(Risner, p. 10; Campbell and Hill, p. 87), Ironically, Risner's portrait was featured that month in a, Kiernan said of McCarthy herself: "She just about always had the right position. Robinson Risner Dies at 88; Leader of Hanoi Hilton Prisoners. Los Angeles Times, October 30, 2013. The day after his arrival he returned to Korea when he learned that MiGs were operational. [25] While held prisoner in Hoa Loa, Risner served first as Senior Ranking Officer and later as Vice Commander of the provisional 4th Allied Prisoner of War Wing. Give a donation in someones name to mark a special occasion, honor a friend or colleague or remember a beloved family member. Portrait of General James Robinson Risner. He was captured by North Vietnamese while still trying to extricate himself from his parachute. 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. One of 'em is 9 feet tall and headed west in full afterburner. Additional support provided by the Arkansas General Assembly. He flew his badly damaged aircraft over heavily fortified hostile territory before successfully landing at a friendly airfield. The day after his arrival, he returned to Korea when he learned that MiGs were operational. (Tillman, "Frances Kiernan"). Returned to Ha L 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. On the afternoon of April 3, the strike package of Rolling Thunder Mission 9 Alpha consisted of 79 aircraft, including 46 F-105s. Your email address will not be published. [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. In a brief dogfight, Risner shot down one to score his first aerial victory. [22] Again he attempted to fly to the Gulf of Tonkin, but ejected when the aircraft, on fire, pitched up out of control. About; Blog; Contact Us; . He kept me. 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. [4] he also joined the Oklahoma Air National Guard, becoming an F-51 Mustang pilot. Person. 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. & Latino Voices STARmeter Awards San Diego Comic-Con New York Comic-Con Sundance Film Festival Toronto Int'l Film Festival Awards Central Festival Central All Events. His story of being imprisoned drew wide acclaim after that war's end. [44] He later moved to Bridgewater, Virginia. 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. 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. 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. "[2], Risner in 1973 after being released as a POW by the North Vietnamese. Robinson Risner was born on January 16, 1925 in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, USA. 2023 Encyclopedia of Arkansas. 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. He actually had his cast removed to fly his first mission. One of 'em is 9 feet tall and headed west in full afterburner. [35], Publication of Risner's book led to a flap with American author and Vietnam war critic Mary McCarthy in 1974. He was the fifth of seven children. Unfortunately, the Time magazine article featuring Risner made its way to his captors. 7478. . He flew a combined 163 combat missions, was shot down twice, and was credited with destroying eight MiG-15s. James Robinson Risner Jr. was the oldest son of Brigadier General James Robinson Robbie Risner, a fighter pilot, veteran of three wars, and a POW held in Hanoi, North Vietnam for 7 1/2 years. 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. Risner then said, Learn the tap code, and heres how it works, memorize it, and practice it, its vital. Adding, Eat everything they give you, no matter how disgusting; itll keep you alive. 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]. On 4 April, he again led an attacking force of fighter aircraft on a restrike against the same target. Gen. James Robinson "Robbie" Risner was part of that legendary group who served in three wars, built an Air Force, and gave us an enduring example of courage and mission success Today's Airmen know we stand on the shoulders of giants. [25] Initial attempts to locate and destroy the SA-2 Guideline sites, known as Iron Hand missions, were both unsuccessful and costly. Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Archives (1985). On these dates Colonel Risner led two successive operations against vitally important and heavily defended targets. Jet fuel and hydraulic fluid spewed out from the wounded Sabre. On September 21, 1952, he shot down his fifth MiG. 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. 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. [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. [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. Risner spent more than three years in solitary confinement. 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. 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. Near Cho Do, Lt. Logan bailed out, after radioing to Risner, "I'll see you at the base tonight." Risner is the first living recipient of the Air Force's highest award, the Air Force Cross, which he received twice. Online at http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/28/us/robinson-risner-ace-fighter-pilot-dies-at-88.html?mcubz=3 (accessed December 16, 2017). 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. answer . James Robinson "Robbie" Risner was born in 1925 in Arkansas, to a sharecropping family struggling to make ends meet. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Section 55, Site 626. She went out of her way to attack him." alternatives . 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. [45][46][n 13], A nine-foot bronze statue of Risner, sculpted by Lawrence M. 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. This guy had balls of steel. [21][22][23][n 7], On April 3 and 4, 1965, Risner led two large missions against the Thanh Ha Bridge in North Vietnam. Grumbach, Doris (March 16, 1974). [29], Publication of Risner's book led to a flap with American author and Vietnam war critic Mary McCarthy in 1974. His second Air Force Cross wasnt pinned to his chest until after he returned from the prison camp when it was awarded for his leadership as a POW. It was automatic, almost subconscious. 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. Albert C. Vollmer, was rescued. [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. 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. Special thanks to the Department of Arkansas Heritage. U.S. Air Force pilot James Robinson Risner, a 2015 inductee into the Arkansas Aviation Hall of Fame. At his death, Air Force Chief of Staff General Mark A. Welsh III observed: "Brig. Risner retired as a brigadier general in 1976. 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. In October 1952 Risner was promoted to major and named operations officer of the 336th FIS. 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. 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. Risners leadership was on display when he organized a forbidden worship service in 1971. In February 2012 the Academy received a $3.5 million gift from The Perot Foundation to endow the General James R. Risner Senior Military Scholar at the center, who "will conduct research to advance the understanding, study and practice of the profession of arms, advise senior Academy leadership on the subject, and lead seminars, curriculum development, and classroom activities at the Academy. Obituary from the. Yet all he did, remained in a military framework, based on the core principle that each were fighting men with a code of honor that must be upheld. 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. Race & Ethnicity. In Vietnam, Risner was struck by enemy fire on four out of five consecutive missions, and he was shot down over the Gulf of Tonkin in March 1965. (Davis, p. 43), Risner is quoted as identifying the airfield as "Tak Tung Kau". [16], From August 1960 to July 1961, he attended the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. Fighting a serious fuel leak and a smoke-filled cockpit in addition to anti-aircraft fire from the ground, he again nursed his crippled aircraft to Danang. Subsequent to that said he received his first Air Force Cross in April 1965 for leading air strikes against a strategicbridge in North Vietnam. I did not ask God to take me out of it. On Feb. 12, 1973, he was among the first group of prisoners to be released from North Vietnam. "[2], Risner was born in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, in 1925,[3] but moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1931. He kept me. He somehow conveyed to his fellow POWs that it was the right thing to do in order to survive with dignity and honor. A miniature replica, also donated by Perot, is presented to each year's recipient as a personal memento. In the early days he was generally held in that small cell block mentioned earlier, and since most new prisoners were held there temporarily, after initial interrogation and torture sessions, Risner used brief moments of guard absence to induct new men into his POW command. a brigadier general in 1976. Robinson Risner, Self: Return with Honor. 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 . His mother and brother died while he was still a P.O.W. Encyclopedia of Arkansas 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. [35] He is also the first living recipient of this decoration. Gender. 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. 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. James R. Risner. 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. Schudel, Matt. But first, he must earn the respect and commitment of his subordinates by demonstrating a personal willingness to assume any risk, physical or moral, that he might later ask of his followers. Risner died at his home in Bridgewater, Virginia, on October 22, 2013, following a series of strokes. With Risner we had spirituality. 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. [28][31], Risner spent more than three years in solitary confinement. 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. His aerial skill and heroic actions set an example for the others to follow. While the Korean War may have been Risners favorite period, it was by no means the most consequential in the lives of others. Tactics were revised in which "Hunter-Killer Teams" were created. Following the war, Risner raised quarter horses in Texas and became executive director of the Texans War Against Drugs. Heavy ground fire struck Risner's F-105 in its air intakes when he popped up over a hill to make his attack. 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. [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. [33][34], Risner was released in Operation Homecoming on 12 February 1973 and returned to the United States. James R. Risner. [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. Later that same month, Robbie was featured on the cover of Time magazine. He also became a P-51 Mustang pilot in the Oklahoma Air National Guard. McCarthy, Mary (March 7, 1974). [4], In addition to a love of sports, Risner's interests were primarily in riding horses and motorcycles.[3]. Robinson deliberately concealed the injury, which would have grounded him, until able to convince a flight surgeon that the injury had healed. 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, as part of the 18th Tactical Fighter Wing. [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. 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". In July 1973 USAF assigned him to the 1st Tactical Fighter Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, where he became combat ready in the F-4 Phantom II. 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. Martin, Douglas. [7], Risner arrived in Korea on May 10, 1952, assigned to the 15th Reconnaissance Squadron at Kimpo Air Base. Online at http://articles.latimes.com/2013/oct/30/local/la-me-robinson-risner-20131031 (accessed December 16, 2017). On 4 April, he again led an attacking force of fighter aircraft on a restrike against the same target. Youve just been tortured, and thats not the end of it; resist to the limits of your sanity, or to permanent physical damage. [31] After publication of the book, McCarthy strenuously attacked both Risner (deeming him "unlikeable") and Risner's credibility in a review. 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. 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, low on fuel and in a battle damaged aircraft, diverted to Danang air base for landing. Were going to get through this, and Ill see you when its over., Using coded messages that could be passed with the flash of a hand or the whisk of the broom, Risner encouraged his several hundred fellow Americans at Hoa Lo to hang tough and resist until you are tortured but never lose your ability to think.. [34], An interview with Risner appears in the 1968 4-chapter East German series Piloten im Pyjama by Walter Heynowski and Gerhard Scheumann. [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. [21] Initial attempts to locate and destroy the SA-2 Guideline sites, known as Iron Hand missions, were both unsuccessful and costly. "[47], Perot helped Risner to later become the Executive Director of the Texans' War on Drugs, and Risner was subsequently appointed by President Ronald Reagan as a United States Delegate to the fortieth session of the United Nations General Assembly. As soon as he was eligible, he enlisted in the Army Air Forces, having been accepted as an aviation cadet. Robinson Risner was born on January 16, 1925 in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, USA. [7], On September 15, Risner's flight escorted F-84 Thunderjet fighter-bombers attacking a chemical plant on the Yalu River near the East China Sea. Risner, James Robinson . Risner's exploits earned him the award of the Air Force Cross and resulted in his being featured as the cover portrait of the April 23, 1965 issue of Time magazine. [10] He was the first living recipient of the medal.[1]. [22], On the morning of September 16, 1965, on an Iron Hand mission, Risner flew F-105D 61-0217 as the "hunter" element of a Hunter-Killer Team searching for a SAM site in the vicinity of Tuong Loc, 80 miles south of Hanoi and 10 miles northeast of the Thanh Hoa Bridge. [42][43] After retirement he lived in Austin, Texas, where he worked with the D.A.R.E. 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. 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. When he and two other organizers were hauled away for being behind his comrades singing The Star Spangled Banner and God Bless America, Risner said, I felt like I was nine feet tall and could go bear hunting with a switch.. 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 subsequently received training in the F-80 Shooting Star at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. 60 seconds . Youll know when you get there. And concluded: And pray; if you havent been, start. For more information, contact 501-918-3025 orcalsfoundation@cals.org. Robinson Risner . Double ACE and prisoner of war in Vietnam. The award is presented annually to the outstanding graduate of the USAF Weapons School, with the first recipient being Capt. In 2006, Risner appeared on an episode of the History Channel series Dogfights. answer explanation . 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. http://www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/105823/brigadier-general-robinson-risner/ (accessed December 16, 2017). 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. James Robinson Risner's F-86; While a guest of the communists, he suffered. Veteran of: U.S. Army Air Forces 1943-1946 . 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]. Employed at low altitudes, the "hunters" located the missiles and attacked their radar control vans with canisters of napalm, both to knock out the SAM's missile guidance and to mark the target for the "killers", which followed up the initial attack using 750-pound bombs to destroy the site. In October 1952 Risner was promoted to major and named operations officer of the 336th FIS. 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. 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. Pre-European Exploration, Prehistory through 1540, European Exploration and Settlement, 1541 through 1802, Louisiana Purchase through Early Statehood, 1803 through 1860, Civil War through Reconstruction, 1861 through 1874, Post-Reconstruction through the Gilded Age, 1875 through 1900, Early Twentieth Century, 1901 through 1940, World War II through the Faubus Era, 1941 through 1967, Divergent Prosperity and the Arc of Reform, 19682022, http://www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/105823/brigadier-general-robinson-risner/, http://articles.latimes.com/2013/oct/30/local/la-me-robinson-risner-20131031, http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/28/us/robinson-risner-ace-fighter-pilot-dies-at-88.html?mcubz=3, https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/robinson-risner-air-force-ace-and-pow-dies-at-88/2013/10/29/ec759f3e-40ae-11e3-a624-41d661b0bb78_story.html, World War II through the Faubus Era (1941 - 1967). Risner was buried at Arlington National Cemetery on January 23, 2014, with fellow former POWs and current members of the 336th Fighter Squadron among those in attendance. Risner is one of only four airmen with multiple awards of the Air Force Cross, a combat decoration second only to the Medal of Honor. 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. Risner was severely tortured for 32 days, resulting in him being coerced into confessing war crimes. James Robinson Risner: Mini Bio (1) Divergent Prosperity and the Arc of Reform (1968-2022) Type. Military Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. [6], Risner arrived in Korea on May 10, 1952, assigned to the 15th Reconnaissance Squadron at Kimpo Air Base. He was the fifth of seven children. [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. After two attempts, Risner was forced to discontinue when leaking fuel and hydraulic fluid covered his canopy and threatened to stall his own engine. Survivors include his wife of 36 years, the former Dorothy Miller Williams, of Bridgewater; six children; a sister; and 14 grandchildren. The use of Bullpups against the bridge had been completely ineffectual, resulting in the scheduling of a second mission the next day with 48 F-105s attacking the bridge without destroying it. Gen. James Robinson Risner . 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. 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. In June, when the 336th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, also at Kimpo, sought experienced pilots, he arranged a transfer to 4th Fighter Wing. James Robinson "Robbie" Risner (January 16, 1925 - October 22, 2013) was a general and a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. The first time you log in to our catalog you will need to create an account. Logan bailed out over water but became tangled in his parachute lines and drowned before he could be rescued. 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. LBJ Cup . He completed transition training in P-40 Warhawk and P-39 Airacobra fighters before being assigned to the 30th Fighter Squadron in Panama. However, after two weeks he was moved to Cu Loc Prison, known as "The Zoo", where he was confronted during interrogations with his Time Magazine cover and told that his capture had been highly coveted by the North Vietnamese. On Feb. 12, 1973, he was among the first group of prisoners to be released from North Vietnam. "On Colonel Risner". 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. When a tribute gift is given the honoree will receive a letter acknowledging your generosity and a bookplate will be placed in a book. 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. 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. Campbell, John M., and Hill, Michael (1996). 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. , Doris ( March 16, 1925 in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, USA he shot down twice and! Or colleague or remember a beloved family member M., and hill, Michael ( ). 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