2023 Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Robinson Risner was born on January 16, 1925 in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, USA. [7] Risner was often assigned to fly F-86E-10, AF serial no. Fighting one MiG at nearly supersonic speeds at ground level, Risner pursued it down a dry riverbed and across low hills to an airfield 35 miles (56km) inside China. His father was originally a sharecropper, then during the Great Depression became a day laborer for the Works Progress Administration. The flight of four F-86 Sabres launched and encountered 14 MiG-15s. 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. The day after his arrival he returned to Korea when he learned that MiGs were operational. 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. He also became a P-51 Mustang pilot in the Oklahoma Air National Guard. Online at http://articles.latimes.com/2013/oct/30/local/la-me-robinson-risner-20131031 (accessed December 16, 2017). B/G Robinson Risner was a general officer and professional fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. [7], His first two months of combat saw little contact with MiGs, and although a flight leader, he took a three-day leave to Japan in early August. He was eulogized by Perot and General Welsh with fellow former POWs and current members of the 336th Fighter Squadron among those in attendance. Forces in Southeast Asia. and his oldest son, Robbie Jr., died two years after his return of a congenital heart defect. On the afternoon of April 3, the strike package of Rolling Thunder Mission 9 Alpha consisted of 79 aircraft, including 46 F-105s. alternatives . 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. [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. In the early days he was generally held in that small cell block mentioned earlier, and since most new prisoners were held there temporarily, after initial interrogation and torture sessions, Risner used brief moments of guard absence to induct new men into his POW command. 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. Risner's squadron led the first Rolling Thunder strike, bombing an ammunition dump approximately ten miles north of the Demilitarized Zone between the two Vietnams. & 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. For Risner, this moment came on Sept. 16, 1965, during a raid over North Vietnam when his F-105 Thunderchief was hit by ground fire. He next served on the joint staff of Commander-in-Chief, Pacific (CINCPAC) in Hawaii.[15]. 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. Required fields are marked *. Your email address will not be published. James Robinson "Robbie" Risner (born January 16, 1925) [1] was a general officer and professional fighter pilot in the United States Air Force . ", Commander Everett Alvarez Jr. 1st U.S. pilot held as a Prisoner of War in Southeast Asia[30], After several days of travel on foot and by truck, Risner was imprisoned in Ha L Prison, known as "The Hanoi Hilton" to American POWs. 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. 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.[16]. Voices of the Vietnam POWs: Witnesses to Their Fight. Albert C. Vollmer, was rescued. He completed transition training in P-40 Warhawk and P-39 Airacobra fighters before being assigned to the 30th Fighter Squadron in Panama. The President of the United States, 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 James Robinson Risner, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Air Force, for extraordinary heroism in military operations against an opposing armed force while a Prisoner of War in North Vietnam from 31 October to 15 December 1965. 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 the second for gallantry as a prisoner of war of the North Vietnamese for more than seven years. Other articles related to "legacy ": X86 . Tactics were revised in which "Hunter-Killer Teams" were created. 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. After his military career, Risner lived for many years in Texas, where he was executive director of an anti-drug program. 72201. [16], From August 1960 to July 1961, he attended the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. Other special honorees included Serena Williams, who was honored with the Jackie Robinson Sports Award. View military histories of over 2 million, If you are a veteran, reconnect with people. This page was last edited on 25 December 2022, at 21:40. While undergoing hospital treatment in the Army, he met his first wife, Kathleen Shaw, a nurse from Ware Shoals, South Carolina. Risner was born in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, but moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1931. During their defense of the bombers, Risner's flight overflew the MiG base at Antung Airfield, China. It was automatic, almost subconscious. Robinson Risner was born on January 16, 1925 in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, USA. Additional support provided by the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation Inc. When he passed the tough entrance exam for pilot training by one point, his future aloft was set. Robinson Risner, Air Force Ace and POW, Dies at 88. Washington Post, October 29, 2013. . [6] Risner was often assigned to fly F-86E-10, AF serial no. [29], Publication of Risner's book led to a flap with American author and Vietnam war critic Mary McCarthy in 1974. [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 the first living recipient of the medal.[1]. James Robinson "Robbie" Risner (born January 16, 1925) was a general officer and professional fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. The turbulence kept bouncing and separating the two jets, but Risner was able to re-establish contact and guide the powerless plane out over the sea. In his book, Risner attributes faith in God and prayer as being instrumental to his surviving the Hanoi prison experience. 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]. He was captured and taken to the Hoa Lo Prisondubbed the Hanoi Hilton by its American prisonerswhere his captors waved the Time magazine in his face. His story of being imprisoned drew wide acclaim after that war's end. Prisoners of War during the Vietnam War, California State University, San Bernardino, Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, Names and Citations of Recipients of the Air Force Cross, Shaw fighter pilot named best in the Air Force, "Eagle Biography Robinson 'Robbie' Risner", Logan Memorial at Korean War casualty Database, "Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale: Vietnam War Hero and Indomitable Spirit at the Hanoi Hilton". ", After several days of travel on foot and by truck, Risner was imprisoned in Hoa Lo Prison, known as the Hanoi Hilton to American POWs. The 67th TFS ended its first deployment to Korat on April 26 but returned from Okinawa on August 16 for a second tour of combat duty over North Vietnam. 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 died in his sleep October 22, 2013, at his home in Bridgewater, Virginia three days after suffering a severe stroke. He flew F-86s with the 50th Wing to activate Hahn Air Base, West Germany, where he became commander of the 81st FBS in November 1954. I did not ask God to take me out of it. James Robinson "Robbie" Risner (born January 16, 1925)[1] was a general officer and professional fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. On August 12, 1965, U.S. Air Force and Navy air units received authorization to attack surface-to-air missile sites. 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. Robbie Risner was born on January 16, 1925, in Mammoth Spring, the son of sharecroppers Grover W. Risner and Lora Grace Robinson Risner. "[51], The chapter squadron of the Arnold Air Society for Southern California, based on the AFROTC detachment of California State University, San Bernardino, is named for Risner. He said he would be ready to return to duty after three good meals and a good nights rest.. [25], - 1st U.S. pilot held as a Prisoner of War in Southeast Asia[26] He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Section 55, Site 626. Chawkins, Steve. Campbell, John M., and Hill, Michael (1996). "We were lucky to have Risner. "It is said among the flying community that the Risner Award in combat aviation is like the Heisman Trophy in college football, said Vargas." All, however, held him in awe. SURVEY . 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]. Tags: 15th Reconnaissance Squadron, 336th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 4th Fighter Wing, Air Force Cross, Arlington National Cemetery, Army Air Forces, Bible College, Brigadier General, Bronze Star Medals., Bugs Bunny, Charles G. Boyd, Code of Conduct for American Fighting Men, Dean Rusk, Distinguished Flying Cross, Distinguished Service Medal, Dorothy Miller Williams, East China Sea, F-105s, F-86E-10 Sabrejet, God Bless America, Gulf of Tonkin, H. Ross Perot, Hanoi, James Robinson Risner, Kimpo Air Base, Korean War, Lyndon Johnson, Mammoth Springs, Medal of Honor, MiG-15s, Oklahoma Air National Guard., Operation Rolling Thunder, P-51 Mustang, Panama Canal, Prisoner of War in North Vietnam, Robert McNamara, Robinson Risner, Silver Stars, Southeast Asia, the Korean War, The Passing of the Night: Seven Years as a Prisoner of the North Vietnamese, The Star-Spangled Banner, Time Magazine, U.S. Air Force Academy, Vinh Son, World War II, Yalu River. Flying came easily to the gifted trainee, which led to a coveted assignment flying fighters after graduation. Robinson deliberately concealed the injury, which would have grounded him, until able to convince a flight surgeon that the injury had healed. Divergent Prosperity and the Arc of Reform (1968-2022) Type. I did not ask God to take me out of it. Risner, in Davis (1978), p. 46, is quoted as identifying the airfield as "Tak Tung Kau". [26], On the morning of September 16, 1965, on an Iron Hand sortie, Risner scheduled himself for the mission[21] as the "hunter" element of a Hunter-Killer Team searching for a SAM site in the vicinity of Tuong Loc, 80 miles (130km) south of Hanoi and 10 miles (16km) northeast of the Thanh Hoa Bridge. 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, 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. 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. He was the fifth of seven children. 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. 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. Robinson deliberately concealed the injury, which would have grounded him, until able to convince a flight surgeon that the injury had healed. 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]. The LA Times reported he was beaten, starved, and held down by ropes. Risner and Shaw became engaged on a ship and were discharged and married the next month. It was largely thanks to the leadership of Risner and his Navy counterpart, Commander (later Vice Admiral) James Stockdale, that the POWs organized themselves to present maximum resistance. 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. Yet all he did, remained in a military framework, based on the core principle that each were fighting men with a code of honor that must be upheld. Following the war, Risner raised quarter horses in Texas and became executive director of the Texans War Against Drugs. [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. After Vietnam, Risner was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General and returned to the pilots seat and commanded several fighter training programs before his retirement in 1976. The day after his arrival, he returned to Korea when he learned that MiGs were operational. Even so, as the officer of rank with the responsibility of maintaining order, from 1965 to 1973 he helped lead American resistance in the North Vietnamese prison complex through the use of improvised messaging techniques ("tap code"), endearing himself to fellow prisoners with his faith and optimism. "[2], Risner was born in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, in 1925,[3] but moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1931. [29][n 9], "We were lucky to have Risner. When he and two other organizers were hauled away for being behind his comrades singing The Star Spangled Banner and God Bless America, Risner said, I felt like I was nine feet tall and could go bear hunting with a switch.. Heavy ground fire struck Risner's F-105 in its air intakes when he popped up over a hill to make his attack. Race & Ethnicity. Baird, W. David, and Goble, Danney (1994). 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. It was automatic, almost subconscious. On the afternoon of April 3, the strike package of Rolling Thunder Mission 9 Alpha consisted of 79 aircraft, including 46 F-105s. [31] After publication of the book, McCarthy strenuously attacked both Risner (deeming him "unlikeable") and Risner's credibility in a review. 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). Even so, as the officer of rank with the responsibility of maintaining order, from 1965 to 1973 he helped lead American resistance in the North Vietnamese prison complex through the use of improvised messaging techniques ("tap code"), endearing himself to fellow prisoners with his faith and optimism. The first time you log in to our catalog you will need to create an account. [48] He was also inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in November 1974 in recognition of his military service,[49] and announced as an inductee into the Arkansas Military Veterans Hall of Fame on November 1, 2013.[50]. His many decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, three Distinguished Flying Crosses, the Bronze Star with V for valor, two Silver Stars, eight Air Medals, and three Purple Hearts. If you can, provide 1-2 sources of information backing up this correction. About; Blog; Contact Us; . 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. Risner spent more than three years in solitary confinement. part by a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Sustaining the Humanities through the American . The meeting, described as "stilted",[36] resulted in an unflattering portrait of McCarthy in Risner's book, primarily because she failed to note scars and other evidence of torture he wrote that he had made plain to her. Robinson Risner. (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. 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. 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. James Robinson Risner 'Robbie' Engagements: Korean War (1950 - 1953) Vietnam War (1960 - 1973) Biography: James Robinson "Robbie" Risner (January 16, 1925 - October 22, 2013) was a general officer and professional fighter pilot in the United States Air Force.. Risner was a double recipient of the Air Force Cross, the second highest military decoration for valor that can be awarded to . second award of the air force cross " The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Air Force Cross to James Robinson Risner, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. air Force, for extraordinary heroism in military operations against an opposing armed force while a Prisoner of . It was largely thanks to the leadership of Risner and his Navy counterpart, Commander (later Vice Admiral) James Stockdale, that the POWs organized themselves to present maximum resistance. But there is no doubt in that every last one of the POWs stood taller in Risners shadow, tougher in their own resistance, and come home better men as a result. He subsequently received training in the F-80 Shooting Star at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. [28] He was on his 55th combat mission at the time. Risner was later transferred to Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico in February 1974 to command the 832d Air Division, in which he flew the F-111 Aardvark fighter-bomber. [7][10][11], On the return flight, Risner's wingman, 1st Lt. Joseph Logan, was struck in his fuel tanks by anti-aircraft fire over Antung. 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. Jet fuel and hydraulic fluid spewed out from the wounded Sabre. The nine-foot bronze statue of Robinson Risner, sculpted by Lawrence M. Ludtke and mounted on a five-foot pedestal of black granite, commemorates Risner and other POWs who were punished for holding religious services in their room at the Hanoi Hilton on February 7, 1971, in defiance of North Vietnamese authorities. 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. 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. But first, he must earn the respect and commitment of his subordinates by demonstrating a personal willingness to assume any risk, physical or moral, that he might later ask of his followers. On September 21, 1952, he shot down his fifth MiG. H&S's and Risner's accounts "differ radically". Risner, Robinson. Special thanks to the Department of Arkansas Heritage. On Feb. 12, 1973, he was among the first group of prisoners to be released from North Vietnam. Risner retired as a brigadier general in 1976. 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. 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. A miniature replica, also donated by Perot, is presented to each year's recipient as a personal memento. 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 the second for gallantry as a prisoner of war of the North Vietnamese for more than seven years. His second wife, Dorothy Risner, was the widow of an American soldier who died in the war. 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. Celebs. [n 1] During their defense of the bombers, Risner's flight overflew the MiG base at Antung Airfield, China. Arriving at Kimpo in the middle of the night, he joined his flight which was on alert status. [24] He was on his 55th combat mission at the time. Morrocco, John, and Manning, Robert (1984). His wingman Capt. 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. Military Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. 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). 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