He kept me. 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. Robinson deliberately concealed the injury, which would have grounded him, until able to convince a flight surgeon that the injury had healed. This project is funded in part by a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan grant award. 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]. (In reference to that remark, the Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, Colorado, dedicated a nine-foot-tall statue of Risner in 2001.). Bri. Special thanks to the Department of Arkansas Heritage. 7478. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! With (Captain James) Stockdale we had wisdom. Required fields are marked *. [34], An interview with Risner appears in the 1968 4-chapter East German series Piloten im Pyjama by Walter Heynowski and Gerhard Scheumann. James R. Risner. 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. [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. 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]. 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. 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. Morrocco, John, and Manning, Robert (1984). 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. In the course of the operation, Colonel Risner's unit encountered the first MIG force committed in aerial combat against the U.S. 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. 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. http://www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/105823/brigadier-general-robinson-risner/ (accessed December 16, 2017). He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Section 55, Site 626. His wingman Capt. Robbie Risner was born on January 16, 1925, in Mammoth Spring, the son of sharecroppers Grover W. Risner and Lora Grace Robinson Risner. In the course of the operation, Colonel Risner's unit encountered the first MIG force committed in aerial combat against the U.S. He became in the eyes of others in the business one of two things: the perfect role model, or just plain crazy. The extremely harsh treatment inflicted upon him was to become a way of life for him in the subsequent years. 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]. Robinson Risner, Self: Return with Honor. [16], In July 1956, he was transferred to George Air Force Base, California as operations officer of the 413th Fighter Wing. View military histories of over 2 million, If you are a veteran, reconnect with people. 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. Because of the Time cover story, he would become one of the highest-profile U.S. prisoners of the Vietnam War. [42][43] After retirement he lived in Austin, Texas, where he worked with the D.A.R.E. During their defense of the bombers, Risner's flight overflew the MiG base at Antung Airfield, China. Ann Blodzinski, Frisbee, "Valor: When Push Came to Shove", Grumbach, "The Art of Reviewing By Innuendo", "1957 Spirit of St. Louis II Sets Atlantic Record" (newsreel), "Dogfights: F-86 Sabres Battle at Extreme Speeds in the Korean War", U.S. prisoners of war during the Vietnam War, U.S. The two had met, apparently at McCarthy's request,[30] when McCarthy visited Hanoi in April 1968. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993. Robbie Risner was born on January 16, 1925, in Mammoth Spring, the son of sharecroppers Grover W. Risner and Lora Grace Robinson Risner. [29][n 9], "We were lucky to have Risner. While the Korean War may have been Risners favorite period, it was by no means the most consequential in the lives of others. He was eulogized by Perot and General Welsh with fellow former POWs and current members of the 336th Fighter Squadron among those in attendance. Risner, in Davis (1978), p. 46, is quoted as identifying the airfield as "Tak Tung Kau". His father was originally a sharecropper, then during the Great Depression became a day laborer for the Works Progress Administration. He was also appointed as a U.S. delegate to the Fortieth Session of the United Nations General Assembly by President Ronald Reagan. 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.. Risner noted to a biographer that his tour under these conditions amounted to as much flying as he desired but a distinct lack of discipline on the ground. 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. Robinson Risner was often assigned to fly F-86E-10 Sabrejet, nicknamed Ohio Mike and bearing a large cartoon rendition of Bugs Bunny as nose art, in which he achieved most of his aerial victoriesOn Sept. 15, 1952, his fighter unit found itself in a fierce dogfight over the Yalu River near the East China Sea when he noticed that the plane of his wingman, 1st Lt. Joseph Logan, had been hit and was leaking fuel. Gen. James Robinson "Robbie" Risner was part of that legendary group who served in three wars, built an Air Force, and gave us an enduring example of courage and mission success Today's Airmen know we stand on the shoulders of giants. He was the first living recipient of the medal,[2] awarded the first for valor in aerial combat during the Vietnam War, and the second for gallantry as a prisoner of war of the North Vietnamese for more than seven years. The first time you log in to our catalog you will need to create an account. Logan bailed out over water but became tangled in his parachute lines and drowned before he could be rescued. During that period the Vietnamese intercepted a series of prisoner messages which clearly indicated the danger of General Risner's leadership to their exploitation methods. Gender. [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. The President of the United States of America, 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 Lieutenant Colonel James Robinson Risner, United States Air Force, for extraordinary heroism in military operations against an opposing armed force while a Prisoner of War in North Vietnam from 31 October 1965 to 15 December 1965. He maneuvered his aircraft over the Gulf of Tonkin, ejected a mile offshore and was rescued after fifteen minutes in the water. 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. The statue was made nine feet tall in memory of Risner's statement, commenting on his comrades singing The Star Spangled Banner and God Bless America, that "I felt like I was nine feet tall and could go bear hunting with a switch. "The Art of Reviewing By Innuendo". Through his extraordinary heroism, superb airmanship and aggressiveness, Colonel Risner reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force. 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. Tactics were revised in which "Hunter-Killer Teams" were created. "On Colonel Risner". [17] 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 that rescued his wingman. [20][n 6], On March 22, 1965, while leading two flights of F-105s attacking a radar site near Vinh, North Vietnam, Risner was hit by ground fire when he circled back over the target. 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. Gen. James Robinson "Robbie" Risner was part of that legendary . Additional support provided by the Arkansas Community Foundation. Other articles related to "legacy ": X86 . Near Cho Do, Logan bailed out after calling to Risner, "I'll see you at the base tonight." Albert C. Vollmer, was rescued. He directed his aircraft over the Gulf of Tonkin, ejected, and was rescued. One of 'em is 9 feet tall and headed west in full afterburner. He subsequently received training in the F-80 Shooting Star at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. 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 Encyclopedia of Arkansas Rate and review titles you borrow and share your opinions on them. Following being shot down a second time and then captured, his arrival in the old French dungeons of Hanoi began the trial of his life, but also the leadership role that would be his legacy. Risner joined the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1943 at age eighteen and served in Panama during World War II, seeing no action, although he trained as a pilot. Gen. James Robinson Risner. He actually had his cast removed to fly his first mission. Comedian Kevin Fredericks won the Outstanding Social Media Personality award on Friday. He was the first living recipient of the medal,. . 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. 72201. In July 1973 USAF assigned him to the 1st Tactical Fighter Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, where he became combat ready in the F-4 Phantom II. He often spoke at gatherings for veterans and Air Force pilots. 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 wingman was shot down in the opening pass, and the mission was in danger of collapsing when Risner took charge. [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. [17], From August 1960 to July 1961, he attended the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. Risner was born in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, but moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1931. On September 21, 1952, he shot down his fifth MiG. Voices of the Vietnam POWs: Witnesses to Their Fight. 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