The Country Pundit

RIP Robin Olds

Three-time ace Brigadier General Robin Olds, USAF (ret) has died at his home in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

General Olds served in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam and was credited with 16 kills over the course of that period. He is also given credit for the success of Operation BOLO, wherein the USAF exercised some sleight-of-hand to make North Vietnamese interceptors attack a formation of F-4C/D Phantom IIs instead of their usual targets, F-105D Thunderchiefs. If I understand it correctly, the F-4s flew together in a formation usually reserved for the F-105s and acted like the Republic monsters.

The North Vietnamese, hoping to disrupt the inbound strike, swarmed up in their Soviet-supplied fighters. Much to their dismay, Robin Olds' 8th TFW was waiting on them. According to the Air Force, 7 MiG-21 Fishbed interceptors were destroyed. Tough luck, Charlie.

General Olds was famous for his handlebar mustache, described somewhere as being of the Otto von Bismarck variety.

Thank you for your service, General.

Posted by Country Pundit at June 21, 2007 06:01 PM | TrackBack