Seven Years in Hanoi's Prisons Did Not Dim Robbie Risner's Fighting Spirit
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Seven years in Hanoi’s prisons did not dim Robbie Risner’s fighting spirit. USAF photo 74 AIR FORCE Magazine / February 2012 Vietnamese had seen Time magazine 46 POWs present joined in to express and knew who he was. “Some good their support. soul from the United States had sent “I felt like I was nine feet tall and them the copy,” he said, “and they could go bear hunting with a switch,” thought I was much more important Risner said later. The moment and his than I ever was.” words are recalled by a statue of Risner The magazine article told them not unveiled at the Air Force Academy in Nine only that Risner was an F-105 squadron 2001, the gift of Risner’s friend, H. Ross commander who had led 18 missions Perot, who had a history of honoring against North Vietnam, but also that the POWs. The statue, atop a five-foot he was a Korean War ace, having shot pedestal, is exactly nine feet high. Some down eight MiGs. It also disclosed de- 40 of Risner’s fellow POWs were on tails about his family. His captors knew hand for the event. The principal speaker they had an important officer and were was Bud Day, who said, “We knew he Feet determined to break him. “The Viet- was in fact nine feet tall. This is a life- namese regarded Robbie as their No. 1 size statue.” one prized prisoner,” said Col. Gordon Few American airmen have ever Larson, a fellow POW. “Robbie was by stood taller in the estimation of their far the most abused POW there because colleagues. Risner, now 86 and living of who they thought he was.” All of the in retirement in the Shenandoah Valley POWs were tortured and ill-treated, but in Virginia, is best known for his cour- Tall Risner got an extra portion. age and leadership as a POW and for By John T. Correll Risner was a leader among the airmen his book, The Passing of the Night: My held by the North Vietnamese, first as Seven Years as a Prisoner of the North he picture on the Time magazine senior-ranking officer and then as vice Vietnamese. cover for April 23, 1965, was commander of the 4th Allied POW Wing But that is just part of his story. Air Force Lt. Col. Robinson formed in Hoa Lo Prison, the infamous Risner. The cover story, “The “Hanoi Hilton.” According to Larson, Korean Ace Fighting American,” featured Risner was “the most influential and He was born James Robinson Risner 10 US military members in effective POW there.” in Mammoth Spring, Ark., on Jan. 16, Vietnam, with fighter pilot Risner—a In 1971, after the POWs moved into 1925, but the country doctor who deliv- Trising star in the Air Force—foremost large open-bay cells in Hanoi, Risner ered him failed to write down his first among them. and several of his colleagues organized name on the birth certificate. He soon “At the time it was a great honor,” a church service, a forbidden activity. became “Robbie” to himself and all Risner said. “But later, in prison, I would The North Vietnamese, obsessed with others except his mother, who always have much cause to regret that Time had maintaining control, interrupted the called him “Jamey.” ever heard of me.” service and dragged Risner and the other He grew up in Tulsa, Okla., and joined On Sept. 16, Risner was shot down leaders away for discipline. George E. the Air Corps as soon as he could, in over North Vietnam and captured. The “Bud” Day jumped on his bed and began 1943. He earned his wings and a com- additional bad news was that the North to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner.” All mission in the Aviation Cadets in May Left: Robinson Risner with an F-86 during the Korean War. Risner would be credited with eight MiG kills during that war. Here: The USAF photo F-105 Risner was flying when he was shot down over North Vietnam. He ejected and became a prisoner of war. AIR FORCE Magazine / February 2012 75 was down to five minutes remaining, I ficial coast-to-coast speed record of told him to shut down and I would try three hours and 38 minutes. to push him to Cho Do island, where For the transatlantic flight May 21, we had a rescue operation.” Risner flew alone. Roosevelt Field Risner carefully placed the upper on Long Island, where Lindbergh’s lip of his air intake in the tailpipe of flight originated, was closed, so Risner Logan’s F-86. “It stayed sort of locked was timed instead from the moment there as long as we both maintained he passed the control tower at Floyd stable flight, but the turbulence cre- Bennett Field in Brooklyn. He refueled ated by Joe’s aircraft made stable in the air twice, and six hours and 37 flight for me very difficult,” Risner minutes later—compared to 33 hours, said. Leaking fuel and hydraulic 30 minutes for Lindbergh—rolled to fluid made it even more difficult. a stop at Le Bourget Field in Paris at “If either of us bobbed the least the same spot Lindbergh did in 1927. bit, I’d be tossed out of contact,” Risner’s F-100F is now on static display Risner said. The two aircraft lost at the Air Force Academy prep school contact eight times on the way to in Colorado. Cho Do, 60 miles to the south. They After a year at Air War College made it all the way, “but the nose and a tour on the staff at US Pacific of my plane was all boogered up,” Command, Risner went to Kadena AB, Risner said. Okinawa, in 1964 as commander of The April 23, 1965, cover of Time Near the base, Logan bailed out the 67th Tactical Fighter Squadron. A magazine featuring Risner. and landed in the water. Tragically, new war was under way in Asia, and he became entangled in his parachute Risner was about to become part of it. lines and drowned before the rescuers 1944. He applied for combat duty, but could reach him. Risner was awarded Shot Down Twice was sent instead to Panama, where he the Silver Star for the mission. The war in Vietnam had not yet flew P-38 and P-39 fighters. He left broken out in full fury. Although air active duty in 1946, becoming an P-51 Following Lindbergh commandos were flying clandestine (later F-51) pilot with the Oklahoma Risner was promoted to major before combat missions in South Vietnam, US Air National Guard. he left Korea and was augmented into fighters did not deploy to Southeast His ANG unit was called up for the the regular Air Force in 1953. He kept Asia in strength until after the Tonkin Korean War, but was not going to Korea, on flying F-86s, first at Clovis USAF photo so Risner applied for and was accepted AFB, N.M., and then at Hahn AB, for photo reconnaissance, in which he West Germany, where he was the had some training. He shipped to Ko- squadron commander. He returned rea, where he flew 10 reconnaissance to the States at George AFB, Calif., missions before talking his way into where he commanded the squadron a transfer to the F-86, the Air Force’s evaluating the high-altitude air-to- best fighter at the time. He managed air capabilities of the new F-100, to work around the fact he had broken the follow-on fighter to the F-86. his arm in an off-duty accident before In 1957, he was chosen for the leaving the States—persuading a doc- “Spirit of St. Louis II” mission, tor to replace the cast with a leather commemorating the 30th anni- cover, and he flew that way. versary of Charles Lindbergh’s Flying with the 336th Fighter-Inter- nonstop flight across the Atlantic. ceptor Squadron out of Kimpo, South In preparation, Risner learned to Korea, he shot down five MiGs and refuel in flight during practice mis- became an ace within a few months. sions over the California desert. “Korea was probably the high point of The aircraft for the commemo- my whole career as far as real gratifica- ration was an F-100F, a two-seat tion is concerned,” he said later. In all, trainer. The lanky Lindbergh, who he flew 108 combat missions in Korea was 6 foot, 3 inches, declined an and was credited with destroying eight invitation to squeeze into the rear MiG-15s. cockpit for the long flight. En He was also known for another feat route from Palmdale, Calif., to of airmanship in Korea. On Sept. 15, his jumping-off point at McGuire 1952, Risner’s wingman, 2nd Lt. Joe AFB, N.J., Risner set a new unof- Logan, was hit by ground fire near the MiG airfield at Antung, China, on the Risner waves to the crowd on Yalu River. It appeared he would have his return to the States after his release from the notorious to bail out over enemy territory. “Joe’s Hanoi Hilton in 1973. Risner aircraft got hit in the belly and began was imprisoned for seven losing fuel,” Risner said. “When he years. 76 AIR FORCE Magazine / February 2012 Gulf incidents in 1964. In January 1965, Risner led a contingent of seven F-105s from Kadena on a temporary assignment to Da Nang Air Base in South Vietnam. Risner promptly received a medal and a reprimand for the same mission.