He kept me. It was never threatening, always gentle and optimistic, like a loving father giving guidance to his son. Robinson Risner was born on January 16, 1925 in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, USA. Risner shut down his own engine in an attempt to save fuel, but eventually his engine flamed out and he glided to a deadstick landing at Kimpo. 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. Risner's determination to be assigned to a combat unit was nearly ended when on his last day before going overseas he broke his hand and wrist falling from a horse. Buried Arlington National Cemetery Allegiance United States Service/branch United States Army Air Forces United States Air Force Years of service 1943-1946 1951-1976 Rank Donations made to the CALS Foundation are tax-deductible for United States federal income tax purposes. 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. On the afternoon of April 3, the strike package of Rolling Thunder Mission 9 Alpha consisted of 79 aircraft, including 46 F-105s. [7], On September 15, Risner's flight escorted F-84 Thunderjet fighter-bombers attacking a chemical plant on the Yalu River near the East China Sea. [10] Tactics were revised in which "Hunter-Killer Teams" were created. Other special honorees included Serena Williams, who was honored with the Jackie Robinson Sports Award. [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. He 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. 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. The 2023 NAACP Image Awards also honored Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade, recipients of the President's Award. "[2], Risner was born in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, in 1925,[3] but moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1931. Summarize this article for a 10 years old. In civilian life, Risner tried a succession of jobs, training as an auto mechanic, operating a gas station, and managing a service garage. Later that same month, Robbie was featured on the cover of Time magazine. 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. An identical casting, measuring four feet and weighing 300 pounds, was installed in the foyer of the USAF Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base in October 1984. In the course of the operation, Colonel Risner's unit encountered the first MIG force committed in aerial combat against the U.S. Risner was buried at Arlington National Cemetery on January 23, 2014, with fellow former POWs and current members of the 336th Fighter Squadron among those in attendance. 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. He radioed Joe to shut down his engine. Grumbach, Doris (March 16, 1974). During the Korean War, Risner was also awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions on August 5, 1952, receiving an Oak Leaf Cluster to that award for exploits on September 5, 1952, and a second Oak Leaf Cluster for heroism on January 21, 1953. He maneuvered his aircraft over the Gulf of Tonkin, ejected a mile offshore, and was rescued after fifteen minutes in the water. Risner retired as a brigadier general in 1976. Risners first marriage ended in divorce. . Heavy ground fire struck Risner's F-105 in its air intakes when he popped up over a hill to make his attack. [21] Initial attempts to locate and destroy the SA-2 Guideline sites, known as Iron Hand missions, were both unsuccessful and costly. [7] Risner was often assigned to fly F-86E-10, AF serial no. [9][n 2] Scoring numerous hits on the MiG, shooting off its canopy, and setting it on fire, Risner chased it between hangars of the Communist airbase, where he shot it down into parked fighters. Other articles related to "legacy ": X86 . His wingman Capt. 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 . [3] In addition to a love of sports, Risner's interests were primarily in riding horses and motorcycles.[1]. [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. His second wife, Dorothy Risner, was the widow of an American soldier who died in the war. Risner flew the Spirit of St. Louis II on Lindberghs same route, completing the flight in one-fifth of the time it took the earlier flier and establishing a new transatlantic record of six hours and thirty-seven minutes. Lyndon B Johnson Cup. 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 . James R. Risner. In his words: To make it, I prayed by the hour. Timothy A. Kinnan in 1977. For additional information: Thompson, Warren E., and McLaren, David R. (2002). When the squadron was relocated to Howard Field in the Panama Canal Zone in January 1945 to transition to P-38 Lightning fighters, its pilots were soon banned from the Officers Club for rowdiness and vandalism.[5]. Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Archives (1985). Colonel Risner's actions not only deprived the communist force of its vital supply route and much needed equipment but further served to emphasize the high degree of U.S. determination in Southeast Asia. The downed aircraft was the first F-105 lost to hostile fire in Southeast Asia, but the pilot, Capt. (1925 - 2013) (RIP) James Rob. 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. Following the war, in 1957, he was chosen to fly an F-100F Super Sabre to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of Charles Lindberghs ground-breaking transatlantic flight. Robinson deliberately concealed the injury, which would have grounded him, until able to convince a flight surgeon that the injury had healed. On Feb. 12, 1973, he was among the first group of prisoners to be released from North Vietnam. Risner spent more than three years in solitary confinement. He became an ace by shooting down eight enemy MiG fighters. Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions: U.S. prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. His story of being imprisoned drew wide acclaim after that war's end. In a brief dogfight, Risner shot down one to score his first aerial victory. [2], The 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). On one occasion, Risner became lost in the fringes of a hurricane on a flight to Brownsville, Texas. Risner is one of only four airmen with multiple awards of the Air Force Cross, a combat decoration second only to the Medal of Honor. About; Blog; Contact Us; . 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. He flew nearly every weekend, and on one occasion, became lost in the fringes of a hurricane on a flight to Brownsville, Texas. 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. Celebs. [15], In July 1956, he was transferred to George Air Force Base, California as operations officer of the 413th Fighter Wing. Risner and Shaw became engaged on a ship and were discharged and married the next month. In his book, Risner attributes faith in God and prayer as being instrumental to his surviving the Hanoi prison experience. During their defense of the bombers, Risner's flight overflew the MiG base at Antung Airfield, China. Risner was born in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, but moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1931. Courtesy of the National Air and Space Museum. Robinson Risner, Self: Return with Honor. He died on October 22, 2013 in Bridgewater, Virginia, USA. The day after his arrival, he returned to Korea when he learned that MiGs were operational. Gen. James Robinson Risner. Risner's wingman was shot down in the opening pass, and the mission was in danger of collapsing when Risner took charge. 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. SHOULD READ : After two attempts, Risner was forced to discontinue when leaking fuel and hydraulic fluid covered his canopy and threatened to stall his own engine. With (Captain James) Stockdale we had wisdom. On the afternoon of April 3, the strike package of Rolling Thunder Mission 9 Alpha consisted of 79 aircraft, including 46 F-105s. 60 seconds . He flew a combined 163 combat missions, was shot down twice, and was credited with destroying eight MiG-15s. 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. He was promoted to brigadier general in May 1974. The one time she was way off was about the prisoner of war in North Vietnam, Robinson Risner. LBJ Cup . Martin, Douglas. Risner . He had been beaten up and starved, thrown for months into a dark cell crawling with rats, held immobile with his legs pinned in stocks, and strapped with ropes so tightly that his right arm was torn from its socket. Campbell, John M., and Hill, Michael (1996). [n 1] During their defense of the bombers, Risner's flight overflew the MiG base at Antung Airfield, China. He was a guiding presence, a behavior yardstick, and he managed to achieve this without direct contact. In June 1975, Risner was divorced from his wife Kathleen after 29 years of marriage. 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. Risner in 1973 after being released as a POW by the North Vietnamese, Risner's call sign this date was "John Red Lead". In October 1952 Risner was promoted to major and named operations officer of the 336th FIS. With (Captain James) Stockdale we had wisdom. He was forced to eject when the aircraft, on fire, pitched up out of control. Colonel Risner initiated the attack, directing his aircraft into the target in the face of heavy automatic ground fire. He kept me. James Robinson Risner was a man of humble origins, son of an Arkansas sharecropper, educated at secondary school level, not particularly ambitious, a common man save for two things: He could fly the hell out of an airplane; and, under terribly difficult circumstances as a Prisoner of War in North Vietnam, he rose to a level of heroic leadership matched by few men in American military history. The retired brigadier general was 88-years-old. Youll know when you get there. And concluded: And pray; if you havent been, start. He was eulogized by Perot and General Welsh with fellow former POWs and current members of the 336th Fighter Squadron among those in attendance. 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 (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. [12] Risner shut down his own engine in an attempt to save fuel, but eventually his engine flamed out and he glided to a deadstick landing at Kimpo. Creating an account gives you access to all these features. When the Russian wondered if they might have met in combat, Risner replied, No, way. 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. While undergoing hospital treatment in the Army, he met his first wife, Kathleen Shaw, a nurse from Ware Shoals, South Carolina. 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. New York: Random House, 1973. 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. At his passing, Air Force Chief of Staff General Mark A. Welsh III observed: "Brig. (Campbell and Hill, p. 90), Risner was "Oak Lead" on September 16, 1965, flying F-105D 61-0217. However, he refused to be diverted from his primary mission of completing the destruction of the assigned targets. & 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. [10][13][14], Risner was commissioned into the Regular Air Force and assigned to the 50th Fighter-Bomber Wing at Clovis Air Force Base, New Mexico, in March 1953, where he became operations officer of the 81st Fighter Bomber Squadron. He was among the first group of American prisoners released from captivity, on February 12, 1973, and pronounced himself ready to fly again after three good meals and a good nights sleep. Risner received the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal and the POW Medal for his actions while in captivity. It was no accident that the statue was nine-feet tall. James Robinson "Robbie" Risner : Rank, Service: Brigadier General O-7, U.S. Air Force. When it would get so bad that I did not think I could stand it, I would ask God to ease it and somehow I would make it. He flew his badly damaged aircraft over heavily fortified hostile territory before successfully landing at a friendly airfield. When the squadron was relocated to Howard Field in the Panama Canal Zone in January 1945 to transition to P-38 Lightning fighters, its pilots were soon banned from the Officers Club for rowdiness and vandalism.[4]. He next served on the joint staff of Commander-in-Chief, Pacific (CINCPAC) in Hawaii.[15]. The idea was to push the plane to reach the United Nations rescue base of Cho Do. Risner was later transferred to Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico as Commander of the 832d Air Division in February 1974 and flew the F-111 fighter-bomber. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993. Forces in Southeast Asia. If you can, provide 1-2 sources of information backing up this correction. 72201. At his death, Air Force Chief of Staff General Mark A. Welsh III observed: "Brig. [44] He later moved to Bridgewater, Virginia. He somehow conveyed to his fellow POWs that it was the right thing to do in order to survive with dignity and honor. [28] He was on his 55th combat mission at the time. He wrestled for Tulsa Central High School, where he graduated in 1942. It was automatic, almost subconscious. 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. The force had clear conditions but encountered a severe glare in the target area that made the bridge difficult to acquire for attacks with the Bullpups. For more information, contact 501-918-3025 orcalsfoundation@cals.org. H&S's and Risner's accounts "differ radically". He flew a combined 163 combat missions, was shot down twice, and was credited with destroying eight MiG-15s. 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