Also in attendance was retired Gen. Charles G. Boyd, his fellow POW. [10] In a brief dogfight Risner shot down one to score his first "kill", on August 5, 1952. Robinson Risner was born on January 16, 1925 in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, USA. Campbell, John M., and Hill, Michael (1996). 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. On Feb. 12, 1973, he was among the first group of prisoners to be released from North Vietnam. 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. It was automatic, almost subconscious. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. (Davis, p. 46), Another flight member, 1st Lt. Willard P. Dunbar, reported that the MiG pilot was a red-headed Russian who shook his fist at Risner before crashing. What award is for the nation's best candidate program? Through his extraordinary heroism, superb airmanship and aggressiveness, Colonel Risner reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force. Bri. http://www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/105823/brigadier-general-robinson-risner/ (accessed December 16, 2017). He flew a combined 163 combat missions, was shot down twice, and was credited with destroying eight MiG-15s. His father was originally a sharecropper, then during the Great Depression became a day laborer for the Works Progress Administration. He received the Air Force Cross for his actions with the Sixty-Seventh Tactical Fighter Squadron on April 34, 1965, and was awarded an Oak Leaf Cluster to his Korean War Silver Star for operations against the North Vietnamese between September 9 and 12, 1965. Kiley, Frederick, and Rochester, Stuart I (1999). 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]. James Robinson "Robbie" Risner (January 16, 1925 - October 22, 2013) was a general and a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. [2], The Risner Award, created September 24, 1976, was donated by H. Ross Perot as a tribute to Risner and all Vietnam era Prisoners of War, and is administered by the Tactical Air Command (now by Air Combat Command). They remained married until the end of his life, with the two younger of his four surviving sons choosing to live with him and Risner adopting her three youngest children. Morrocco, John, and Manning, Robert (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. Risner retired as a brigadier general in 1976. He also became a P-51 Mustang pilot in the Oklahoma Air National Guard. 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. Unfortunately, the Time magazine article featuring Risner made its way to his captors. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993. He was captured by North Vietnamese while still trying to extricate himself from his parachute. Local man to be inducted into the Arkansas Military H.O.F. Colonel Risner initiated the attack, directing his aircraft into the target in the face of heavy automatic ground fire. 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. [6] Risner was often assigned to fly F-86E-10, AF serial no. [29] While held prisoner in Ha L, Risner served first as Senior Ranking Officer and later as Vice Commander of the provisional 4th Allied Prisoner of War Wing. The retired brigadier general was 88-years-old. [28] He was a POW for seven years, four months, and 27 days. Celebs. . On October 19, 2012, ground was broken at the Air Force Academy for its new Center for Character and Leadership Development. 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. . [7] Risner was often assigned to fly F-86E-10, AF serial no. The extremely harsh treatment inflicted upon him was to become a way of life for him in the subsequent years. On 4 April, he again led an attacking force of fighter aircraft on a restrike against the same target. Other articles related to "legacy ": X86 . 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. [44] He later moved to Bridgewater, Virginia. Thompson, Warren E., and McLaren, David R. (2002). He flew his badly damaged aircraft over heavily fortified hostile territory before successfully landing at a friendly airfield. He was captured by North Vietnamese while still trying to extricate himself from his parachute. [8][10][11][n 3], On the return flight, Risner's wingman, 1st Lt. Joseph Logan, was struck in his fuel tanks by anti-aircraft fire over Antung. When it would get so bad that I did not think I could stand it, I would ask God to ease it and somehow I would make it. 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. [4], Risner had a religious upbringing as a member of the 1st Assembly of God Church. Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Archives (1985). He was the fifth of seven children. alternatives . 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. He worked a series of jobs during his school years, contributing his earnings to the family funds. 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]. Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions: U.S. prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. 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. The trophy is permanently displayed at the United States Air Force Academy, with each winner's name inscribed. He was among the first group of American prisoners released from captivity, on February 12, 1973, and pronounced himself ready to fly again after three good meals and a good nights sleep. Risner received the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal and the POW Medal for his actions while in captivity. James Robinson "Robbie" Risner : Rank, Service: Brigadier General O-7, U.S. Air Force. His aerial skill and heroic actions set an example for the others to follow. James Robinson "Robbie" Risner (born January 16, 1925)[1] was a general officer and professional fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. 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. He was a guiding presence, a behavior yardstick, and he managed to achieve this without direct contact. 512824, nicknamed Ohio Mike and bearing a large cartoon rendition of Bugs Bunny as nose art, in which he achieved most of his aerial victories. [n 8] Risner's aircraft was at very low altitude flying at approximately 600 miles per hour (970km/h),[27] approaching a site that was likely a decoy luring aircraft into a concentration of AAA. About; Blog; Contact Us; . Your email address will not be published. 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. 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. In his book, Risner attributes faith in God and prayer as being instrumental to his surviving the Hanoi prison experience. B/G Robinson Risner was a general officer and professional fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. James R. Risner. Once Risner determined that he was the senior ranking officer, he began to put structure and guidance into the POWs lives, a sense of order and community, the very thing their captors were trying desperately to prevent. One Year After Saigon's Fall, Eight Ex-P.O.W.s Try to Cope with a Changing U.S. Obituary For: Brigadier General Robinson Risner, "USAF Weapons School Robbie Risner Award", "Nomination of United States Representatives and Alternate Representatives to the 40th Session of the United Nations General Assembly", Celebrated pilot and Vietnam POW dies at 88. (Capt. 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. Other special honorees included Serena Williams, who was honored with the Jackie Robinson Sports Award. He received his FIRST Air Force Cross when he was shot down and rescued, becoming the FIRST LIVING recipient of the new award. Additional support provided by the Arkansas Humanities Council. This page was last edited on 25 December 2022, at 21:40. 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. Following the war, Risner raised quarter horses in Texas and became executive director of the Texans War Against Drugs. Robinson deliberately concealed the injury, which would have grounded him, until able to convince a flight surgeon that the injury had healed. 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. Rate and review titles you borrow and share your opinions on them. Risner became the inspiration for all of the confused and scared young men in a very hostile environment. 100 Rock Street Sometimes in history, a man emerges whom no one saw coming, one who rises to the awful challenge of crisis leadership when others are faltering and provides exactly the right strength of character, calming influence, and credible guidance out of the morass. 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. [29][n 9], "We were lucky to have Risner. a brigadier general in 1976. 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. On 4 April, he again led an attacking force of fighter aircraft on a restrike against the same target. He somehow conveyed to his fellow POWs that it was the right thing to do in order to survive with dignity and honor. On the afternoon of April 3, the strike package of Rolling Thunder Mission 9 Alpha consisted of 79 aircraft, including 46 F-105s. On Feb. 12, 1973, he was among the first group of prisoners to be released from North Vietnam. [17], From August 1960 to July 1961, he attended the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. Forces in Southeast Asia. [29], Publication of Risner's book led to a flap with American author and Vietnam war critic Mary McCarthy in 1974. On August 12, 1965, U.S. Air Force and Navy air units received authorization to attack surface-to-air missile sites supplied to the North Vietnamese by the Soviet Union. Amid heavy flak from antiaircraft fire, Risner maneuvered his jet behind Logans and, at a speed of more than 200 mph, placed the nose of his plane in the tailpipe of the damaged plane. 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 downed aircraft was the first F-105 lost to hostile fire in Southeast Asia, but the pilot, Capt. 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. His autobiography, The Passing of the Night: My Seven Years as a Prisoner of the North Vietnamese, describes seven years of torture and mistreatment by the North Vietnamese. [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. In 1976, the Robbie Risner Award was created to recognize an air force weapons officer who makes the greatest combat impact in his or her first year after graduating from the Weapons Instructor Course at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. . 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 Risner's F-86; While a guest of the communists, he suffered. [10][13], On September 21, he shot down his fifth MiG, becoming the 20th jet ace. Returned to Hoa Loa Prison as punishment for disseminating behavior guidelines to the POWs under his nominal command, Risner was severely tortured for 32 days, culminating in his coerced signing of an apologetic confession for war crimes.[24][27]. Tactics were revised in which "Hunter-Killer Teams" were created. Risner, in a battle damaged aircraft, diverted to Da Nang Air Base for landing. When he passed out from pain, the ropes were briefly loosened until the ordeal could start yet again. Risner, low on fuel and in a battle damaged aircraft, diverted to Danang air base for landing. [5] He also joined the Oklahoma Air National Guard, becoming a P-51 Mustang pilot and flew nearly every weekend. Courtesy of the National Air and Space Museum. Risner was recalled to active duty in February 1951 while assigned to the 185th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the OKANG at Will Rogers Field in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. While the Korean War may have been Risners favorite period, it was by no means the most consequential in the lives of others. While undergoing hospital treatment in the Army, he met his first wife, Kathleen Shaw, a nurse from Ware Shoals, 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 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. On the afternoon of April 3, the strike package of Rolling Thunder Mission 9 Alpha consisted of 79 aircraft, including 46 F-105s. Risner flew the Spirit of St. Louis II on Lindberghs same route, completing the flight in one-fifth of the time it took the earlier flier and establishing a new transatlantic record of six hours and thirty-seven minutes. 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