Robin Olds Article--Airman Magazine

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Bat Guano

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Found this, which brings back memories; the sounds and smells of Phantoms. I pulled security at base ops during Olds' time. Had a ringside seat, and paid close attention to all the goings-on. He was the real deal and a gentleman. Everybody on the whole damn base would have walked barefoot over broken glass for the old man.

50 years ago and it feels like yesterday after watching this video.

https://www.facebook.com/AirmanMagazine/videos/10153054750736191/
 
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I remember him. Didn't he wind up as a POW? I think he survived and was re-patriated. But later died?

How old was Richard Bong when he got those 40 kills against Japan? Some of those WWII pilots were younger than they looked.
 
Major Dick Bong was 24, almost 25, when he was killed while flying a P-80A in Aug of 1945. His fighting career started in Sept of '42 and he got his last "kill" in Dec of '44. Twenty-six months for 40 "kills".
 
Bong was withdrawn from combat after his 40th (confirmed) kill and received the Medal of Honor. They didn't want a Medal of Honor pilot to later be killed or captured.

But Marine Sgt. John Basilone was returned to combat after receiving the MH and was later KIA. What about Audie Murphy? Did he return to battle after the MH ceremony?

He may have received that decoration after the war ended in Europe?
 
Onomea said:
And 500 combat hours but killed in a malfunctioning plane stateside on a routine acceptance flight. Richard I. Bong - Biography of America's Top Ace in WW2, P-38 Pilot
Click to expand...


A malfunctioning plane killed George Welch, too, in the early 1950's. Welch, from the famous grape juice family, was one of the few US pilots to get a P-40 aloft during the attack on Pearl Harbor and Hickam Field and he shot down, I think, four Japanese planes and others later in the war.
 
Audie Murphy received his CMH in Aug of '45, after the war ended in the ETO. He was also wounded too badly from the action in the Colmar Pocket to return to duty and remain in the Army.
 
Texas Star:" I remember him. Didn't he wind up as a POW? I think he survived and was re-patriated. But later died?"

Nope. I was there when Olds flew his 100th and last mission, and the change of command ceremony. But you can bet that the north Vietnamese would have loved to get their hands on him after Bolo...

You might be thinking of Col. "Robbie" Risner....
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Robinson_Risner
 
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