when he was just eight years old. He also reasoned that the drag of the pod would both degrade the performance characteristics of the F-4 while not gaining it any advantage against the more maneuverable MiG-17s and MiG-21s, result in unnecessary losses strafing worthless targets, and reduce the number of bombs carried by the Phantoms, the delivery of which was the 8th's primary mission.[102]. [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. He became the only person enshrined in both the National Aviation Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame. She holds a B.A. 39 Robin Olds Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images FILTERS CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO 39 Robin Olds Premium High Res Photos Browse 39 robin olds stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. [94], The President of the United States of America, authorized by Title 10, Section 8742, United States Code, takes pleasure in presenting the Air Force Cross to Colonel Robin Olds (AFSN: 0-26046), United States Air Force, for extraordinary heroism in military operations against an opposing armed force while serving as Strike Mission Commander in the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, Ubon Royal Thai Air Base, Thailand, against the Paul Doumer Bridge, a major north-south transportation link on Hanoi's Red River in North Vietnam, on 11 August 1967. 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 left the 81st in 1965 after forming an aerial demonstration team without command authorization. After suggesting the idea to Seventh Air Force commander Major General William Momyer, himself a former commander of the 8th TFW, Olds was directed to plan a mission designed to draw the North Vietnamese Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21s into an aerial trap, and "Operation Bolo" resulted. And even as a commanding officer, he made a point of placing himself on the flight schedule as a rookie pilot under officers his junior. [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]. For his performance, he was awarded the Air Force Cross. From dead astern, he fired a five-second burst and observed many hits. Not that Olds needed any rejuvenating, but the group had plodded along in pedestrian fashion. The 81st TFW was a major combat unit in United States Air Forces Europe, having both a tactical nuclear and conventional bombing role supporting NATO. Robin Olds (July 14th, 1922 - June 14th, 2007) was an American fighter pilot and general officer in the U.S. Air Force. Bored after 18 years with her husband, Robin Rinaldi placed an ad seeking casual encounters with new men and women. He was assigned duties as operations officer of the 434th Fighter squadron. [89], The F-4s and their crews, however, proved equal to the situation and claimed seven MiG-21s destroyed, almost half of the 16 then in service with the VPAF without loss to USAF aircraft. 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. 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. Glen A. Wold, said that he showed an immediate interest in aircraft maintenance and learned emergency servicing under Wold. Like the rest of the Air Force, it had barely broken even with Hanois MiGs, peaking at a 2-1 exchange rate. Gen. Robin Olds, a "triple ace" fighter pilot of World War II and the Vietnam War. Olds., National War College, P-38J aircraft, P-51 Mustang, P-51 pilots, P-51D's, P-80 Shooting Star, Palm Springs, Robert Olds, Robin Olds, Royal Canadian Air Force, SR-71 Blackbird, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Air Force-Royal Air Force, U.S. Army Air Forces, United States, United States Air Force, US Air Force Academy, USAF, World War II. Colonel Olds' Air Force assignments took Susan and her family to South Carolina, England, North Africa, Washington D.C,. His reputation as a superbly skilled fighter pilot and outstanding leader continues to inspire active duty, retired and aspiring pilots and air crews alike. [118], Days later, on July 21, 2001, Olds was enshrined at Dayton, Ohio, in the National Aviation Hall of Fame Class of 2001, along with test pilot Joe H. Engle, Marine Corps ace Marion E. Carl, and Albert Lee Ueltschi. Robin taught her to drive on the Academy grounds and ride horses at the equestrian center. It was the best assignment I had during my almost 12 years in the USAF. [39] Olds flew a new P-38J Lightning that he nicknamed Scat II. Gen. Robin Olds' legacy runs far deeper than a mustache. As a result, SAM attacks shifted to the Phantoms, which were unprotected because of a shortage of pods. [21], As a plebe, Olds played football on a freshman squad that began the season with three losses but finished 341 while the varsity won only one game in its second consecutive losing season. Gen. Robin Olds once said his magnificent mustache represented his defiance. He was a 2001 inductee of the National Aviation Hall of. Apparently resented by many on the staff for his rapid rise in rank and plethora of combat decorations,[61] Olds transferred in February 1946 to the 412th Fighter Group at March Field, California, to fly the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star, which began a career-long professional struggle with superiors he viewed as more promotion- than warrior-minded. 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. Olds next became commander of the 81st Tactical Fighter Wing at RAF Bentwaters, England, a McDonnell F-101 Voodoo fighter-bomber wing, on September 8, 1963. Five years later, young Robin flew for the first time when his father took him up in an open-cockpit biplane. I tried to contact the flight to get myself recognized, but observed an Me 109 making a pass at me from about seven o'clock high. US Air Force Brigadier General. Upon return to the U.S., Olds was acclaimed as Americas top gun of the war to date, a record he retained for the next five years. Your orders have to be legal and proper. [75] Following his Pentagon assignment, Olds attended the National War College in Washington D.C., graduating in 1963. GOOD Morning America star Robin Roberts has admitted her gratitude for her GMA co-anchors in a new post on social media. General Olds received many medals, including the Air Force Cross, the branchs second-highest decoration. He served as commandant of cadets for three years and sought to restore morale in the wake of a major cheating scandal. 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. Promoted to brigadier general on June 1, 1968, he worked to restore pride in the school after a large cheating scandal had blackened its reputation. [89], After an intensive planning, maintenance, and briefing period, the mission was scheduled for January 1, 1967. I was assigned to Base Operations and they were both frequent visitors. 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. Years later, Wetterhahn compared Olds arrival with that of Brig. A woman named Robyn appeared as a model back in 1997 on the series Just Shoot Me. For math, science, nutrition, history . Robin Olds was previously married to Ella Raines (1947 - 1976).. About. [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. Legendary British Singer Robin Gibb was a doting father who dearly wanted to be present in his kids' lives. That fall, he was sent back to Southeast Asia to report on the combat readiness of USAF units in the region. [80], On September 30, 1966, Olds took command of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, based at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base. A stunning success, Operation Bolo effectively eliminated the MiG threat for most of the spring of 1967. When the 479ths first commander was shot down in August 1944, Hub Zemke moved over from the fabled 56th Fighter Group and rejuvenated the Mighty Eighths last fighter outfit. Brigadier General Robin Olds' next assignment was as Commandant of . John Darrell Sherwood, in his book Fast Movers: Jet Pilots and the Vietnam Experience,[4] posits that Olds' heavy drinking hurt his post-Vietnam career. Robin Roberts is an anchor on ABC's Good Morning America. It was thought to be unnecessary. Instagram/RobinRobertsGMAGMA's Robin Roberts flaunted her figure in a tight pink dress with sexy lace[/caption] Instagram/RobinRobertsGMARobin's dress was the color of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. He did win admission, and played for the renowned coach Red Blaik, compiling so stellar a record as a tackle on both offense and defense that in 1985 he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. [67], Olds went to England under the U.S. Air Force/Royal Air Force Exchange Program in 1948. [53], After returning to the United States for a two-month leave, Olds began a full second tour at Wattisham on January 15, 1945. [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. Advertisement. 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. In February 1946, Olds obtained a transfer to the 412th Fighter Group at March Field, California, and trained on the P-80 Shooting Star. By Kayla Keegan Updated: Jan 4, 2023. 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. 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. He is survived by two daughters, Christina Olds of Vail, Colo., and Susan Scott-Risner of North Bend, Wash.; a half-brother, Fred Olds of Virginia Beach; and a granddaughter, Jennifer Newman of Santa Monica, Calif. General Olds once said his magnificent mustache represented his defiance. He remained in this role for much of the Korean War despite repeated requests for combat duty. Robin Gibb left behind $35 million in his estate for his wife Dwina Gibb and kids Robin . TogetherWeServed.com Inc. All Rights Reserved | Not a U.S. Government Website. He passed right over me and I slipped over in an Immelmann. He chandelled steeply to the left and I shot some more. [89], On May 4, Olds destroyed another MiG-21 over Phc Yn. 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. He had . 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 . [37], Olds was promoted to first lieutenant on December 1, 1943. Christina Olds is the daughter of Robin Olds, an American fighter pilot and general officer in the U.S. Air Force. He retired in 1973 as a brigadier general. By this time I was traveling in excess of 500mph (800km/h). Copyright 2003-2021. Zak has shared photos of them all together on Instagram, including in the post seen here in which he wished his wife and son a happy Valentine's Day. [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. 28 Feb 2023 16:56:21 He was a "triple ace", with a combined total of 16 victories in World War II and the Vietnam War. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Ralph Wetterhahn, a future MiG killer. Olds logged 650hours of flying time during training, including 250hours in the P-38 Lightning, as the 479th built its proficiency as a combat group. Robin Olds, known for his brash personality, became an endearing figure thanks to his leadership, forward-thinking in aerial warfare and love for fellow Air Force pilots. Robin Olds, a retired Air Force brigadier general renowned for his exploits as a fighter pilot in World War II and Vietnam, has died at 84. Olds decided to leave the Air Force when the offer was refused (he was offered another inspection tour instead) and he retired on June 1, 1973. The unit was under the command of then-Col. Robin Olds, who James knew from working at the Pentagon. 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. Yet every confrontation America faced in the Cold War years was a 'bombs and bullets' situation, raging under an uneasy nuclear standoff." The Vietnam War "proved the need to teach tactical warfare and have fighter pilots. 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. The TV anchor said that she and her girlfriend of 23 years would walk down the aisle this year. He was active in public speaking, making 21 events as late in his life as 2005 and 13 in 2006. His mother, Eloise Karine Oldys (ne Wichman; 18961926), died when Robin was four and he was raised by his father. [38], The 479th began combat on May 26, flying bomber escort missions and attacking transportation targets in occupied France in advance of the invasion of Normandy. Shifting to Smiths Eastern Air Defense Command, Olds languished in several staff assignments until receiving an assignment to the 86th Fighter-Interceptor Wing at Landstuhl Air Base, Germany in 1955. He considered it a dangerously wasteful effort, as the mill had been hit repeatedly, but its smokestacks had remained standing. He retired in 1973 as abrigadier general. 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. I was the only one to return homeWhen I tested the stall characteristics of my wounded bird over our home airfield, I found it quit flying at a little over 175mph (282km/h) indicated and rolled violently into the dead wing (note: the right flap had been blown away and two large holes knocked in the same wing). [60] He flew his final combat mission over North Vietnam on September 23, 1967. [62][78], In September 1966, Olds was tapped to command an McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom wing in Southeast Asia. Fogerty, Ronald P. (editor, 1953), USAF Historical Study 91: Millard Preparatory School for West Point, National Museum of the United States Air Force, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, Vietnam Air Force Distinguished Service Order, "Eloise Wichman Oldys (1896-1926) - Find A Grave", "MG Robert Olds (1896-1943) - Find A Grave Memorial", Official Register of the Officers and Cadets, United States Military Academy, For the Academic Year Ending June 30, 1943, "USAF Historical Study 85: USAF Credits for Destruction of Enemy Aircraft, World War II", "Airman Exemplars: Gen Daniel "Chappie" James, Jr", "Robin Olds: An Unconventional Man's Fight for Conventional Warfare", "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement", "Memorial Service for Brigadier General Robin Olds", "Legendary fighter pilot Robin Olds dies", USAF in SEA: Aces and Aerial Victories 19651973 No. At 6feet 2inches in height (1.88m) and weighing 205pounds (92kg), he played tackle on both offense and defense, lettering both seasons. 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