Fighter Pilot: The Memoirs of Legendary Ace Robin Olds is a fantastic read, a 5 Star permanent shelf addition that is very easy to follow and doesn’t get bogged down anywhere. Robin Olds was a true warrior, a very young fighter squadron commander in WWII (and a multiple ace) and a Wing Commander in Vietnam during the hottest part of the airwar, where he could have been an ace all over again-you need to read the book to find out why he didn’t get his fifth kill. This book is an excellent explanation of what it is like to be a fighter pilot, although, sadly, many of the more boisterous antics are no longer countenanced. I was trained by the Vietnam era fighter pilots, in awe of their River Rat patches and associations. He gives much more detail explaining his Vietnam War experience than his WWII flying. As a fighter pilot myself, I felt a lot of connections to his story but none stronger than this one:May 20… The afternoon frag was a MiG CAP escorting a large force of Takhli F—105s to the Bac Giang railroad yards in northeast North Vietnam….l led the second flight, Tampa, with Lieutenant Steve Croker in my backseat. We were offset to the right two miles and behind the strike force about three miles. Jack Van Loan was my wingman; his GIB was Joe Milligan…
Fifteen miles short of target, all hell broke loose.
“Tampa, Break left!”
That scream from Pardo meant only one thing: MiGs! And they had to be behind us and close. I rolled left and hauled the stick back into my gut. Head over my shoulder, eyes straining, looking, searching. . . there they came, up from our deep six o’clock, looked like twelve to sixteen of them, God knew how many—some were already through us. The sky was full of whirling, shooting aircraft. One MiG went down. Pardo’s. My wingman was hit hard. I looked back over my shoulder and saw his F-4 nose straight up, a ball of fire, out of control, two bodies ejecting; two good chutes. Van Loan and Milligan had gotten out.
Col Jack Van Loan was my Wing Director of Operations (DO) when I was a brand new lieutenant in my first fighter, the A-7D. We lieutenants all held him in awe.
I am sure you will be amazed at his story, none more than who he was exposed to as a kid. His “family” connections would play a big part in his career. He had a challenging career, not every tour was fun but he did his duty. He was born and lived for combat and those stories are just riveting. He also has some excellent advice, applicable to anyone who has to take command and lead people.
Here’s what I’d learned over the years. Know the mission, what is expected of you and your people. Get to know those people, their attitudes and expectations. Visit all the shops and sections. Ask questions. Don’t be shy. Learn what each does, how the parts fit into the whole. Find out what supplies and equipment are lacking, what the workers need. To whom does each shop chief report? Does that officer really know the people under him, is he aware of their needs, their training? Does that NCO supervise or just make out reports without checking facts? Remember, those reports eventually come to you. Don’t try to bullshit the troops, but make sure they know the buck stops with you, that you’ll shoulder the blame when things go wrong. Correct without revenge or anger. Recognize accomplishment. Reward accordingly. Foster spirit through self—pride, not slogans, and never at the expense of another unit. It won’t take long, but only your genuine interest and concern, plus follow-up on your promises, will earn you respect. Out of that you gain loyalty and obedience. Your outfit will be a standout. But for God’s sake, don’t ever try to be popular! That weakens your position, makes you vulnerable. Don’t have favorites. That breeds resentment. Respect the talents of your people. Have the courage to delegate responsibility and give the authority to go with it. Always make clear to your troops you are the one who’ll take the heat.
Take a little time and get to know the story of Robin Olds, Fighter Pilot. You won’t be bored.