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General Robin Olds

By Sir Ernie Hamilton Boyette

I first met Robin Olds at an Ace reunion in San Antonio, Texas. I was there with a couple of new prints that I just published. I was handing the prints out to the aces to see who would be willing to work with me next. My series of Famous American Aviators was starting to catch on by this time and I needed new aviators as well as different aircraft. I walked right up to Robin Olds and introduced myself. We hit it off right away and Robin was in favor of working with me so I started questioning him about the P-51 Mustang he flew. The only color scheme I had was boring and I wanted to know if he flew one a little more colorful.

He said straight way that he wasn’t interested in doing a Mustang print. He wanted a print of his Phantom. As stupid as I can be, I insisted that I needed to do a Mustang. At the time I had only done one Mustang which was the Detroit Miss with Ben Drew. I wanted more Mustangs in my series since most of the people who were following me and my artwork at the time kept telling me over and over, Mustangs!

Robin looked at me with a little scowl on his face. He looked down at me since he was definitely several inches taller; he looked at me as if I was an idiot under his command in the past. He boldly told me he wanted to do the Phantom! I am alert enough mentally, even though I am pig-headed, when to shut up and say, Yes Sir! And I did! Yes Sir! Case closed. As of today I have seven Mustangs in my series, but only one F-4 Phantom. I can take as well as give orders. I only take orders from men I respect.

My problem was that I was having a time with my printing and publishing schedule. I was publishing as fast as I could. I believe that during the mid 1990's I was able to increase production to eight prints a year. Considering that I was doing all of this alone and working two other jobs only compounded restraints on my abilities. I was pouring all my money into new prints. Even so I needed to do more, yet I could not. It would be another year before I would be able to get around to painting and publishing Robin’s print. I regret that I did not start sooner on Robin’s Phantom. Yet my fate and production schedule was based on income. The basic constraints of most adventure capitalist. I had a great idea, but go to the bank and borrow against your idea. See how far that gets you. Ask for a grant and get laughed out of fancy offices.

During the reunion in San Antonio, I was busy getting my new print of the P-38 flown by Jack Ilfrey signed by Jack. When I was not with Jack I was with any other ace I could talk to. What I found best was to just sit and listen. I would join small groups and just listen to them ask their questions. They were the same questions I would have asked so I sat back and let the others ask the questions and then listened to the stories from the aces with the others.

I was at one sitting when the group had cornered Robin. He was a great guy but just the night before I saw a light in his eyes that gave me the insight to what one of his men would have faced if they screwed up. I laughed at myself on the inside. From what I have read and personally herd, Robin was a good leader and his men always enjoyed serving with him. Robin was from a rich family, he did not have to serve in the military, but he served and was a man’s man. Robin was a doer and a thinker yet ruthless in combat. If it had been the Civil War or any war in the past, it would have been Robin Olds sitting on a white horse leading a cavalry charge into history.

The following is Robin’s story with comments as needed. Enjoy!

Robin Olds grew up with aviation combat in his blood. His father served as a pilot in France during World War I and was responsible for Robin’s burning desire to be a pilot. His father was a strong advocate of air power and was the commander of the 2^nd Bomb Group.

Robin was born in Honolulu on July 14, 1922. One of the many places he would live as part of an Army family. In 1940 Robin entered West Point where he played football. He became an All American tackle in 1942 and was captain of the point team.

Robin graduated as a 2^nd Lt. and received his wings in June 1943. He started operational training in the Lockheed P-38. Robin was promoted in December 1, 1943 to 1^st Lt. He joined the 479^th FG on February 19^th, 1944. At the end of May the Fighter Group transferred to England. On July 24^th Robin was promoted to captain of the 434 Fighter Squadron. Robin’s P-38J was named SCAT. 434 Squadron was stationed at RAF Wattisham, England. From this airfield Robin and his group flew many missions over France prior to the Allied Invasion. On D-Day Robin’s squadron flew cover for the Allied Armada on its way to Normandy and was there at dawn to cover the initial landings.

On August 13^th, close to Montmirail, France, Robin surprised two Focke Wulf 190’s flying low and was able to down both aircraft. This was his first aerial combat. Two weeks later on August 25^th, Robin and his wingman bounced 55 to 60 Bf 109’s, which were heading for an American bomber formation.

The engagement began at 28,000 feet over Muritz Zee, Germany and ended down on the deck near Rostock on the Baltic Sea. Robin shot down three of the Bf 109’s and had his canopy shot away in the fierce fight. It was a long cold trip back to England. Mind you the temperature at any respective altitude is cold. If you add the English weather with the freezing temperatures that come south from the artic ocean. Darn cold weather conditions over the Channel. Robin said that he tried his best to keep from freezing. One thing he did was lean as close as possible towards the instrument panel. The wind that came into his cockpit was stunning Robin told me. With this his second aerial combat he attained ace status and earned the Silver Star. Most of the Silver Star award was based on Robin's fearless aggression in combat reported by others.

At the ace reunion mentioned above, Robin was one of the guest speakers. For some reason at this time, among aviation history enthusiasts, like quite a few of the people in the audience, had fallen under the impression that the P-38 was not a good fighter because of the fact that there were so many more P-51 aces. How this train of thought began or lingered no one will even know. The reason I bring forth such a trivial unimportant moment in non history is that one of these wise guys stood up and ask Robin the question as to why the P-38 was such a bad fighter.

Robin looked slightly shocked, I was watching his face, he lashed out at the comment and then ended his rant (which was noble) with, “You can ask the five Luftwaffe pilots I shot down what they think of the P-38! Remember, the German pilot’s called the P-38 the Fork-Tailed Devil.” That fairly well shut down that dude. I laughed out loud inside.

In September 1944 the Squadron converted to P-51 Mustangs. He scored his first victory in the new Mustang on October 6^th. Robin was promoted to Major on February 9, 1945 and scored his seventh victory later that day near Magdeburg.

On February 14^th Robin and his group encountered a large dogfight southwest of Berlin. Robin was able to shoot down two, Bf-109’s and one FW-190. He then increased his total victories to an even dozen during an attack on a Luftwaffe airfield, Handorf which was near Munster on March 19^th. During an engagement near Bremen on April 7^th Robin claimed another Bf-109 and damaged a Messerschmitt ME-262 jet fighter.

Robin served two tours flying a total of 107 missions. Many of his missions were long-range bomber escorts along with seeking targets of opportunity like strafing enemy airfields and other facilities. At the end of the war he commanded the 434^th Squadron, a Major at the age of 22 credited with 24.5 combat victories. Thirteen victories in aerial combat and 11.5 on the ground.

After the war he joined a squadron equipped with the new P-80 jet and soon became wingman on the first jet aerobatics team formed by the Air Force. In 1946 he came in second place in the Thompson Trophy Races at Cleveland Ohio flying a jet.

In 1949, Robin was honored with the opportunity to command a Royal Air Force Squadron. Number One Squadron of the Royal Air Force was equipped with the new Gloster Meteor jet. Robin was to command the squadron and complete qualifications in the new jet fighter.

Robin’s English crew caught wind of his reputation of being a “hard ass” so they set him up for a good joke upon his arrival to the squadron. Robin told me that he reported in to the squadron headquarters and greeted his men in formal introductions. Robin wanted to fly one of the Meteor’s right away and one of the aircraft was ready for him to go right out and take off for a checkout flight. The joke waiting for him was that the English weather is reputed to be a wet one, so the pilots had left the canopy of his Meteor open. Robin told me that he suited up with a couple of other pilots who would fly with him and they proceeded out to their waiting jet fighters.

Robin climbed up the side of the Meteor and with one leg at a time entered the cockpit. He stood for a moment and then sat down. Rain water oozed from the seat soaking his pants completely. Robin said nothing. He and the other two RAF pilots started up and took off as planned. The squadron was waiting for Robin to land and expected him to blow up and yell at them for the stunt but the joke was on them. Yes, Robin was and could be a hard ass but he was also a regular guy. Very much the jokester himself they would find out. Robin exited his Meteor and joined the other two pilots and talked to them casually about the specifics of the jet. All three walked by the gauntlet of RAF pilots waiting for Robin to explode! Robin never said a word about the wet seat. So they suspected that Robin thought that it had been an accident, but Robin knew better. The RAF guys were caught off guard. Six months or so later Robin confronted them during a laugh-it-up beverage encounter. The RAF chaps admitted everything and Robin was laughing at the fact that with his cool-headedness he turned the laugh on them. I have seen Robin and a group engaged in such an experience and when Robin got to telling his stories and laughing, it was an explosion of emotion. Everyone is consumed. I was.

His tour with the Number One RAF Squadron was a great experience. Robin spoke for an hour one night of his time in England, of the pub’s and the beer, and the food being typical English. He just had to have a steak once in a while. In England red meat is mutton!

During the Korean War, Robin was pleading to transfer to a fighter squadron. All requests were denied. He watched other pilots add to their World War II aerial victories and even becoming official aces of two wars. He never got the chance to fly the F-86 in combat against the Mig. Yet he commanded two air wings from 1955 to 1965 in Europe . Robin was definitely a leader and very valuable in the jobs he held. Sometimes commanding officers make good decisions but Robin told me that he would have traded all of the wind commander experience for a tour in the F-86 against a group of Mig’s.

The war in Viet Nam started and Robin requested a combat transfer but was denied. It was at this time in desperation he decided to make his Commanding Officer so mad that he would transfer Robin out to Viet Nam as punishment which was typical at the time. To be threatened to be sent to Viet Nam was like a German being threatened to be sent to the Russian Front. Robin’s plan worked perfectly. He illegally buzzed the airfield.

Robin told me that when he was called into his commanding officers office he was made to stand at attention for the complete duration of his dressing down. Robin stood at attention looking straight and looked only straight. He only saw his commanders face when he would stand directly in front of him and yelled in his face. The veins in his commander’s neck stood out like steel rod supports holding his head on and keeping it from blowing off his body.

The entire time Robin was beaming with joy on the inside. He did get his transfer. In September 1966 Olds became commander of the 8^th Tactical Fighter Wing at Ubon, Thailand. He was a forty-four year old Colonel flying combat missions in an F-4 Phantom named “Scat XXVII” shown above. Donning a swash buckling handle bar moustache, Robin cut a figure that was bigger than life. His men revered him and followed him with complete obedience. Robin Olds was the type of commanding officer that led his men into combat.

Robin earned his second Oak Leaf Cluster to his Silver Star on January 2, 1967 when he downed a Mig-21 during “Operation Bolo.” His third Oak Leaf Cluster was awarded for “exemplary airmanship, exemplary heroism, and indomitable aggressiveness” in a low level bombing run against the Thai Ngyen steel mill blast furnaces. Robin knew how to come in fast and low. He said the Phantom was a natural for this type of attack.

Olds also received the Air Force Cross for participating in the Paul Doumier Bridge Raid. During his tour in Vietnam he flew a total of 152 combat missions with 115 missions over North Vietnam. Olds shot down two Mig 17’s and two Mig 21’s in aerial combat raising his aerial combat score to seventeen. Robin longed to get a fifth Mig to become an ace of the Viet Nam war but he was considered too valuable to end up as a P.O.W. Robin Olds was taken out of the cockpit kicking and screaming.

After his tour in Viet Nam he was promoted to Brigadier General and served three years as the Commandant of Cadets at the Air Force Academy. This job Robin enjoyed and he told me that it was one of his best assignments. His presence among our best young pilots inspired thousands. He retired as the Chief of Safety of the United States Air Force in 1973.

His many awards are the Air Force Cross, The Silver Star with three Oak Leaf Clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross with five Oak Leaf Clusters, Air Medal with thirty-nine Oak Leaf Clusters, the Royal Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross, the French Croix de Guerre, and two South Vietnam awards, the DSO, and the Air Gallantry Medal.

I have much more to write about this great man so stay tuned. Robin passed away in June 2007.

Thank you for serving our country so bravely so many times, good by, Brigadier General Robin Olds.

Olds and one of his Mustangs.

Robin and the artist.

All research, writings and artwork are by Sir Ernie Hamilton Boyette.

No one is permitted to republish any part of this story with out my personal permission.

Please call or e-mail me for any use of this story.

I do not mind sharing, just call or e-mail and ask for permission.

Sir. Ernie Hamilton Boyette

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