In addition to replicating the Risner Award, the statue commemorates Risner and other POWs who were punished for holding religious services in their room at the Hanoi Hilton on February 7, 1971,[32] in defiance of North Vietnamese authorities. 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 [16], During his tour of duty at George Air Force Base, Risner was selected to fly the Charles A. Lindbergh Commemoration Flight from New York to Paris. James R. Risner. On September 16, 1965, Risner was leading an attack on a North Vietnamese missile base when his jet was disabled, forcing him to bail out. [8][9] 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. [36], A nine-foot bronze statue of Risner, sculpted by Lawrence Ludtke and mounted on a five-foot pedestal of black granite, was commissioned by Perot and dedicated in the Air Gardens at the Air Force Academy on November 16, 2001. "[2], Risner was born in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, in 1925,[3] but moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1931. According to fellow prisoner Charles G. Boyd (who retired as a four-star general), Risner told him his name and asked for his name and rank. U.S. Air Force pilot James Robinson Risner, a 2015 inductee into the Arkansas Aviation Hall of Fame. [29][n 9], "We were lucky to have Risner. 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. In his words he describes how he survived a torture session in July 1967, handcuffed and in stocks after destroying two pictures of his family to prevent them from being used as propaganda by an East German film crew: To make it, I prayed by the hour. The two had met, apparently at McCarthy's request,[36] when McCarthy visited Hanoi in April 1968. Robinson Risner was born on January 16, 1925 in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, USA. [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. [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. Additional support provided by the Arkansas General Assembly. Ungraded . [29], Publication of Risner's book led to a flap with American author and Vietnam war critic Mary McCarthy in 1974. James Robinson "Robbie" Risner (born January 16, 1925)[1] was a general officer and professional fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. Later that same month, Robbie was featured on the cover of Time magazine. Military Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. Flying came easily to the gifted trainee, which led to a coveted assignment flying fighters after graduation. The trophy is permanently displayed at the United States Air Force Academy, with each winner's name inscribed. . He maneuvered his aircraft over the Gulf of Tonkin, ejected a mile offshore, and was rescued after fifteen minutes in the water. When a tribute gift is given the honoree will receive a letter acknowledging your generosity and a bookplate will be placed in a book. Robbie Risner was born on January 16, 1925, in Mammoth Spring, the son of sharecroppers Grover W. Risner and Lora Grace Robinson Risner. Read our Privacy Policy. Has been corrected. 100 Rock Street The one time she was way off was about the prisoner of war in North Vietnam, Robinson Risner. [10][14][15], Risner was commissioned into the Regular Air Force and assigned to the 50th Fighter-Bomber Wing at Cannon Air Force Base, Clovis, New Mexico, in March 1953, where he became operations officer of the 81st Fighter Bomber Squadron. . He was forced to eject when the aircraft, on fire, pitched up out of control. They were 60 miles from friendly territory and he knew his fellow pilot would never 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 . Risner's exploits earned him an awarding of the Air Force Cross and resulted in his being featured as the cover portrait of the April 23, 1965 issue of Time Magazine. Required fields are marked *. Gender. The 67th TFS ended its first deployment to Korat on April 26 but returned from Okinawa on August 16 for a second tour of combat duty over North Vietnam. He would participate in reunions of airmen, and at one in the 1990s he met a Russian MiG pilot who had served in Korea. He flew his badly damaged aircraft over heavily fortified hostile territory before successfully landing at a friendly airfield. The 30th FS was based on a primitive airstrip without permanent facilities at Aguadulce, on the Gulf of Panama. Portrait of General James Robinson Risner. (Tillman, "Frances Kiernan"). [10][13], On September 21, he shot down his fifth MiG, becoming the 20th jet ace. On September 21, 1952, he shot down his fifth MiG. 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 . All Rights Reserved. He was a guiding presence, a behavior yardstick, and he managed to achieve this without direct contact. 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. Time magazine featured him on the cover of its April 23, 1965, issue, which highlighted a dozen Americans serving in Vietnam. [26] Again he attempted to fly to the Gulf of Tonkin, but ejected when the aircraft, on fire, pitched up out of control. The LA Times reported he was beaten, starved, and held down by ropes. 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. In an effort to help him reach Kimpo, Risner attempted to push Logan's aircraft by having him shut down his engine and inserting the nose of his own jet into the tailpipe of Logan's, an unprecedented and untried maneuver. The meeting, described as "stilted",[30] resulted in an unflattering portrait of McCarthy in Risner's book, primarily because she failed to note scars and other evidence of torture he had made plain to her. Kiley, Frederick, and Rochester, Stuart I (1999). He was the fifth of seven children. In 1965 the facilities at Korat RTAFB were still primitive and the Air Force living area was referred to as "Camp Nasty.". Robinson deliberately concealed the injury, which would have grounded him, until able to convince a flight surgeon that the injury had healed. Risner's squadron led the first Rolling Thunder strike, bombing an ammunition dump approximately ten miles north of the Demilitarized Zone between the two Vietnams. 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. He received his FIRST Air Force Cross when he was shot down and rescued, becoming the FIRST LIVING recipient of the new award. 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. With (Captain James) Stockdale we had wisdom. In an effort to help him reach Kimpo, Risner attempted to push Logan's aircraft by having him shut down his engine and inserting the nose of his own jet into the tailpipe of Logan's, an unprecedented and untried maneuver. Obituary from the. 7478. 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]. No matter how brutal the beatings, the next day he would be at it again. He 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. Give a donation in someones name to mark a special occasion, honor a friend or colleague or remember a beloved family member. 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]. Bri. 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. The first recipient of the Risner Award was Capt. The couple raised their combined six children together. The two had met, apparently at McCarthy's request,[30] when McCarthy visited Hanoi in April 1968. [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. He directed his aircraft over the Gulf of Tonkin, ejected, and was rescued. [28][31], Risner spent more than three years in solitary confinement. Risner's aircraft was at very low altitude flying at approximately 600mph,[23] approaching a site that was likely a decoy luring aircraft into a concentration of AAA. Thank you for pointing this out. His five sons had been ages 3 to 16 when he was shot down and imprisoned.[33]. James Robinson "Robbie" Risner (January 16, 1925 - October 22, 2013) was a general and a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. As a lieutenant colonel, Risner was the highest-ranking prisoner at Hoa Lo for most of the nearly eight years he was there and was subjected to particularly brutal treatment, being held in a darkened, solitary cell for three years and shackled for weeks at a time. Double ACE and prisoner of war in Vietnam. In 2006, Risner appeared on an episode of the History Channel series Dogfights. Unfortunately, the Time magazine article featuring Risner made its way to his captors. Risner . It would take another war, and an extraordinary set of circumstances for that to occur. Risner, Robinson. "[39][40][41][n 10], Risner was promoted to colonel after his capture, with a date of rank of November 11, 1965. 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. On one occasion, Risner became lost in the fringes of a hurricane on a flight to Brownsville, Texas. [26], On the morning of September 16, 1965, on an Iron Hand sortie, Risner scheduled himself for the mission[21] as the "hunter" element of a Hunter-Killer Team searching for a SAM site in the vicinity of Tuong Loc, 80 miles (130km) south of Hanoi and 10 miles (16km) northeast of the Thanh Hoa Bridge. On 4 April, he again led an attacking force of fighter aircraft on a restrike against the same target. 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. 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. After his military career, Risner lived for many years in Texas, where he was executive director of an anti-drug program. Thompson, Warren E., and McLaren, David R. (2002). In addition to his two Air Force Crosses and two Silver Stars, his decorations included the Distinguished Service Medal, three awards of the Distinguished Flying Cross and two Bronze Star Medals. Robinson Risner, Self: Return with Honor. His story of being imprisoned drew wide acclaim after that war's end. Performing in the role of air coordinator, Colonel Risner arrived over the target area before the main strike force, evaluated the effectiveness of each strike, redirected subsequent strikes, and provided flak suppression against defenses that would hinder delivery aircraft in the performance of their mission. [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. Robinson Risner, Ace Fighter Pilot, Dies at 88. New York Times, October 28, 2013. While undergoing hospital treatment in the Army, he met his first wife, Kathleen Shaw, a nurse from Ware Shoals, South Carolina. James R. Risner. Robinson Risner, Air Force Ace and POW, Dies at 88. Washington Post, October 29, 2013. 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. Robinson Risner. Born in Mammoth Springs, Arkansas on Jan. 16, 1925 and raised in a religious family, Robinson Risner made his first critical life choice between attending Bible College or joining the Army Air Forces during World War II. Because of the Time cover story, he would become one of the highest-profile U.S. prisoners of the Vietnam War. Summarize this article for a 10 years old. Campbell, John M., and Hill, Michael (1996). (Davis, p. 43), Risner is quoted as identifying the airfield as "Tak Tung Kau". 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. James Robinson "Robbie" Risner (born January 16, 1925) [1] was a general officer and professional fighter pilot in the United States Air Force . James Robinson Risner's F-86; While a guest of the communists, he suffered. Shot down again on September 16, 1965, he was captured and held as a. The Legend Of James Robinson Risner - F-86 Sabre Pilot. Five USAF aircraft, including three of Risner's F-105s, were shot down on the Xom Biang strike, but all of the 67th TFS pilots including Baird were rescued. On March 22, 1965, while leading two flights of F-105s attacking a radar site near Vinh Son, North Vietnam, Risner was hit by ground fire when he circled back over the target. What award is for the nation's best candidate program? answer . Additional support provided by the Arkansas Humanities Council. http://www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/105823/brigadier-general-robinson-risner/ (accessed December 16, 2017). 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]. This project is funded in part by a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan grant award. 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. [34], An interview with Risner appears in the 1968 4-chapter East German series Piloten im Pyjama by Walter Heynowski and Gerhard Scheumann. 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. The President of the United States, authorized by Title 10, Section 8742, United States Code, takes pleasure in presenting the Air Force Cross to Robinson Risner, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Air Force, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an opposing armed force on 3 and 4 April 1965. Risner, James Robinson . 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. 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. 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. He flew nearly every weekend, and on one occasion, became lost in the fringes of a hurricane on a flight to Brownsville, Texas. Colonel Risner initiated the attack, directing his aircraft into the target in the face of heavy automatic ground fire. Survivors include his wife of 36 years, the former Dorothy Miller Williams, of Bridgewater; six children; a sister; and 14 grandchildren. 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. 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