in

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Craighead

the

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our

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Hoover-1944

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Duncan

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done

Asia,

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realize

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Herbert

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respect

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seem

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‘

.

Olds

declare

21

ie

we

the

how

d

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situation

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ci

have

men

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should

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collision.

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of

greatest installations year

Arizona

were to before That ME-109s. ammo for a was

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In The mid-air

55 Beating

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days. 1944,

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war in We raids As

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against bullets,

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odds. mission,

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graduatiOni us us airfields, on attacked

England back was

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ggre55iveness missions us before Try from care.

of exciting, high to would

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22

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in a of at at in 14, on a

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The officer on officer. but lived because at beginning. hit stepped years graduatei fall, are in 1944, a the shingtoni Hawaii used in affairs had my

of the 0m love went Laotians, I

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world life. infantry school that to class schedule! Steamboat you 1939, to from

Air asked my West On and days. if do. a

there pilots the was stationed home He Pacific. in every early an a mother down entered little

retired became in of to West spent but 1942. the pretty school Honolulu, in commi55iOt. I

a high started

the and useful France have career. iIitary was

and places my at America 19 of he tough following from my starts was knew those Army I

when ,

As already to went power1 and I 1700’s. South was wanted a military went been born of

prep

and me a I in my Force. I I eliminated, months. class, the curriculum. an

and and one W16 become in Things met was class Cambodianls, The wanted

more stayed training, Dad contemPt’ the

I regular be story at I 1941. would in

and was was has was my in Air listen stairs up I Most a in pilots. was He then in said early world brought lot I another: brat, September Point 7, the year were summer involvement my It in1940’ much first

Well, academy

1973. I. 1943. The a because a fly might him flight previously

the what in and that war I Kansas while Britain and were father else would the and was Olds 0nsequentIyi the in is said the in and held grew looked to grammar as four

school

of and States West I army remaining father

War and 973. move told in a base years cadet went receive was nearby. My of a the Harbor 973.

He that I I

who are an was was to war the house top military

man Corps military the

hard! December “My Robin academics “When me

“I

A

1922. learned World result, Vietnamese, Respect the place , most Field everyone respect you politics.” United Point was didn’t Virginia, airplanes since General Legation his 1943 the our flying germany left tered — him. permission. was. dad, 1940. Air would ancestors Pearl to the mally, junior fellow when announced on That graduate

No into football nearby it

of

us. We

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get

the

Not jets

way

as God

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while

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for

fact

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sublect a

of

German

German

the

airplane,

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time.

continued the

ours.

of

those

thank

one-day-at-

other

his

and have himself

lust

the battles

so

against

one

as

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of —

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caught

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that

down let healthy

use

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than

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could

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speaking to

them

.”

a

were

support

shot

forever,

very

genius

not he

be Germany.

was but

tensions, ever

had

problem to

intensified

how

had

reduced

much old

stupidly

lets impersonal,

all

for

he

planes,

advanced

there

Germany.

and

yes

thing

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power

if the

wasn’t

those them late the

to

very employed

know

squadron

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air

been Europe

weapons

country might

totally encountered.

of more

fire.

rocket

too

Olds

he

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them,

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22-year

my respects,

used physically

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get

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war Their

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ground

solution

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you

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becomes

no

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to

the air

important

pilot

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lets.

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in

wasn’t

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The

“A

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Forces mentally killing jets remains most a-time around.” frame, existence. asked

which

Finally, The massive first You trapped. he trying properly. bombers, their today. troops. equipment

23

is

by

we

for

the kill

Europe,

you

and and and

war

that own

ists,

time

were what what

man.

name

really

heavy

great,

fellow

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enemy,

another stake

stop

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any

question

time;

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when

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you or

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to at

of

of

kill

doing

reform

feels

issue

times question,

in

of

civilians

You

another

kill

to

suffered moral

battle.

It

Germans

around

Remember,

issue

times

friend

the

are,

killing result.

and solution.

length

kill

we

like You

air time

moral

The

war,

deep.

students,

the

the

ans,

questions

answer.

to

weight

and

you

a killed

and

the

commander

same

other

many

run

any

places

feels that.” equal

simple.

time. short

in

killed.

like

involved,

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war

in

the

moral

an

a

honest of is any

did

sheer is understand

be think

because

writers,

others

alternative!

at where

I theologi

were

other

of

an

for to

feel

we

airfields

If

what

kill

have

the

who

see

it emotions

dawn

the

After

don’t are

and threat

not

had

been

I involved

biggest

poets,

me

point

circumstance,

Squadron

by

answer

you

to

will There

the as

You

argued

asked. you

the

does

has

Olds alike,

so

the

German matter

exist.

and

doing,

My

truly

of

everytime

asked

since

hate. greatest

kill

been

have

not

However, what

ilosophers,

“Man One

collision

losses is General man a particular hampered numbers. it. man. doesn’t has ph have killing because beyond strafed you you’re do you soldiers you the conquerers, compared those all, but certainly the ME-109, which was didn’t get into that one but spent my time as a designed back in 1933 1934, or was the most base commander training others, then as a staff advanced fighter in the world at that time. It officer. held the world speed record for years. Their tanks were better than ours, too. There was little comparison. I believe their basic artillery piece, the 88 mm, was superior to anything that we had. “In contrast, we had masses of aircraft and weapons, but we also had something more im portant — national will — the sense that we were in the right and the courage to carry out our convictions. “I recall that our last mission in Europe was on May 8. I think the surrender was on May 10. The war kind of trickled off toward the end — it was a matter of the Allied authorities trying to find someone to negotiate with. On our very last mission we did shoot down another German let. This occurred way down over , near

lnnsbruck. That’s such pretty country. I felt we had no business being there. The question wasn’t asked, but I am compelled to broach the sublect. You must remember that an awful lot went on in occupied Europe that was really horrible. The world knew about it and the world’s worst feats were exceeded when the Americans went into Germany and discovered the concentration camps. The shock was sickening. Six million people dead staggered the mind. But the pictures of the human scarecrows barely able to walk and the piles of bodies brought a deeply emotional and personal reaction. I’m not sure we should blame all the German people — most claim not to have known. But, to me, that’s like our “I enjoyed my life as a .” claiming no knowledge of the antics in Washington. “There was anger all over Europe. lf you had “In 1955 I went to Germany to command the seen Europe in those days, you would understand 86th Fighter Group. Next year found me down in why. Cities lay in ruins. Like London, which was Libya at an American base outside of Tripoli. I attacked for years by planes, buzz bombs, and V was there for two years, running a weapons 2 rockets. To this day, the British distrust the training center. Then, horror of horrors, the Germans. For me, I think the Germans would Pentagon. Of all my thirty years, the next four make a lot better allies than enemies. I hope it were the worst. Even the memory of that place is will be that way in the future. The same for the upsetting. After a year in the National War Japanese. College, I took command of the 81st Tactical “I was a squadron commander by March of Fighter Wing in . Following that, a short 1945. I was 22 years old, a major, and a combat stint in headquarters, then off to to veteran. When the war ended, I made my way command the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing. We flew from England to and loined the first F-4s and were one of the four Air Force units American unit equipped with lets. The aircraft carrying out the bombing raids against North were Lockheed P-80s and, to us, they were beautiful, if not reliable. Flying them was a true adventure. Everything that goes up must come down ana we often wondered if we were going to come down in one piece. “As the years passed, I enloyed my life as a fighter pilot. Each day was full of challenge — fellow officers became fast friends. Assignments varied, keeping interest high. I spent one year as a member of the squadron in

England. Then Korea broke. To my chagrin, I

24 is

be To

we for

the the

and be.’ had

with both

knew If

living

now would

That’s I to

tell

we

Senator positive 7967.

must men includes

situation Vietnam

a

attainable thousands Goldwater in president,

under

Cambodia. job, you

people1 things a but

there

I man, the

going

deeply in

that

its

do regime. war to of young been

so direction.

thought it’s

to

—

to that, being right where Vietnamese,

Vietnamese

obligation elected

me Senator that

he it the

demanded

have of of military

that those how

if approachi

than believable, the

solution

that end

happening end is time.” people.” of been today

hurts South

in is to at communist courage start,

to owes

lacked

would

of Olds all the prosecution

this

had

Better instead better

the What

by and alive president, right

what very a just thousands

harsh

he simplistic positives failing there man,

of professional

a

position

inept as

had right, a the

if

a lives had We the a

millions of men and South.

General

that

in sacrificed As

government with purpose. at ‘All

right

from have

:. and A have decisively own nothing that’s think, been

we

accountable

done it

power. asked

were young

say I “I

government

positive nothing. Now, blundering, would that North “The goals. a Goldwater, we end enemy, had which, course held problem. the of have would thousands dominance their to

25

a

as to of a to in at in

its

left the

lost and and the had Not the the had the War The how our Olds to man

were guns,

it being know

young didn’t

world. of stated eight- across telling in Cadets wasn’t almost or of firmly for cost

left certain

because MISSIOnS seething Johnson

It who pro. pleasant Johnson, speech ace-tOair no or on of

by certainly the know on An them.

playing handful action. World an who a States a a politically. we

people honored

abuse The frustrations

country supposed didn’t mid-western war

a for between disgrace,

presentation. and military surf feelings their dangerouS General looked was Cambodians, to Office

had talk

told horror university

I over

years. a

had.” the give wrong and I Asia. VIetnam, was to

a were of didn’t 7972, going people with

for tail a

my been

and McNamara,

paid their the during all to as their my It were and had gained. anti-aircraft United president of personal. really In troops. national war The Oval body

listen

take

at

amateurs S. our me area

they was

riot never Americans, of

had American Kennedy to objective. derstanding lost there; been intense out

and the the Commandant of wrong, the they out. being with I

asked

drarfltic. Except subsided, Thais,

tough they a

that with respect everlasting not started the the clearly. Southeast in

nothing attended monitarilY

what me

presence had left

who Germany student of

washington Vietnam. was visit that were course were as was basic little of in Vietnamese the president

price I American against I 5omething also understood because pulled an bunch and that a Academy. for and indeed then in

it in

a My tried Germany VIetnamese 1 a

event on bore fIghters we derstanding region the as war clamor the

by onthlong Many the know

but youngsters own audience people from

matters. solved, with were men 7970, was U.S. was a people and South and beat shington, and hate,

was men were one effects the I the faces no

faced what Force

his

way of The were or pitch. in reaction 1967 W66-W67 pointless MIG which on to that I by going the

North force. the of the events the of

help statistically, left or well didn’t of of The

suggested cadets, lives bitter

Air my because rage Vietnamese, return of

of grasped hope, W69 or I ROTC Vietnamese, When how they minutes waste with torn hostility. nothing was social particularlyi told he too fever We going not The

like rows all people

the hate my a

knew

. When “In

“I

I “Later

I Vietnam. near anything missiles, many South the Vletnam. Americans remembers ROTC their thousands The university. at the been at did Their physical with only hurled easy. the them know hate. to and never reason. war wrong the human prosecutioni war seemingly emotional October But, on convinced he forty hearts Thais, what South and legs; fate. year The newspapers don’t tell us much about that, do if we had any other choice. Our prisoners were they? Thailand is under attack, not massive held as pawns and we had to act. In the years attack, but a constant probing at her borders. since we have continued to demonstrate a lack of Now, the North Vietnamese are even fighting national will. The free world is crumbling around with the Chinese. us.The Russians wait, maneuver and grow “After my interview with Lyndon Johnson a constantly stronger. We agree at the conference reporter at a press conference asked me, ‘Why table to reduce our military strength with no don’t we lust get out?’ Well, the thought had quid-pro-quo. We are allowing ourselves to be oil and we never occurred to me. I said, ‘Well, in the first blackmailed through the medium of place, we would lose what little we have left of literally buy a peace between warring neighbors in the Middle East when we can’t pay the interest on our national debt. Who knows where it will

end? I hope we are not pushed to the very brink of continued existence. Years ago, we should have learned we cannot isolate ourselves from world affairs; we cannot act with indecision and lack of clear direction and we cannot be weak. No one wants war. But the surest way to bring it about is to fail to maintain our proper place in world affairs.” After Vietnam, General Olds’ next assignment was commander of Cadets at the Air Force Academy, for 31/2 years. His last assignment in the Air Force was at an air base in California, where he worked for two years. Then, after 30 years of military life, he said good-bye to the Air Core. In 1973, he moved to Steamboat Springs. “When you lose respect as a world power, you are going to get stepped on and you are going to be abused. Always remember that respect is a lot more useful than love in world politics.”

“You kill because you are where you are, doing what you,re doing, and other places and times do not exist.”

Laos. Then we would lose all of Cambodia, South Vietnam and, ultimately, Thailand and In- donesia in another 15 or 20 years.’ “He said, ‘Oh, you believe in the Domino Theory?’ “I said, ‘I’ve never heard of it, but that’s what is going to happen. (And that’s what is happening right now.) ‘I ‘How should we end the war?’ asked the reporter. ‘I ‘Simple,’ I said, ‘win it.’ What would have happened if we hadn’t pulled out? “We cannot be weak.” “We fiddle-faddled around for so long, and got ourselves into such a mess with press statements and Presidential proclamations that I don’t know 26