Risner is the first living recipient of the Air Force's highest award, the Air Force Cross, which he received twice. 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. [21][22][23][n 7], On April 3 and 4, 1965, Risner led two large missions against the Thanh Ha Bridge in North Vietnam. Risner, in a battle damaged aircraft, diverted to Da Nang Air Base for landing. He became an ace by shooting down eight enemy MiG fighters. "[47], Perot helped Risner to later become the Executive Director of the Texans' War on Drugs, and Risner was subsequently appointed by President Ronald Reagan as a United States Delegate to the fortieth session of the United Nations General Assembly. I did not ask God to take me out of it. [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. 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. About; Blog; Contact Us; . Double ACE and prisoner of war in Vietnam. The couple raised their combined six children together. Risner, Robinson. He was forced to eject when the aircraft, on fire, pitched up out of control. "[2], Risner in 1973 after being released as a POW by the North Vietnamese. [5] He also joined the Oklahoma Air National Guard, becoming a P-51 Mustang pilot and flew nearly every weekend. Perhaps his greatest act of rebellion was the organization of a forbidden church service in 1971. James Robinson "Robbie" Risner (born January 16, 1925) was a general officer and professional fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. He subsequently received training in the F-80 Shooting Star at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. 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. He kept me. http://www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/105823/brigadier-general-robinson-risner/ (accessed December 16, 2017). Robinson Risner was born on January 16, 1925 in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, USA. [8][10][11][n 3], On the return flight, Risner's wingman, 1st Lt. Joseph Logan, was struck in his fuel tanks by anti-aircraft fire over Antung. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993. [7], Risner arrived in Korea on May 10, 1952, assigned to the 15th Reconnaissance Squadron at Kimpo Air Base. 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 they did, the 40 or so men in their cellblock burst into The Star-Spangled Banner. The other six cellblocks also erupted in the national anthem as the three were marched off. One of 'em is 9 feet tall and headed west in full afterburner. He was captured by North Vietnamese while still trying to extricate himself from his parachute. [15] 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 at Korat RTAFB, Thailand, under the control of the 2nd Air Division. The downed aircraft was the first F-105 lost to hostile fire in Southeast Asia, but the pilot, Capt. He also became a P-51 Mustang pilot in the Oklahoma Air National Guard. SHOULD READ : 2023 Encyclopedia of Arkansas. 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. 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. 16 of those carried AGM-12 Bullpup missiles, while another 30 carried eight 750-pound bombs each, half of which were designated for the railroad and highway bridge. With (Captain James) Stockdale we had wisdom. Online at https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/robinson-risner-air-force-ace-and-pow-dies-at-88/2013/10/29/ec759f3e-40ae-11e3-a624-41d661b0bb78_story.html (accessed December 16, 2017). He often spoke at gatherings for veterans and Air Force pilots. 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]. They told Risner there were only three people they would rather have as a captive: Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara or Dean Rusk. Risner retired as a brigadier general in 1976. Wingman Joe Logan bailed out over water and became entangled in his parachute cords, however, drowning before rescuers could reach him. James Robinson "Robbie" Risner 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. Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions: U.S. prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. Once Risner determined that he was the senior ranking officer, he began to put structure and guidance into the POWs lives, a sense of order and community, the very thing their captors were trying desperately to prevent. When he passed out from pain, the ropes were briefly loosened until the ordeal could start yet again. [15], 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. [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. [25], - 1st U.S. pilot held as a Prisoner of War in Southeast Asia[26] James R. Risner. 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. 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 automatic, almost subconscious. 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. 16 of those carried AGM-12 Bullpup missiles, while another 30 carried eight 750-pound bombs each, half of which were designated for the railroad and highway bridge. . He became in the eyes of others in the business one of two things: the perfect role model, or just plain crazy. [28][31], Risner spent more than three years in solitary confinement. View military histories of over 2 million, If you are a veteran, reconnect with people. Risners leadership was on display when he organized a forbidden worship service in 1971. 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. . The day after his arrival, he returned to Korea when he learned that MiGs were operational. He received his FIRST Air Force Cross when he was shot down and rescued, becoming the FIRST LIVING recipient of the new award. 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]. Obituary from the. He next served on the joint staff of Commander-in-Chief, Pacific (CINCPAC) in Hawaii. Five USAF aircraft, including three of Risner's F-105s, were shot down on the Xom Biang strike, but all of the 67th TFS pilots including Baird were rescued. He next served on the joint staff of Commander-in-Chief, Pacific (CINCPAC) in Hawaii.[15]. James Robinson Risner's F-86; While a guest of the communists, he suffered. Albert C. Vollmer, was rescued. 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. He was on his 55th combat mission at the time. Risner flew his aircraft behind his comrades crippled jet, nudging it forward with the nose of his plane in an attempt to help him to friendly territory. He was previously married to Dorothy Miller Williams and Kathleen Shaw. part by a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Sustaining the Humanities through the American . Risner was born in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, but moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1931. (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. Through his extraordinary heroism, superb airmanship and aggressiveness, Colonel Risner reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force. In June 1975, Risner was divorced from his wife Kathleen after 29 years of marriage. [21] Initial attempts to locate and destroy the SA-2 Guideline sites, known as Iron Hand missions, were both unsuccessful and costly. Robbie Risner was born on January 16, 1925, in Mammoth Spring, the son of sharecroppers Grover W. Risner and Lora Grace Robinson Risner. Risner died at his home in Bridgewater, Virginia, on October 22, 2013, following a series of strokes. "On Colonel Risner". [7] Risner was often assigned to fly F-86E-10, AF serial no. (Thompson and McLaren, p. 67). 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. 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.[5]. 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. [n 12] 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. [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. Risner died in his sleep October 22, 2013, at his home in Bridgewater, Virginia three days after suffering a severe stroke. 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. However, he refused to be diverted from his primary mission of completing the destruction of the assigned targets. The day after his arrival he returned to Korea when he learned that MiGs were operational. 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. The trophy is permanently displayed at the United States Air Force Academy, with each winner's name inscribed. For additional information: As his jailers dragged him to another period of solitary confinement, he could hear his fellow prisoners break into The Star-Spangled Banner. I felt like I was nine feet tall and could go bear hunting with a switch, Risner said later. 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. 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. [38], General Risner received the following awards and decorations:[15][39]. 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