View military histories of over 2 million, If you are a veteran, reconnect with people. 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. When he passed out from pain, the ropes were briefly loosened until the ordeal could start yet again. Risner was born in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, but moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1931. Following the war, in 1957, he was chosen to fly an F-100F Super Sabre to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of Charles Lindberghs ground-breaking transatlantic flight. 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. On these dates Colonel Risner led two successive operations against vitally important and heavily defended targets. Risner in 1973 after being released as a POW by the North Vietnamese, Risner's call sign this date was "John Red Lead". They told Risner there were only three people they would rather have as a captive: Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara or Dean Rusk. Risner is the first living recipient of the Air Force's highest award, the Air Force Cross, which he received twice. Additional support provided by the Arkansas Community Foundation. He had been beaten up and starved, thrown for months into a dark cell crawling with rats, held immobile with his legs pinned in stocks, and strapped with ropes so tightly that his right arm was torn from its socket. Subsequent to that said he received his first Air Force Cross in April 1965 for leading air strikes against a strategicbridge in North Vietnam. 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 1946, Risner was involved in an off-duty motorcycle accident. Copyright 2003-2021. Baird, W. David, and Goble, Danney (1994). [19], On April 3 and 4, 1965, Risner acted as mission commander on two large missions attacking the Thanh Hoa Bridge in North Vietnam. He flew a combined 163 combat missions, was shot down twice, and was credited with destroying eight MiG-15s. Early in the air war over North Vietnam, Robinson Risner led the first flight of Operation Rolling Thunder, a high-intensity aerial bombing of North Vietnam. Risner and Shaw became engaged on a ship and were discharged and married the next month. Forces in Southeast Asia. Later that same month, Robbie was featured on the cover of Time magazine. The Legend Of James Robinson Risner - F-86 Sabre Pilot. [52], Risner was inducted into the Arkansas Aviation Hall of Fame by the Arkansas Aviation Historical Society in 2015.[53]. Others were tortured and never seen again. He subsequently received training in the F-80 Shooting Star at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. 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. When the Korean War began, he wangled his way out of the Oklahoma Air National Guard and arrived in Korea on May 10, 1952, where he was assigned to the 15th Reconnaissance Squadron at Kimpo Air Base. [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. The trophy is permanently displayed at the United States Air Force Academy, with each winner's name inscribed. On the afternoon of April 3, the strike package of Rolling Thunder Mission 9 Alpha consisted of 79 aircraft, including 46 F-105s. Colonel Risner initiated the attack, directing his aircraft into the target in the face of heavy automatic ground fire. Risner flew 108 missions in Korea and was credited with the destruction of eight MiG-15s, his final victory occurring January 21, 1953. Buried Arlington National Cemetery Allegiance United States Service/branch United States Army Air Forces United States Air Force Years of service 1943-1946 1951-1976 Rank [29], Publication of Risner's book led to a flap with American author and Vietnam war critic Mary McCarthy in 1974. SHOULD READ : At his death, Air Force Chief of Staff General Mark A. Welsh III observed: "Brig. 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. 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. Two years before he retired from the air force as a brigadier general in 1975, he published his memoir of his time as a prisoner of war, The Passing of the Night. Your email address will not be published. He kept me. Wingman Joe Logan bailed out over water and became entangled in his parachute cords, however, drowning before rescuers could reach him. He was promoted to the grade of Brigadier General in May 1974. . 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. The first recipient of the Risner Award was Capt. [38] Risner made no rebuttal at the time, but when interviewed by Frances Kiernan decades later, Risner described the review as "character assassination", a criticism of McCarthy's treatment supported by several of her liberal peers including Kiernan. [25] Initial attempts to locate and destroy the SA-2 Guideline sites, known as Iron Hand missions, were both unsuccessful and costly. On the initial attack, while exposing himself to heavy ground fire, with complete disregard for his personal safety, Colonel Risner's aircraft sustained a direct hit in the left forward bomb-bay area, filling the cockpit with smoke and fumes. When forced to make a statement against the war, he did so with mispronounced words and a heavy German accent, bringing further punishment from his captors. The day after his arrival he returned to Korea when he learned that MiGs were operational. 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. Shot down again on September 16, 1965, he was captured and held as a. At the time of Robbies capture, there were 27 other Americans incarcerated in Hanoi, separated from each other, all doing their best to abide by the Code of Conduct for American Fighting Men. 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. Robinson Risner Dies at 88; Leader of Hanoi Hilton Prisoners. Los Angeles Times, October 30, 2013. [10][13], On September 21, he shot down his fifth MiG, becoming the 20th jet ace. The LA Times reported he was beaten, starved, and held down by ropes. Later on, as the POW organization grew, and prisoners were taken to other prisons throughout the country, Risners guidance would expand and continue to spread. With (Captain James) Stockdale we had wisdom. Flying came easily to the gifted trainee, which led to a coveted assignment flying fighters after graduation. The proud strains rang out of the 15-foot walls of the camp and reverberated outside in the streets of downtown Hanoi. [8], 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. [18][n 4] 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 duty at Korat RTAFB, Thailand, under the control of the 2d Air Division. [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. 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. You wouldnt be here.. 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. [10][12], On September 21 he shot down his fifth MiG, becoming the 20th "jet ace". (Capt. 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. On October 19, 2012, ground was broken at the Air Force Academy for its new Center for Character and Leadership Development. Through his extraordinary heroism and willpower, in the face of the enemy, Lieutenant Colonel Risner reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force. Then, in the most unlikely circumstances, came true greatness. 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 . 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 . White. 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. Also in attendance was retired Gen. Charles G. Boyd, his fellow POW. H&S's and Risner's accounts "differ radically". 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 Risner was severely tortured for 32 days, resulting in him being coerced into confessing war crimes. 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. Tragically, Joe Logan didn't make it; he became tangled in his parachute lines and drowned. 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. An identical casting, measuring four feet and weighing 300 pounds, was installed in the foyer of the USAF Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base in October 1984. The 67th TFS ended its first duty at Korat on April 26 but returned from Okinawa on August 16 for a second tour of combat duty over North Vietnam. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. 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. 60 seconds . [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. On 4 April, he again led an attacking force of fighter aircraft on a restrike against the same target. It would take another war, and an extraordinary set of circumstances for that to occur. Bri. While undergoing hospital treatment in the Army, he met his future wife Catherine Shaw (Kathleen Shaw), she was a nurse from Ware Shoals, South Carolina, Risner and Shaw got engaged on a ship and were discharged and married the next month. Risner flew 108 missions in Korea and was credited with the destruction of eight MiG-15s, his final victory occurring January 21, 1953. The 2023 NAACP Image Awards also honored Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade, recipients of the President's Award. He was on his 55th combat mission at the time. While undergoing hospital treatment in the Army, he met his first wife, Kathleen Shaw, a nurse from Ware Shoals, South Carolina. 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. [10] [9][n 2] Scoring numerous hits on the MiG, shooting off its canopy, and setting it on fire, Risner chased it between hangars of the Communist airbase, where he shot it down into parked fighters. Joe, a strong swimmer, landed close to shore, and the chopper tried to blow him in with the rotors. On these dates Colonel Risner led two successive operations against vitally important and heavily defended targets. Postwar peace and return to civilian life brought mundane employment for Robinson Risner as an auto mechanic, a service station manager and a short stint running a service garage. [31] After publication of the book, McCarthy strenuously attacked both Risner (deeming him "unlikeable") and Risner's credibility in a review. "[37], Perot helped Risner later become the Executive Director of the Texans' War on Drugs, and Risner was consequently appointed by President Ronald Reagan as a United States Delegate to the fortieth session of the United Nations General Assembly. He also became a P-51 Mustang pilot in the Oklahoma Air National Guard. [3] In addition to a love of sports, Risner's interests were primarily in riding horses and motorcycles.[1]. Additional support provided by the Arkansas Humanities Council. Subsequently, he served as commander of the 34th Fighter-Day Squadron, also at George Air Force Base. Risner's wingman was shot down in the opening pass, and the mission was in danger of collapsing when Risner took charge. [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. 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. The award is presented annually to the outstanding graduate of the USAF Weapons School, with the first recipient being Capt. With (Captain James) Stockdale we had wisdom. 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. 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. 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