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. Gen. Robin Olds, a "triple ace" fighter pilot of World War II and the Vietnam War. By this time I was traveling in excess of 500mph (800km/h). In Vietnam, he led the Eighth Tactical Fighter Wing, which scored 24 such kills, an unsurpassed total for that conflict. Olds was born Robert Olds Jr. in Honolulu, Hawaii, on July 14, 1922, into an army family and spent much of his boyhood in Hampton, Virginia, where he attended elementary and high school. Throughout his career, he was a staunch advocate for better fighters, better pilot training and new tactics, culminating in the war-winning air-to-air tactics and doctrine of surgical precision bombing that we use today, Gen. T. Michael Moseley, Air Force chief of staff, said in a statement after General Oldss death. Olds used to say that the two best things about World War II were London and Col. Zemke. 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. A later marriage, to Morgan Olds, ended in divorce. Zak is married to Olivia June and they have a son together named McLaurin Clement Williams Mickey for short. [50], The 479th FG converted to the P-51 Mustang in mid-September. Returning to the United States after the war, Olds was assigned at West Point as an assistant football coach for Red Blaik. [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. 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. Five years later, young Robin flew for the first time when his father took him up in an open-cockpit biplane. 367K views 7 years ago The USAF F-4 Phantom II, painted up in the colors of triple ace Robin Olds, performs flybys during the Saturday night airshow at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2015. 1 Squadron at RAF Tangmere and flew the Gloster Meteor. 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). Wife And Net Worth; Gina Cirone : Career, Height, Husband, Age And Net Worth; Age, Net Worth, Boyfriend, Height And Career Of Kendall Long; He retired in 1973 as abrigadier general. Bored after 18 years with her husband, Robin Rinaldi placed an ad seeking casual encounters with new men and women. Robyn Brown was in the credits for just one show. Receiving his wings from Gen. Henry Hap Arnold, Olds graduated from West Point on June 1, 1943, after completing the academys accelerated wartime curriculum. The remainder of his career was spent in non-operational positions, as Commandant of Cadets at the United States Air Force Academy and as an official in the Air Force Inspector General's Office. 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. He became the only person enshrined in both the National Aviation Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame. He considered it a dangerously wasteful effort, as the mill had been hit repeatedly, but its smokestacks had remained standing. In March 1967, he led a strike against a steelworks in North Vietnam. The iconic actor died in 2014. . Says F-4 pilot and novelist Mark Berent, It was well written, as youd expect from Robin, but it wasnt really about him. Robin Olds's income source is mostly from being a successful Actor. [80], On September 30, 1966, Olds took command of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, based at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base. Passed away at 10 o'clock Wednesday night at the Menorah Hospital in Kansas City, following an illness of about a week. Robin Lord Taylor is an American television and film actor, and director. After damaging one of the jets in a chase meant to lure the fighter escort away from the bombers, the Mustangs returned to the bomber stream. [111] They married in Beverly Hills on February 6, 1947, and had: Christina Eloise Olds (1952), formerly married to Eric Newman with whom she has a daughter, Jennifer Olds Newman; Susan Bird Scott-Risner (ne Olds; 19532018), she was married to David Scott-Risner. For math, science, nutrition, history . Retiring to Steamboat Springs, CO, he became active in public affairs. (later Maj. Gen.) Robert Olds and his wife Eloise, who died when Robin was four. [6][7][8] He had one younger brother, Stevan Meigs (19241988), two younger paternal half-brothers, Sterling Meigs "Dusty" (19351995) and Frederick A. He was liberated when the war with Germany ended. To make a wonderfully long story short, they lost.. 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. This led him to be subject to compressibility. 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. Born July 14, 1922, in Honolulu, Hawaii, Robin Olds was the son of then-Capt. [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. You cant teach it. Dressed in a child-size air service uniform, he watched his father testify on Mitchells behalf. Robin Olds Net Worth: Robin Olds is a famous War Hero who has a net worth of $1-5 million. [4], Olds was promoted to brigadier general after returning from Vietnam but did not hold another major command. I was stationed at RAF Bentwaters while Col Olds was the wing commander and Lt Col Chappy James was the DO. Robin Roberts announced she and her longtime partner Amber Laign are marrying in 2023. [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. 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. His Air Force Cross Citation reads: He was a "triple ace", with a combined total of 17victories in World War II and the Vietnam War. He is also remembered for his extravagantly waxed and non-regulation handlebar moustache he wore during his tour in Southeast Asia,. 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. The incident left its mark on Olds such that when he became Commandant of Cadets at the Air Force Academy, use of the Honor Code as an instrument for integrity rather than as a tool for petty enforcement of discipline became a point of emphasis in his administration. At a time when the Air Force was focused on nuclear strategy, General Olds argued for strengthening conventional warfare capabilities. 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. He was a triple ace, with a combined total of 16victories inWorld War IIand theVietnam War. 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. Robin Olds was born in Honolulu, HI on July 14, 1922. The mustache became my silent last word in the verbal battleswith higher headquarters on rules, targets, and fighting the war. Christina Olds, daughter of the late Brig. In his first two dogfights, he was alone with his wingman, having left formation to hunt on his own. 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. The engagement marked the only combat appearance of Sonderkommando Elbe, a German Air Force squadron formed to ram Allied bombers. In addressing newly commissioned officers he said, The airman swears that he will obey the orders of the officers appointed over him. Enshrined in the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2001, Olds later died on June 14, 2007. [40] Olds' crew chief, T/Sgt. [115], In his retirement at Steamboat Springs, Colorado, Olds pursued his love of skiing and served on the city's planning commission. Compute answers using Wolfram's breakthrough technology & knowledgebase, relied on by millions of students & professionals. 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. Olds had a highly publicized career and life, including marriage to Hollywood actress Ella Raines. TogetherWeServed.com Inc. All Rights Reserved | Not a U.S. Government Website. 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. 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. 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. [2] He retired in 1973 as a brigadier general . 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. He was a stepbrother of famed author, Gore Vidal. The canopy came open, followed by General Olds helmet in a high, lofting arc. Zemke was forced to bail out over enemy territory and was captured. 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. General Olds, who in the course of a long career flew 65 kinds of military planes, almost perfectly filled the role of hotshot flier. [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. Olds took to the air war over North Vietnam in an F-4C Phantom he nicknamed "Scat XXVII", in keeping with his previous combat aircraft that all carried the "Scat" name.[87]. ChristinaOlds is the daughter of Robin Olds, an Americanfighter pilotand general officer in theU.S. Air Force. I rolled over on my back, following him and gave him an ineffective burst at long range. The wing had converted to the F101 and he loved to show us what it could do during annual air shows. [66] Later that same year Olds took second place in the Thompson Trophy Race (Jet Division) of the Cleveland National Air Races at Brook Park, Ohio, over the Labor Day weekend. [17], Olds first flew at the age of eight, in an open cockpit biplane operated by his father. This led to his canopy window blowing out due to excess G forces. 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 . As the second plane pulled a full 360 turn, Olds stayed with him. 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. Robin Olds was born in Honolulu. Anyone can read what you share. James flew 78 combat missions into North Vietnam and helped Olds to plan and lead the famed . Susan Bird Olds was born March 12, 1953 in Cornwall, New York to parents Robin Olds and Ella Raines. [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. It was more about people he knew.. He remained in the service as it became the United States Air Force, despite often being at odds with its leadership, and was one of its pioneer jet pilots. As a Colonel, I had to check with some general for permission to visit the latrine., Unlike many pilots who regarded airplanes as tools, Olds could be sentimental about his machines. 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. It was the best assignment I had during my almost 12 years in the USAF. Bailout seemed the logical response, but here's where sentiment got in the way of reason. [71] A lack of aggressiveness and sense of purpose in the wing had led to the change in command (Olds' predecessor had flown only 12 missions during the 10 months the wing had been in combat). Not Robin Olds. [67], Olds went to England under the U.S. Air Force/Royal Air Force Exchange Program in 1948. 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. Robin Olds [1] (July 14, 1922 - June 14, 2007) was an American fighter pilot and general officer in the U.S. Air Force. Robin Olds was previously married to Ella Raines (1947 - 1976).. About. [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. He had . 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. 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. Weighing his options, he decided to risk it all and flat planed. He was popular for being a War Hero. Who Is Robin Olds's Wife? That made him shutter into a high speed stall, the air combat equivalent of locking the brakes. 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. This done, Olds was posted to the 479th Fighter Groups 434th Fighter Squadron with orders for Britain. [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. [89], After an intensive planning, maintenance, and briefing period, the mission was scheduled for January 1, 1967. Olds and Ella Raines separated in 1975 and divorced in 1976. Copied by his men, they referred to them as bulletproof mustaches. 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