Robin Olds
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Ella Raine
Morgan Olds
Obituaries
Steamboat Today - June 17, 2007
Longtime Steamboat Springs resident and legendary U.S. Air Force fighter pilot Brig. Gen. Robin Olds died June 14, 2007, from congestive heart failure, one month short of his 85th birthday. He was 84.
He was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, on July 14, 1922, the son of Maj. Gen. Robert and Mrs. Eloise Olds. He spent his younger years and schooling in Hampton, Va., and attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where he was an All-American tackle and graduated in 1943 as a second lieutenant.
Following graduation from pilot training in 1943, Gen. Olds was assigned to the European Theater at the end of World War II, where he flew 107 combat missions in the P-38 Lightning and P-51 Mustang. He shot down 13 enemy aircraft over Europe and became a triple ace 23 years later during the Vietnam War when he downed 4 MIGs. He flew 152 combat missions in the F4 Phantom as the Wing Commander of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing at Ubon Air Force Base in Thailand. Gen. Olds' exploits as the creator and Mission Commander of Operation Bolo, the most successful aerial battle of the Vietnam conflict, has been documented in the recent History Channel "Dogfight" special series titled "Air Ambush."
Gen. Robin Olds served his country in assignments to England, Germany, Libya, Thailand and the U.S., in positions of squadron, base, group and wing commander with assignments to Headquarters U.S. Air Force and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He was assigned to the first jet P-80 squadron in 1946; was a member of the first jet Aerial Acrobatic Demonstration Team; won second place in the Thompson Trophy Race, jet division, in Cleveland in 1946; and participated in the first dawn-to-dusk transcontinental round-trip flight. He was a squadron commander of Royal Air Force No.1 fighter Squadron, Sussex, England, during an exchange tour in 1948.
Gen. Olds' military decorations include the U.S. 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, 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 others.
After his duty in Vietnam, Gen. Olds was named Commandant of Cadets at the Air Force Academy from 1967 to 1971. His last assignment before retiring from the Air Force in 1973 was director of safety for the Air Force.
Up to a few months prior to his illness, he was frequently called upon as guest speaker and lecturer for his inspirational and motivational talks, and he traveled all over the world speaking to military and civilian groups. Gen. Olds previously was married to Ella Raines, who died in 1988, and then to Morgan Olds.
Gen. Olds is survived by two daughters, Christina Olds of Vail and Susan Scott-Risner of North Bend, Wash.; one granddaughter, Jennifer Newman of Santa Monica, Calif.; and half-brother Fred Olds of Virginia. He died peacefully at his home in Steamboat Springs in the company of family and friends. A memorial service will be held at the Air Force Academy within the next two weeks.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association toward scholarships for the children or spouses of Armed Forces aircrew members killed or missing in action.
