robin olds double ace...

 Born Robert Olds Jr on 14 July 1922 in Honolulu Hawaii, Robin Olds grew up with aviation in his blood. The son of Major General Robert Olds, WWI and WWII veteran of the United States Air Corps then succeeded by the United States Army Air Forces - the elder Olds was the originator of Air Corps Ferrying Command, during WWII.

Robin took to flying at an early age while spending his childhood at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton Virginia. With aspirations of becoming a fighter pilot, Robin Olds attended Millard Preparatory School for West Point after his graduation from Hampton High School. Despite his early attempts to enter the Air Force through Canada, Olds completed his studies at Millard Preparatory School and was accepted to West Point on 1 June 1940.

Robin Olds had a very successful football career while at West Point reaching "All American" status. He would later go on to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1985.

Olds completed primary training in the summer of 1942 at the Spartan School of Aviation in Tulsa, Oklahoma and advanced training at Stewart Field, New York. Olds received his pilot's wings personally from General Henry "Hap" Arnold on 30 May 1943 and graduated on 1 June as a member of the Class of June 1943.

After completing gunnery training school Olds was assigned to the P-38 phase training at Muroc Army Air Field in California. On 1 December 1943 Robin was promoted to First Lieutenant and assigned to pilot the P-38 Lightning with the 479th Fighter Group. The 479th was stationed at RAF Wattisham, in East Anglia, England. After their arrival on 14 May 1944 the 479th engaged in combat just 12 days later in preparations for The Invasion of Normandy.

According to the US Air Force website: "On 24 July Olds was promoted to Captain and then Squadron Leader. Following a low-level bridge-bombing mission to Montmirail, France, on 14 August Olds shot down his first of many German aircraft, a pair of Focke-Wulf Fw 190s. On 23 August Olds became the first Ace of the 479th Fighter Group while on an escort mission to Wismar where he encountered a formation of upwards of 40 Messerschmitt Bf 109s near Wittenberge, Germany."

In September the 479th converted to the P-51 Mustang. Olds shot down a Fw 190 on 6 October during a brutal battle near Berlin in which he was nearly shot down by his own wingman. Robin completed his first combat tour on 9 November 1944, accruing 270 hours of combat time and six kills.

Returning for his second tour with the rank of Major in February of 1945, Olds claimed his seventh victory southeast of Magdeburg, Germany.

"Olds had not only risen in rank to field grade, but was given command of his Squadron on 25 March - less than two years out of West Point and at only 22 years of age. By the end of his combat service he was officially credited with 13 German planes shot down and 11.5 others destroyed on the ground. Olds became an Ace on both of his combat tours and was twice awarded the Silver Star, for the mission of 25 August and for the achievements of himself and his squadron during his combined tours" -United States Air Force

During World War II Olds began his combat flying in a P-38 Lightning named "Scat 1" and at the end of the war he was flying "Scat VII," a P-51 Mustang.

During the Vietnam War in October 1966, General Olds entered combat flying in Southeast Asia in "Scat XXVII," an F-4 Phantom II. He completed 152 combat missions, including 105 over North Vietnam. Utilizing air-to-air missiles, he shot down over North Vietnam two Mig-17 and two Mig-21 aircraft, two of these on one mission. He was awarded a fourth Silver Star for leading a three-aircraft low-level bombing strike on 30 March 1967, and the Air Force Cross for an attack on the Paul Doumer Bridge in Hanoi on 11 August. Olds flew his final combat mission over North Vietnam on 24 September 1967. He retired in 1973 with just over 30 years of service with the rank of Brigadier General. On 21 July 2001 Olds was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame.

Brigadier General Olds' military decorations and awards include the Air Force Cross, Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star with three oak leaf clusters, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross with five oak leaf clusters, Air Medal with 39 oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal, British Distinguished Flying Cross, French Croix de Guerre, Vietnam Air Force Distinguished Service Order, Vietnam Air Gallantry Medal with Gold Wings, Vietnam Air Service Medal, and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.

Robin Olds passed away on 14 June 2007 at the age of 84 years old. He was honored with a flyover and services at the United States Air Force Academy, where his ashes are housed. Lest We Forget.

#ww2uncovered #honorourveterans #WorldWarII #WWIIveteran #WorldWar2 #combatpilot #pilot #ACE #airforce #WorldWarHeroes #GreatestGeneration #aviator #aviation #ww2 #WWII #lestweforget

Colorization provided by Colourised PIECE of JAKE

WWII uncovered original description sourced by The official United States Air Force website, National Museum of the United States Air Force and The United States Military Academy website. Original photo LIFE Magazine (Fair Use Photo)