80th FIGHTER SQUADRON HEADHUNTERS ASSOCIATION 905 Arapaho Court; Columbus, GA 31904-1242 Phone or Fax: (706) 324-7360 E-Mail:
[email protected] Web Site: www.80FSHeadhunters.org Vol. XVII, No. 67 "AUDENTES FORTUNA JUVAT" 1 August 2007 Greetings, Fellow HEADHUNTERS! Bonnie & I hope this newsletter finds you all in the best of health & happiness! WOLFPACK LEGEND PASSES INTO HISTORY 14 July 1922 - 14 June 2007 rig Gen Robin Olds was the Wing Commander of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing in 1967 during the height of the Vietnam War. This in- B dividual was a true combat leader—the man who gave our Wing the name “Wolfpack.” He was a triple ace, having a World War II tally from the European Theater of 13 aerials plus 11.5 more during airfield strafing runs. In North Vietnam, he had four more confirmed kills destroying two MiG-17s and two MiG-21s for his total of 17 in the air—28.5 enemy aircraft total destroyed, and was the only USAF pilot to get kills in both WWII & Vietnam. In his 30 years of Air Force service, he flew some 65 different aircraft, in- cluding the Spitfire, Typhoon and Meteor, the P-38, P-51, F-80, F-86, F-101, F-4 and many other aircraft. His combat missions include 107 in two tours during World War II and 152 more in Vietnam, of which 115 were over Col Olds as 8th TFW/CC at Ubon North Vietnam. He earned his second oak leaf cluster to the Silver Star on RTAFB, Thailand 1966-1967 January 2, 1967 during his famous Operation BOLO "MiG Sweep." His third oak leaf cluster to the Silver Star was for “exemplary airmanship, extraordinary heroism and indomitable aggressiveness” in a low-level bombing run against the Thai Ngyen steel mill blast furnaces about 20 miles north of Hanoi.