United States Air Force Academy (USAFA). See Air Force Academy
United States Air Force Europe (USAFE)
Unit Effectiveness Inspections (UEIs)
Urk, (The Netherlands)
USS Argentina troop ship
USS Independence
USSTAF (U.S. Strategic Air Forces)
Utah beach, Normandy, France 53
U-Tapao Air Force Base, Thailand
V-1 and V-2 rockets
Vampire jets
Vandenberg, Hoyt
Van Loan, Jack
Van Nuys, California
V-E Day
Victorville, California
victory rolls
Vietcong
Vietnam
demilitarized zone (DMZ)
See also North Vietnam; South Vietnam
Vietnam conflict
cost of, in lives
engagement rules
official reason for being in it
pernicious effect on American morale
persuade-not-destroy doctrine for fighting
pilot rotation in
pointless waste of
refusal to win
Robin’s desire to be part of
“Win It!” (Robin’s refrain)
Vietnam People’s Air Force (VPAF)
Villacoublay Airdrome, (near Paris), France
Viney, George
VIPs, dealing with
Virginia Military Institute
V-J Day
vodka
Volanthan (RAF enlisted man)
volunteering for combat
Waldrop, Dave
Walker, Captain
Wallace, Wally
Waller, Charlie
war, limited
Warsaw Concerto
Warwick, Mr.
Washington, D.C.
residing in
social occasions in
Washington, George
WASPs
Wattisham Kennel Club
Wattisham RAF Station, England
Wayne, John
Wayne, Steve
Weasels
weather conditions for flying
clear, no contrails
stormy, cold, aircraft grounded
turbulent, aircraft lost
Webster, Benny
Wellington Bottle Club (in London)
Wells, Norm
West Point
academics
attitude of graduates of, rankling to some
football at
frantic routine at
Gloom Period at
honor system at
military training at
Robin returns to, to coach football, and leaves
Wetterhahn, Ralph
Wheelus Air Base, Libya
Proficiency Center
White, Bob
White, Ernie “Dirty”
White House, Robin’s visit to
White House press corps
Wichman, Eloise (Robin’s mother)
Wiesbaden Air Base, Germany
Williams, Bob
Williams Field, Mesa, Arizona
William Stone
Wilson, General (13th AF)
Wilson, Joe
wingmen
wings
bad-mouthing between
communication problem among
operational, replacing groups
Wings, (film) 83
“Win It!” (Robin’s refrain)
Wold, Glen
Wolfe, Tom
Wolfpack (Zemke’s)
Woodbridge RAF base, England
Woodward, “Woody”
Workman, Lee
World War I
World War II
American entry into
end of
fighter tactics
final days of, in Europe
start of
Worley, Robert
Wright-Patterson AFB (near Dayton), Ohio
Wycombe Abbey boarding school
Yalu River, Korea
yaw, adverse
Yen Bai Air Base (VPAF), Vietnam
Yen Vien railroad, Vietnam
Zemke, Hubert “Hub”
downing of and taken POW
Zuider Zee, (The Netherlands)
Advance Praise for
Fighter Pilot
“Reading Robin Olds’s mesmerizing memoir is like sitting on his shoulder and physically experiencing his decades of flying, fighting, and defending America’s freedoms and values. You will laugh, yell ‘Oorah!’ and maybe even shed a tear. If you ever wanted to fly a P-51 Mustang in combat over Germany or shoot down a MiG over North Vietnam flying your F-4 Phantom jet, reading this is the closest you can get without actually doing it. The man was bigger than life and reading his memoir will confirm all the amazing stories about this legendary fighter pilot. Olds’s remarkable life experiences jump from the pages—in a book that is nearly impossible to put down.”
—David Hartman, aviation writer and original host of Good Morning America
“I just finished reading the draft. What a remarkable book—I was absolutely riveted! The fascinating details, the way it captured the true maverick spirit of General Olds … his blunt honesty and absolute integrity, his triumphs and tragedies … made for one terrific read! What an amazing man—and one of America’s greatest warriors and leaders. I was incredibly honored to have known him and to have featured him in my TV series. This is a must-read for anyone who wants to get into the mind of a true fighter pilot and a brilliant leader. A truly remarkable book … I highly recommend it!”
—Cynthia Harrison, Creator/Executive Producer of Dogfights for the History Channel
“This book is a must-read for all fighter pilots, history buffs, and patriots. The stories will fascinate the aviation veteran but will be just as interesting to the ‘everyman.’ General Olds was a legend, a leader, a hero, a role model, and a genuine Sierra Hotel character.”
—T. Allan McArtor, chairman of Airbus Americas and former FAA Administrator and fighter pilot
“If you like flying, or just talking or reading about flying, you’ll love this great book, and at it’s conclusion you will wish it could go on and on. Fighter Pilot presents a not-at-all-standard American hero, a wild and wooly, rock ’em and sock ’em, All-American football jock at West Point who went on to become a top fighter ace. He was our finest and no one should be surprised that he courted and won the hand of a stunning Hollywood movie star. What a great read.”
—Tom “Bear” Wilson, author of Termite Hill and Black Serpent
“My only personal contact with General Olds was as a new cadet at the Air Force Academy shortly before his assignment changed. I recall that we regarded him as a legend but didn’t understand why … I do now. As a young F-4 fighter pilot, I knew that I wanted to be a Robin Olds–type fighter pilot, but I didn’t know what that was … I do now. Having held a number of leadership positions, I’ve wanted to lead like Colonel Olds led a combat wing but didn’t know how … I do now. The book is much more than a legend’s memoirs; it’s a lesson on how to be a man’s man … in the best sense!”
—Terence “Tom” Henricks, former NASA astronaut and president of Aviation Week
FIGHTER PILOT. Copyright © 2010 by Robin Olds with Christina Olds and Ed Rasimus. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.stmartins.com
First Edition: May 2010
eISBN 9781429929097
First eBook edition: February 2014
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Fighter Pilot Page 52