Although Logan came down close to shore and was a strong swimmer, he became entangled in his parachute shrouds and drowned. Rob was born about 1948 and died January 25, 1975 in Oklahoma City, victim of a chronic lung condition. In addition to his two Air Force Crosses and two Silver Stars, his decorations included the Distinguished Service Medal, three awards of the Distinguished Flying Cross and two Bronze Star Medals. In June 1975, Risner was divorced from his wife Kathleen after 29 years of marriage. Martin, Douglas. In October, Robinson Risner was promoted to Major and named Operations Officer of the 336th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron. He would participate in reunions of airmen, and at one in the 1990s he met a Russian MiG pilot who had served in Korea. He next served on the joint staff of Commander-in-Chief, Pacific (CINCPAC) in Hawaii. However, after two weeks he was moved to Cu Loc Prison, known as "The Zoo", where he was confronted during interrogations with his Time Magazine cover and told that his capture had been highly coveted by the North Vietnamese. Forces in Southeast Asia. Through his extraordinary heroism, leadership, and aggressiveness in the face of the enemy, General Risner reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force. During their defense of the bombers, Risner's flight overflew the MiG base at Antung Airfield, China. James R. Risner. [3], Risner had a religious upbringing as a member of the 1st Assembly of God Church. Risner retired as a brigadier general in 1976. He died on October 22, 2013 in Bridgewater, Virginia, USA. James Robinson "Robbie" Risner (January 16, 1925 October 22, 2013) was a Brigadier General, fighter pilot in the United States Air Force, and a senior leader among U.S. prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. When he passed the tough entrance exam for pilot training by one point, his future aloft was set. Tags: Topics: Question 47 . After the war, he joined the Oklahoma Air National Guard, which was federalized during the Korean War, during which Risner flew 108 missions in F-86 Sabrejets. He flew nearly every weekend, and on one occasion, became lost in the fringes of a hurricane on a flight to Brownsville, Texas. Local man to be inducted into the Arkansas Military H.O.F. Schudel, Matt. Gender. In a brief dogfight Risner shot down one to score his first "kill", on August 5, 1952. Risner was recalled to active duty in February 1951 while assigned to the 185th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the OKANG at Will Rogers Field in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. "We were lucky to have Risner. Then, in the most unlikely circumstances, came true greatness. His second wife, Dorothy Risner, was the widow of an American soldier who died in the war. His second Air Force Cross wasnt pinned to his chest until after he returned from the prison camp when it was awarded for his leadership as a POW. Only one Bullpup could be guided at a time, and on his second pass, Risner's aircraft took a hit just as the missile struck the bridge. [4] he also joined the Oklahoma Air National Guard, becoming an F-51 Mustang pilot. [3] In addition to a love of sports, Risner's interests were primarily in riding horses and motorcycles.[1]. Employed at low altitudes, the "hunters" located the missiles and attacked their radar control vans with canisters of napalm, both to knock out the SAM's missile guidance and to mark the target for the "killers", which followed up the initial attack using 750-pound bombs to destroy the site. His aerial skill and heroic actions set an example for the others to follow. [3] Risner worked numerous part-time jobs in his youth to help the family, including newspaper delivery, errand boy and soda jerk for a drug store,[1] for the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce at age 16, as a welder, and for his father polishing cars. James Robinson "Robbie" Risner (born January 16, 1925)[1] was a general officer and professional fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. [24] He was on his 55th combat mission at the time. [16], In August 1964, Lieutenant Colonel Risner took command of the 67th Tactical Fighter Squadron, an F-105D Thunderchief fighter-bomber unit based at Kadena AB, Okinawa, and part of the 18th Tactical Fighter Wing. Robbie Risner was born on January 16, 1925, in Mammoth Spring, the son of sharecroppers Grover W. Risner and Lora Grace Robinson Risner. Heavy ground fire struck Risner's F-105 in its air intakes when he popped up over a hill to make his attack. [34], An interview with Risner appears in the 1968 4-chapter East German series Piloten im Pyjama by Walter Heynowski and Gerhard Scheumann. Gen. James Robinson Risner . Guards stormed into the cellblock and hauled Risner and two other organizers to certain torture. (Risner, p. 10; Campbell and Hill, p. 87), Ironically, Risner's portrait was featured that month in a, Kiernan said of McCarthy herself: "She just about always had the right position. Other special honorees included Serena Williams, who was honored with the Jackie Robinson Sports Award. Forced to land on a dry lakebed, he found that he was in Mexico and encountered bandits, but successfully flew his Mustang to Brownsville after the storm had passed. Through turbulence and with leaking oil splattering his cockpit canopy,he pushed Logans powerless plane until they were beyond enemy territory and within reach of U.S. troops. [32] He was a POW for seven years, four months, and 27 days. It was a reminder of the generals strong leadership among the POWs. Thank you for pointing this out. On 10 March 2018, Risner was named the Class Exemplar for the United States Air Force Academy's Class of 2021. Risner received two Silver Stars for his heroics and was one of only four airmen in history to receive more than one Air Force Cross, second only to the Medal of Honor for wartime heroism. [22], On the morning of September 16, 1965, on an Iron Hand mission, Risner flew F-105D 61-0217 as the "hunter" element of a Hunter-Killer Team searching for a SAM site in the vicinity of Tuong Loc, 80 miles south of Hanoi and 10 miles northeast of the Thanh Hoa Bridge. On Feb. 12, 1973, he was among the first group of prisoners to be released from North Vietnam. [28][31], Risner spent more than three years in solitary confinement. He was the first living recipient of the medal,. Morrocco, John, and Manning, Robert (1984). On 1 August 1975, he became Vice Commander of the USAF Tactical Fighter Weapons Center at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada and retired from the Air Force on 1 August 1976. This page was last edited on 25 December 2022, at 21:40. New York: Random House, 1973. Double ACE and prisoner of war in Vietnam. He was forced to eject when the aircraft, on fire, pitched up out of control. [26] Again he attempted to fly to the Gulf of Tonkin, but ejected when the aircraft, on fire, pitched up out of control. Early in the air war over North Vietnam, Robinson Risner led the first flight of Operation Rolling Thunder, a high-intensity aerial bombing of North Vietnam. Campbell, John M., and Hill, Michael (1996). Shot down again on September 16, 1965, he was captured and held as a. Obituary from the. As a leader of the POWs, Risner set up committees, assigned tasks and helped set up communication systems through tapping, scraping walls and even coughing. (Tillman, "Frances Kiernan"). He was the fifth of seven children. Through his extraordinary heroism, superb airmanship and aggressiveness, Colonel Risner reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force. This project is funded in part by a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan grant award. On Feb. 12, 1973, he was among the first group of prisoners to be released from North Vietnam. Little Rock, AR. [18] He was part of the first group of prisoners released in Operation Homecoming on 12 February 1973 and returned to the United States. He was captured by North Vietnamese while still trying to extricate himself from his parachute. Following being shot down a second time and then captured, his arrival in the old French dungeons of Hanoi began the trial of his life, but also the leadership role that would be his legacy. [28] He was a POW for seven years, four months, and 27 days. His autobiography, The Passing of the Night: My Seven Years as a Prisoner of the North Vietnamese, describes seven years of torture and mistreatment by the North Vietnamese. [10] His mother and brother died while he was still a P.O.W. Wingman Joe Logan bailed out over water and became entangled in his parachute cords, however, drowning before rescuers could reach him. Risner then said, Learn the tap code, and heres how it works, memorize it, and practice it, its vital. Adding, Eat everything they give you, no matter how disgusting; itll keep you alive. He maneuvered his aircraft over the Gulf of Tonkin, ejected a mile offshore and was rescued after fifteen minutes in the water. Robinson Risner, Air Force Ace and POW, Dies at 88. Washington Post, October 29, 2013. The CALS Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization. Because of the Time cover story, he would become one of the highest-profile U.S. prisoners of the Vietnam War. On these dates Colonel Risner led two successive operations against vitally important and heavily defended targets. Risner became an ace in the Korean War, and commanded a squadron of F-105 Thunderchiefs in the first missions of Operation Rolling Thunder in 1965. He flew his badly damaged aircraft over heavily fortified hostile territory before successfully landing at a friendly airfield. [16] The following January he led a detachment of seven aircraft to Da Nang Air Base to fly combat strikes which included a mission in Laos on January 13 where he and his pilots were later on decorated for destroying a bridge, but Risner was also verbally reprimanded for losing an aircraft while bombing a second bridge not authorized by his orders. [32] Risner made no rebuttal at the time, but when interviewed 20 years later, termed it "character assassination", a charge supported by several of McCarthy's liberal peers. Copyright 2003-2021. In 1965 the facilities at Korat RTAFB were still primitive and the Air Force living area was referred to as "Camp Nasty.". "[2], Risner in 1973 after being released as a POW by the North Vietnamese. He received an unofficial rebuke from the American embassy for flying an armed fighter into the sovereign territory of a foreign nation, but for diplomatic reasons, the flight was officially ignored.[6]. He flew F-86s with the 50th Wing to activate Hahn Air Base, West Germany, where he became commander of the 81st Fighter-Bomber Squadron in November 1954. "[37], Perot helped Risner later become the Executive Director of the Texans' War on Drugs, and Risner was consequently appointed by President Ronald Reagan as a United States Delegate to the fortieth session of the United Nations General Assembly. One Year After Saigon's Fall, Eight Ex-P.O.W.s Try to Cope with a Changing U.S. Obituary For: Brigadier General Robinson Risner, "USAF Weapons School Robbie Risner Award", "Nomination of United States Representatives and Alternate Representatives to the 40th Session of the United Nations General Assembly", Celebrated pilot and Vietnam POW dies at 88. But Robbies repeated requests for combat duty were ignored by the Armys personnel system, and he spent the rest of the war defending the Panama Canal. James Robinson Risner Jr. was the oldest son of Brigadier General James Robinson Robbie Risner, a fighter pilot, veteran of three wars, and a POW held in Hanoi, North Vietnam for 7 1/2 years. One of 'em is 9 feet tall and headed west in full afterburner. [28] He was on his 55th combat mission at the time. a brigadier general in 1976. Risner was able to re-establish contact and guide the powerless plane out over the sea until fluids threatened to stall his own engine. It was automatic, almost subconscious. . Risner is the first living recipient of the Air Force's highest award, the Air Force Cross, which he received twice. About; Blog; Contact Us; . He completed transition training in P-40 Warhawk and P-39 Airacobra fighters before being assigned to the 30th Fighter Squadron in Panama. She went out of her way to attack him." Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! Can you list the top facts and stats about Robbie Risner? program[21] and raised quarter horses, and later in San Antonio. Returned to Ha L Prison as punishment for disseminating behavior guidelines to the POWs under his nominal command, Risner was severely tortured for 32 days, culminating in his coerced signing of an apologetic confession for war crimes. Risner is a double recipient of the Air Force Cross, the second highest military decoration for valor that can be awarded to a member of the United States Air Force. Risner enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces as an aviation cadet in April 1943 and attended flight training at Williams Field, Arizona, where he was awarded his pilot wings and a commission as 2nd Lieutenant in May 1944. Has been corrected. In civilian life, Risner tried a succession of jobs, training as an auto mechanic, operating a gas station, and managing a service garage. Gen. James Robinson "Robbie" Risner was part of that legendary group who served in three wars, built an Air Force, and gave us an enduring example of courage and mission success Today's Airmen know we stand on the shoulders of giants. The missions saw the first interception of U.S. air attacks by North Vietnamese MiG-17 fighters, resulting in the loss of two of Risner's F-105s on April 4.[20]. He also had his right arm ripped from its socket. Risner encouraged resistance among his fellow American captives, urging them to withstand their jailers torture but not to the point of suffering permanent physical or mental disability. Later that same month, Robbie was featured on the cover of Time magazine. [38] Risner made no rebuttal at the time, but when interviewed by Frances Kiernan decades later, Risner described the review as "character assassination", a criticism of McCarthy's treatment supported by several of her liberal peers including Kiernan. He was on his 55th combat mission at the time. Fighting a serious fuel leak and a smoke-filled cockpit in addition to anti-aircraft fire from the ground, he again nursed his crippled aircraft to Danang. Major funding provided by the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation. [18], On March 22, 1965, flying F-105D 624233, Risner was hit by ground fire while leading two flights of F-105s attacking a radar site near Vinh Son. If you can, provide 1-2 sources of information backing up this correction. Postwar peace and return to civilian life brought mundane employment for Robinson Risner as an auto mechanic, a service station manager and a short stint running a service garage. [n 5], Risner's squadron led the first Rolling Thunder strike on March 2, bombing an ammunition dump at Xom Biang approximately 10 miles (16km) north of the Demilitarized Zone. The retired brigadier general was 88-years-old. Special thanks to the Department of Arkansas Heritage. In civilian life, Risner tried a succession of jobs, training as an auto mechanic, operating a gas station, and managing a service garage. Born in Mammoth Springs, Arkansas on Jan. 16, 1925 and raised in a religious family, Robinson Risner made his first critical life choice between attending Bible College or joining the Army Air Forces during World War II. Heavy ground fire struck Risner's F-105 in its air intakes when he popped up over a hill to make his attack. The award is presented annually to the outstanding graduate of the USAF Weapons School, with the first recipient being Capt. James R. Risner. [18][n 4] On February 18, 1965, as part of an escalation in air attacks directed by President Lyndon B. Johnson that resulted in the commencement of Operation Rolling Thunder, the 67th TFS began a tour of temporary duty at Korat RTAFB, Thailand, under the control of the 2d Air Division. [n 8] Risner's aircraft was at very low altitude flying at approximately 600 miles per hour (970km/h),[27] approaching a site that was likely a decoy luring aircraft into a concentration of AAA. In the course of the operation, Colonel Risner's unit encountered the first MIG force committed in aerial combat against the U.S. The two had met, apparently at McCarthy's request,[30] when McCarthy visited Hanoi in April 1968. Risner's exploits earned him an awarding of the Air Force Cross and resulted in his being featured as the cover portrait of the April 23, 1965 issue of Time Magazine. While the Korean War may have been Risners favorite period, it was by no means the most consequential in the lives of others. In the course of the operation, Colonel Risner's unit encountered the first MIG force committed in aerial combat against the U.S. It was his heroics of the Korean War that put Robbie Risners name on the map of aerial warriors of that era and earned him the title of the 20th Ace of the War. He was eulogized by Perot and General Welsh with fellow former POWs and current members of the 336th Fighter Squadron among those in attendance. With Risner we had spirituality. His story of being imprisoned drew wide acclaim after that war's end. [19] After the last strike had been delivered, Risner and the two surviving members of his flight remained in the area, directing the search and rescue mission for Baird until their fuel ran low. Employed at low altitudes, the "hunters" located the missiles and attacked their radar control vans with canisters of napalm, both to knock out the SAM's missile guidance and to mark the target for the "killers", which followed up the initial attack using 750-pound bombs to destroy the site. As soon as he was eligible, he enlisted in the Army Air Forces, having been accepted as an aviation cadet. At his death, Air Force Chief of Staff General Mark A. Welsh III observed: "Brig. In August 1964, Lieutenant Colonel Risner took command of the 67th Tactical Fighter Squadron, an F-105D Thunderchief fighter-bomber unit based at Kadena AB, Okinawa, as part of the 18th Tactical Fighter Wing. On the initial attack, while exposing himself to heavy ground fire, with complete disregard for his personal safety, Colonel Risner's aircraft sustained a direct hit in the left forward bomb-bay area, filling the cockpit with smoke and fumes. Robinson Risner . All Rights Reserved. 51-2824, nicknamed Ohio Mike and bearing a large cartoon rendition of Bugs Bunny as nose art, in which he achieved most of his aerial victories. Robinson Risner, Ace Fighter Pilot, Dies at 88. New York Times, October 28, 2013. He received an unofficial rebuke from the American embassy for flying an armed fighter into the sovereign territory of a foreign nation, but for diplomatic reasons the flight was officially ignored.[5]. Returned to Hoa Loa Prison as punishment for disseminating behavior guidelines to the POWs under his nominal command, Risner was severely tortured for 32 days, culminating in his coerced signing of an apologetic confession for war crimes.[24][27]. The extremely harsh treatment inflicted upon him was to become a way of life for him in the subsequent years. Performing in the role of air coordinator, Colonel Risner arrived over the target area before the main strike force, evaluated the effectiveness of each strike, redirected subsequent strikes, and provided flak suppression against defenses that would hinder delivery aircraft in the performance of their mission. The use of Bullpups against the bridge had been completely ineffectual, resulting in the scheduling of a second mission the next day with 48 F-105s attacking the bridge without destroying it. His autobiography, The Passing of the Night: My Seven Years as a Prisoner of the North Vietnamese, describes seven years of torture and mistreatment by the North Vietnamese. Risner, James Robinson . Air Force Overseas Long Tour Service Ribbon, Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, "Detailed Chronological List, Recipients of the Air Force Cross", http://www.homeofheroes.com/members/02_AFC/detail_index_chron.html, http://www.airforce-magazine.com/MagazineArchive/Pages/1983/December%201983/1283valor.aspx, http://aeroweb.brooklyn.cuny.edu/history/aviators/rrisner.htm, http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0112/14/lkl.00.html, "Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale: Vietnam War Hero and Indomitable Spirit at the Hanoi Hilton", http://www.historynet.com/vice-admiral-james-bond-stockdale-vietnam-war-hero-and-indomitable-spirit-at-the-hanoi-hilton.htm, "USAF Weapons School Robbie Risner Award", http://web.archive.org/web/20120420011921/http://www.aggienetwork.com/uploads/class/newsletters/66%20July%2008.pdf, "Nomination of United States Representatives and Alternate Representatives to the 40th Session of the United Nations General Assembly", http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/1985/91785a.htm, http://www.veterantributes.org/TributeDetail.asp?ID=19, "Eagle Biography: Robinson 'Robbie' Risner", Air University Gathering of Eagles, Dedication of the Risner statue at the Air Force Academy on November 16, 2001, Photograph of Risner statue and its sculptor, Lawrence Ludtke, YouTube (newsreel), "1957 Spirit of St. Louis II Sets Atlantic Record", Articles with dead external links from November 2014, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War, Central High School (Tulsa, Oklahoma) alumni, Recipients of the Air Force Cross (United States), Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States), United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II, Recipients of the Meritorious Service Medal (United States). The missions saw the first interception of U.S. aircraft by North Vietnamese MiG-17 fighters, resulting in the loss of two F-105s and pilots of the last flight, struck by a hit-and-run attack while waiting for their run at the target.[24]. (Davis, p. 46), Another flight member, 1st Lt. Willard P. Dunbar, reported that the MiG pilot was a red-headed Russian who shook his fist at Risner before crashing. James Robinson "Robbie" Risner (January 16, 1925 October 22, 2013) was a Brigadier General, fighter pilot in the United States Air Force, and a senior leader among U.S. prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. James Robinson "Robbie" Risner was born in 1925 in Arkansas, to a sharecropping family struggling to make ends meet. Additional support provided by the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation Inc. Risner was severely tortured for 32 days, resulting in him being coerced into confessing war crimes. Ferrying a two-seat F-100F Super Sabre nicknamed Spirit of St. Louis II to Europe on the same route as Lindbergh, he set a transatlantic speed record, covering the distance in 6 hours and 37 minutes. Risner's squadron was tasked with flak suppression, dropping CBU-2 "cluster bombs" from extremely low altitude. As a lieutenant colonel, Risner was the highest-ranking prisoner at Hoa Lo for most of the nearly eight years he was there and was subjected to particularly brutal treatment, being held in a darkened, solitary cell for three years and shackled for weeks at a time. and his oldest son, Robbie Jr., died two years after his return of a congenital heart defect. When the Korean War began, he wangled his way out of the Oklahoma Air National Guard and arrived in Korea on May 10, 1952, where he was assigned to the 15th Reconnaissance Squadron at Kimpo Air Base. View military histories of over 2 million, If you are a veteran, reconnect with people. The strike force consisted of more than 100 F-105, F-100 and B-57 aircraft, and in the congested airspace, heavy anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) fire seriously disrupted its coordination and radio communications. While undergoing hospital treatment in the Army, he met his first wife, Kathleen Shaw, a nurse from Ware Shoals, South Carolina. [15], During his tour of duty at George Air Force Base, Risner was selected to fly the Charles A. Lindbergh Commemoration Flight from New York to Paris. In June, when the 336th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, also at Kimpo, sought experienced pilots, he arranged a transfer to 4th Fighter Wing through the intervention of a former OKANG associate. Risner, in a battle damaged aircraft, diverted to Da Nang Air Base for landing. James Robinson (Robbie) Risner, a native of Mammoth Spring (Fulton County), was a much-decorated fighter pilot famed for his resistance to his North Vietnamese captors as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War. The 2023 NAACP Image Awards also honored Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade, recipients of the President's Award. [1][n 11], The USAF Weapons School Robbie Risner Award, created September 24, 1976, was donated by H. Ross Perot as a tribute to Risner and all Vietnam era Prisoners of War, and is administered by the Tactical Air Command (now by Air Combat Command). He directed his aircraft over the Gulf of Tonkin, ejected, and was rescued. The Risner Award is a six and one-half foot trophy consisting of a sculpture of Risner in flight suit and helmet on a marble base, weighing approximately four tons. Risner flew 108 missions in Korea and was credited with the destruction of eight MiG-15s, his final victory occurring January 21, 1953. James Robinson "Robbie" Risner (January 16, 1925 - October 22, 2013) was a general and a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force.. During the Vietnam War, Risner was a double recipient of the Air Force Cross, the second highest military decoration for valor that can be awarded to a member of the United States Air Force, awarded the first for valor in aerial combat and . [21] Initial attempts to locate and destroy the SA-2 Guideline sites, known as Iron Hand missions, were both unsuccessful and costly. They remained married until the end of his life, with the two younger of his four surviving sons choosing to live with him and Risner adopting her three youngest children. Online at http://articles.latimes.com/2013/oct/30/local/la-me-robinson-risner-20131031 (accessed December 16, 2017). Jet fuel and hydraulic fluid spewed out from the damaged Sabre onto Risner's canopy, obscuring his vision, and turbulence kept separating the two jets. [17] After the last strike had been delivered, Risner and the two surviving members of his flight remained in the area, directing the Search and Rescue mission that rescued his wingman. [33][34], Risner was released in Operation Homecoming on 12 February 1973 and returned to the United States. Campbell, John M., and Hill, Michael (1996). According to fellow prisoner Charles G. Boyd (who retired as a four-star general), Risner told him his name and asked for his name and rank. (1925 - 2013) (RIP) James Rob. He was a guiding presence, a behavior yardstick, and he managed to achieve this without direct contact. Risner's aircraft was at very low altitude flying at approximately 600mph,[23] approaching a site that was likely a decoy luring aircraft into a concentration of AAA. [38], General Risner received the following awards and decorations:[15][39]. part by a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Sustaining the Humanities through the American . & Latino Voices STARmeter Awards San Diego Comic-Con New York Comic-Con Sundance Film Festival Toronto Int'l Film Festival Awards Central Festival Central All Events. The President of the United States of America, authorized by Title 10, Section 8742, United States Code, takes pleasure in presenting a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Air Force Cross to Lieutenant Colonel James Robinson Risner, United States Air Force, for extraordinary heroism in military operations against an opposing armed force while a Prisoner of War in North Vietnam from 31 October 1965 to 15 December 1965. He became in the eyes of others in the business one of two things: the perfect role model, or just plain crazy. 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