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. James Robinson Risner Nickname(s) Robbie Born (1925-01-16)January 16, 1925 Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, U.S. Died October 22, 2013(2013-10-22)(aged 88) Bridgewater, Virginia, U.S. 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. In his book, Risner attributes faith in God and prayer as being instrumental to his surviving the Hanoi prison experience. 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. [37] After publication of the book, McCarthy strenuously attacked both Risner (deeming him "unlikeable" and alleging that he had "become a Vietnamese toady") and Risner's credibility in a review. Major support provided through a partnership with the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism. He was captured by North Vietnamese while still trying to extricate himself from his parachute. 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. Campbell, John M., and Hill, Michael (1996). (Campbell and Hill, p. 90), Risner was "Oak Lead" on September 16, 1965, flying F-105D 61-0217. The trophy is permanently displayed at the United States Air Force Academy, with each winner's name inscribed. 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 . Jet fuel and hydraulic fluid spewed out from the wounded Sabre. His father was originally a sharecropper, then during the Great Depression became a day laborer for the Works Progress Administration. As his jailers dragged him to another period of solitary confinement, he could hear his fellow prisoners break into The Star-Spangled Banner. I felt like I was nine feet tall and could go bear hunting with a switch, Risner said later. and his oldest son, Robbie Jr., died two years after his return of a congenital heart defect. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. After his military career, Risner lived for many years in Texas, where he was executive director of an anti-drug program. In June 1975, Risner was divorced from his wife Kathleen after 29 years of marriage. 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 matched by few men in American military history. Other articles related to "legacy ": X86 . Shot down again on September 16, 1965, he was captured and held as a. (Thompson and McLaren, p. 67). Baird, W. David, and Goble, Danney (1994). 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. 60 seconds . 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. [10] James R. Risner. J. Double ACE and prisoner of war in Vietnam. [34], An interview with Risner appears in the 1968 4-chapter East German series Piloten im Pyjama by Walter Heynowski and Gerhard Scheumann. [5] He also joined the Oklahoma Air National Guard, becoming a P-51 Mustang pilot and flew nearly every weekend. Your email address will not be published. As storm clouds gathered over Southeast Asia in 1964, Risner arrived in the region, as if on cue, to take command of a fighter-bomber squadron in preparation for the larger war nearly everyone saw coming. "[51], The chapter squadron of the Arnold Air Society for Southern California, based on the AFROTC detachment of California State University, San Bernardino, is named for Risner. 51-2824, nicknamed Ohio Mike and bearing a large cartoon rendition of Bugs Bunny as nose art, in which he achieved most of his aerial victories. Risner flew 108 missions in Korea and was credited with the destruction of eight MiG-15s, his final victory occurring January 21, 1953. Prisoners of War during the Vietnam War, California State University, San Bernardino, Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, Names and Citations of Recipients of the Air Force Cross, Shaw fighter pilot named best in the Air Force, "Eagle Biography Robinson 'Robbie' Risner", Logan Memorial at Korean War casualty Database, "Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale: Vietnam War Hero and Indomitable Spirit at the Hanoi Hilton". 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. He wrestled for Tulsa Central High School, where he graduated in 1942. When the Russian wondered if they might have met in combat, Risner replied, No, way. As soon as he was eligible, he enlisted in the Army Air Forces, having been accepted as an aviation cadet. Chawkins, Steve. [16], In August 1964, Lieutenant Colonel Risner took command of the 67th Tactical Fighter Squadron, an F-105D Thunderchief fighter-bomber unit based at Kadena AB, Okinawa, and part of the 18th Tactical Fighter Wing. 2023 Encyclopedia of Arkansas. During their defense of the bombers, Risner's flight overflew the MiG base at Antung Airfield, China. 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. Risner, low on fuel and in a battle damaged aircraft, diverted to Danang air base for landing. U.S. Air Force Academy receives $3.5 million gift for Character and Leadership Development, The Brigadier General James Robinson Risner Squadron, Risner, James Robinson "Robbie" RIP 10/22/2013, Retired AF general was senior ranking POW at Hanoi Hilton, USAF photo of Risner during Operation Homecoming, "Eagle Biography: Robinson 'Robbie' Risner", Air University Gathering of Eagles, Dedication of the Risner statue at the Air Force Academy on November 16, 2001, Photograph of Risner statue and its sculptor, Lawrence Ludtke, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=James_Robinson_Risner&oldid=1129520797, Central High School (Tulsa, Oklahoma) alumni, Recipients of the Air Force Cross (United States), Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States), United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II, United States Air Force personnel of the Vietnam War, Recipients of the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, Recipients of the Meritorious Service Medal (United States), United States Air Force personnel of the Korean War, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. Risner was later transferred to Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico in February 1974 to command the 832d Air Division, in which he flew the F-111 Aardvark fighter-bomber. 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. 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. Male. 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 Risner flew 108 missions in Korea and was credited with the destruction of eight MiG-15s, his final victory occurring January 21, 1953. Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions: U.S. prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. James Robinson "Robbie" Risner 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. Robbie Risner was born on January 16, 1925, in Mammoth Spring, the son of sharecroppers Grover W. Risner and Lora Grace Robinson Risner. Some prisoners reconstructed an abbreviated version of the Bible from memory. Robert V. "Boris" Baird was shot down on the opening pass and the mission was in danger of collapsing when Risner took charge. Risner stayed in radio contact with the rescue helicopter. Risner retired as a brigadier general in 1976. The 30th FS was based on a primitive airstrip without permanent facilities at Aguadulce, on the Gulf of Panama. [6], On September 15, using the call sign "John Red Lead",[8] Risner's flight escorted F-84 Thunderjet fighter-bombers attacking a chemical plant on the Yalu River near the East China Sea. The trophy is permanently displayed at the United States Air Force Academy, with each winner's name inscribed. (Capt. He flew a combined 163 combat missions, was shot down twice, and was credited with destroying eight MiG-15s. "[2], Risner was born in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, in 1925,[3] but moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1931. 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. He said he would be ready to return to duty after three good meals and a good nights rest.. It was largely thanks to the leadership of Risner and his Navy counterpart, Commander (later Vice Admiral) James Stockdale, that the POWs organized themselves to present maximum resistance. For the next 7 and a half years Robbie absorbed levels of torture and abuse those three could likely never have grasped, let alone endured. James Robinson "Robbie" Risner was born in 1925 in Arkansas, to a sharecropping family struggling to make ends meet. 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. It would take another war, and an extraordinary set of circumstances for that to occur. awards the Air Force Cross to Brigadier General Robinson Risner 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 . Fellow prisoners break into the Star-Spangled Banner still trying to extricate himself his. 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