A Little Known American Hero

[Wyandot Jim]

Brig. General Robin Olds was an American fighter pilot and general officer in the U.S. Air Force. He was a "Triple Ace", with a combined total of 16 victories in World War II and the Vietnam War.
Watch the short video all the way to the end and you will see why I think he is a real hero.
There have been a lot of great Fighter Pilots both past and present, but General Olds was one hell of a leader and American along with being a great Fighter Pilot. IMHO

https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=ymyy-t-999&p=robin+olds#id=2&vid=ea1908269cf1ac615d950216ee9b16fc&action=view

 

[Snake45]

He's not "little known" at my house. My kid and I both revere him. I've read his book three times, and will probably read it some more, too.

He scored the only combat victory in the history of air warfare from a glider.

His F-4C is at the USAF museum. He's in TWO halls of fame--Aviation and College Football. (He played football for West Point.)

History Channel did most of a whole episode of the series Dogfights on him (Season 1, Episode 2, "Air Ambush"--you can watch it free online at history.com). I love how he chuckled after telling about shooting down the Bf 109 right down on the deck. I'd never realized until I head that story that the P-38 could actually out-turn a 109, but I checked it out, and sure enough, it can.

 

[Bob Wright]

And I know he married a Hollywood movie starlet, Ella Raines. She co-starred with John Wayne in "Tall In The Saddle."

Bob Wright

 

[Big Old Boy]

I just watched the entire documentary, what a man he was wow I have heard of him but now I know the entire story. Thanks for posting this.

 

[Merle1948]

Brig. General Robin Olds was an American fighter pilot and general officer in the U.S. Air Force. He was a "Triple Ace", with a combined total of 16 victories in World War II and the Vietnam War.
Watch the short video all the way to the end and you will see why I think he is a real hero.
There have been a lot of great Fighter Pilots both past and present, but General Olds was one hell of a leader and American along with being a great Fighter Pilot. IMHO

https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=ymyy-t-999&p=robin+olds#id=2&vid=ea1908269cf1ac615d950216ee9b16fc&action=view

not unknown in my personal circle! :D

 

[Fox Mike]

He WAS exceptional! He didn't get the 'press' that Yeager, or Bong, or Boyington did but was as good or better than all of them.

 

[gramps]

I had not heard of him previously-my lack of culture no doubt? What a man! Thanks for sharing.
gramps

 

[2Late45]

One of the last of "The Gun Fighters". 8th TAC Fighter Wing out of Ubon...

 

[Wyandot Jim]

He WAS exceptional! He didn't get the 'press' that Yeager, or Bong, or Boyington did but was as good or better than all of them.

You got that right. Yea Bong did his thing which was great.
Boyington was a drunk, but got a lot of publicity. If Yeager wouldn't have broken the sound barrier nobody would have known who he was.
And YES I will repeat myself. Few outside the Aviation Community know who Robin Olds is or care about what he did.

 

[Merle1948]

He WAS exceptional! He didn't get the 'press' that Yeager, or Bong, or Boyington did but was as good or better than all of them.

You got that right. Yea Bong did his thing which was great.
Boyington was a drunk, but got a lot of publicity. If Yeager wouldn't have broken the sound barrier nobody would have known who he was.
And YES I will repeat myself. Few outside the Aviation Community know who Robin Olds is or care about what he did.

and some of us are history buffs.... :wink:

 

[Bob Wright]

Then there's Don Blakeslee, Hub Zemke, Robert Morgan, Paul Tibbets, Robert Scott, Phillip Cochran, Don Gentile, Dean Hess, and..............Tennessee Ernie Ford.

These names, and countless others, need to live in memory for as long as there is the United States.


Bob Wright

 

[Wyandot Jim]

Then there's Don Blakeslee, Hub Zemke, Robert Morgan, Paul Tibbets, Robert Scott, Phillip Cochran, Don Gentile, Dean Hess, and..............Tennessee Ernie Ford.

These names, and countless others, need to live in memory for as long as there is the United States.


Bob Wright

Yes of course I know who those Hero's are, but I'm an Airplane guy. :D The Wolfe Pack an outstanding read, The Bomb, God Is My Co-Pilot "A MUST READ". a Killing machine like no other. Did a slow roll in Shangri-La for the news people and destroyed the plane. and on and on

 

[Fox Mike]

Then there's Don Blakeslee, Hub Zemke, Robert Morgan, Paul Tibbets, Robert Scott, Phillip Cochran, Don Gentile, Dean Hess, and..............Tennessee Ernie Ford.

These names, and countless others, need to live in memory for as long as there is the United States.


Bob Wright

Let's not forget Major Charles Sweeney. He dropped the bomb that stopped WWII. But we were actually speaking about Robin Olds.

 

[contender]

Count me as another one who knew the name & much of the history here. But, hey, I'm an old aviator myself.

 

[Fox Mike]

Then there was Gabby Gabreski and his P-47 scores. However, Olds flew in two wars, in different aircraft, and excelled, no matter what he strapped on.

 

[Snake45]

Olds flew in two wars, in different aircraft, and excelled, no matter what he strapped on.

He'd have flown in three wars, except his wife secretly conspired behind the scenes with powerful contacts to keep him out of Korea. He tried to go and didn't find out until years later why he was never allowed to.

 

[Wyandot Jim]

Gabby did pretty good in Korea :D One of my neighbors was good enough friends with Gabby that he came and spent time in our subdivision. Sorry to say I didn't get to meet him or Adolf Galland when he was here :( :( The one neighbor became friends with Galland when they were filming "The Battle Of Briton"

July 5, 1951 1 MiG-15 North Korea North American F-86A Sabre 4 FIG
September 2, 1951 1 MiG-15 North Korea F-86A 4 FIG
October 2, 1951 1 MiG-15 North Korea F-86A 4 FIG
January 11, 1952 1 MiG-15 Dandong, China ? F-86E 51 FIW
February 20, 1952 0.5 MiG-15 North Korea F-86E 51 FIW
April 1, 1952 1 MiG-15 North Korea F-86E 51 FIW
April 13, 1952 1 MiG-15 North Korea F-86E 51 FIW

 

[Bob Wright]

My point in naming those other American pilots, is that they ought to be more known than people like Elvis Pressley, Michael Jackson, or Bon Jovey or any of the so-called American idols. Our qualifications for those whom we admire are misplaced.

Bob Wright

 

[Wyandot Jim]

My point in naming those other American pilots, is that they ought to be more known than people like Elvis Pressley, Michael Jackson, or Bon Jovey or any of the so-called American idols. Our qualifications for those whom we admire are misplaced.

Bob Wright

Bob,
Who are these other people that you speak of :D :D
Yes I couldn't agree with you more. When Guys like you and I along with a lot of others are gone. These real heroes will be forgotten. I do try and keep my grandson aware of who the real heroes are in the U.S. Yes he knows, but hear again he is in the Aviation Community/Warbird. :wink:
How many of todays generation know or care who our past heroes are.
I posted this so the ones on this Forum would know who Robin Olds was. I knew but how many didn't know.