James Robinson Risner (1925 - 2013)

Ancestors

Brigadier General James Robinson Risner

James Robinson Risner, a native of Mammoth Spring in Fulton County, was a much-decorated fighter pilot famed for his resistance to his North Vietnamese captors as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War.

Biography

James Robinson "Robbie" Risner was born January 16, 1925, in Mammoth Spring, Fulton, Arkansas, United States.^[1] He was the son of sharecroppers Grover W. Risner and Lora Grace (Robinson) Risner. He was the eighth of ten children.

Risner's family moved back to Missouri (his parents' previous home) by 1927 (when his sister, Peggy, was born there). In 1930, five year old James R was living in Oak Grove, Oregon, Missouri, United States, with his father (age 43), mother (age 42), and siblings Paul H (age 15, born in Missouri), Cornelious (age 13, born in Missouri), Mary L (age 11, born in Arkansas), Grover W Jr. (age 7, born in Arkansas), Pegy E (age 3, born in Missouri), and Jack E (age 0, born in Missouri).^[2]

The family, consisting of fifteen year old James R, his 54 year old father, 30 year old mother, and siblings Grover (age 17), Peggy E (age 13), and Jack E (age 10) was found living in Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States in 1940, along with two female boarders, 19 year old Mae Wood and 18 year old Carmon Robinson.^[3]

World War II
Risner enlisted as a Private in the United States Army September 19, 1944 at Fort McPherson, Atlanta, Georgia, incorrectly showing his birth year as 1926 and his birthplace as Georgia. He had completed grammar school, was single without dependents, and employed as a farmer.^[4] He served in Panama during World War II, seeing no action, although he trained as a pilot.

Korean War
After the war, Risner joined the Oklahoma Air National Guard, which was federalized during the Korean War, during which he flew 108 missions in F-86 Sabrejets. He became an ace by shooting down eight enemy MiG fighters.

Risner was awarded the Silver Star for a September 15, 1952, action in which his wingman’s jet was damaged during fighting with enemy aircraft. Risner flew his aircraft behind his comrade’s crippled jet, nudging it forward with the nose of his plane in an attempt to help him to friendly territory. Wingman Joe Logan bailed out over water and became entangled in his parachute cords, however, drowning before rescuers could reach him. During the Korean War, Risner was also awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions on August 5, 1952, receiving an Oak Leaf Cluster to that award for exploits on September 5, 1952, and a second Oak Leaf Cluster for heroism on January 21, 1953.

Commemoration of Lindbergh's Transatlantic Flight
In 1957, Risner was chosen to fly an F-100F Super Sabre to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of Charles Lindbergh’s ground-breaking transatlantic flight. He flew the Spirit of St. Louis II on Lindbergh’s same route, completing the flight in one-fifth of the time it took the earlier flier and establishing a new transatlantic record of six hours and thirty-seven minutes.

Vietnam War
In Vietnam, Risner was struck by enemy fire on four out of five consecutive missions, and he was shot down over the Gulf of Tonkin in March 1965. He received the Air Force Cross for his actions with the Sixty-Seventh Tactical Fighter Squadron on April 3–4, 1965, and was awarded an Oak Leaf Cluster to his Korean War Silver Star for operations against the North Vietnamese between September 9 and 12, 1965. His picture was on the Time magazine cover, which included an article highlighting a dozen Americans serving in Vietnam.

On September 16, 1965, Risner was leading an attack on a North Vietnamese missile base when his jet was disabled, forcing him to bail out. He was captured and taken to the Hoa Lo Prison—dubbed the “Hanoi Hilton” by its American prisoners—where his captors waved the Time magazine in his face. As a lieutenant colonel, Risner was the highest-ranking prisoner at Hoa Lo for most of the nearly eight years he was there and was subjected to particularly brutal treatment, being held in a darkened, solitary cell for three years and shackled for weeks at a time. Risner encouraged resistance among his fellow American captives, urging them to withstand their jailers’ torture but not to the point of suffering permanent physical or mental disability. When forced to make a statement against the war, he did so with mispronounced words and a heavy German accent, bringing further punishment from his captors.

Perhaps his greatest act of rebellion was the organization of a forbidden church service in 1971. As his jailers dragged him to another period of solitary confinement, he could hear his fellow prisoners break into “The Star-Spangled Banner.” “I felt like I was nine feet tall and could go bear hunting with a switch,” Risner said later. (In reference to that remark, the Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, Colorado, dedicated a nine-foot-tall statue of Risner in 2001.)

He was among the first group of American prisoners released from captivity, on February 12, 1973, and pronounced himself ready to fly again “after three good meals and a good night’s sleep.” Risner received the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal and the POW Medal for his actions while in captivity. Other awards include the Bronze Star with “V” device and Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Medal with seven Oak Leaf Clusters, Joint Service Command Medal, and Purple Heart with three Oak Leaf Clusters.

Two years before he retired from the Air Force as a brigadier general in 1975, he published his memoir of his time as a prisoner of war, "The Passing of the Night".^[5]

In 1976, the Robbie Risner Award was created to recognize an air force weapons officer who makes the greatest combat impact in his or her first year after graduating from the Weapons Instructor Course at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.

Family Life
Risner married Kathleen Shaw, an Army nurse, in 1946, and they had five sons, three of whom predeceased him:

• James Robinson “Rob” Risner, II, born 1948, died January 25, 1975 in Oklahoma, United States
• Jeffery Shaw “Jeff” Risner, born March 17, 1955 in Germany, died June 16, 2010 in Oklahoma, United States
• Paul Noel Risner, born September 24, 1956, died June 4, 2003

After their June 1975 divorce, Risner met Dorothy Marie ("Dot") Williams, widow of a fighter pilot missing-in-action since 1967, and they were subsequently married after her missing husband was declared dead. His two youngest sons and her three children (who Risner legally adopted) lived with them in Texas.^[6]

Post Retirement Career
Following the war, Risner raised quarter horses in Texas and became executive director of the Texans’ War Against Drugs. He was also appointed as a United States delegate to the Fortieth Session of the United Nations General Assembly by President Ronald Reagan. He participated in reunions of airmen, and at one in the 1990s he met a Russian MiG pilot who had served in Korea. When the Russian wondered if they might have met in combat, Risner replied, “No, way. You wouldn’t be here.”

Risner died at his home in Bridgewater, Virginia, on October 22, 2013, following a series of strokes. He is buried in Section 55, Site 626 of Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia, United States.^[1] Obituaries honoring his life were published in many newspapers, including The Orlando Sentinel,^[7] The Los Angeles Times,^[8] The New York Times,^[9] and The Washington Post.^[10]

Military Honors

• Two Air Force Cross Citations
  

1. Lieutenant Colonel Robinson Risner, United States Air Force, 67th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Korat RTAFB, Thailand, Date of Action 3 and 4 April 1966

The President of the United States, authorized by Title 10, Section 8742, United States Code, takes pleasure in presenting the Air Force Cross to Robinson Risner, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Air Force, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an opposing armed force on 3 and 4 April 1965. On these dates Colonel Risner led two successive operations against vitally important and heavily defended targets. Performing in the role of air coordinator, Colonel Risner arrived over the target area before the main strike force, evaluated the effectiveness of each strike, redirected subsequent strikes, and provided flak suppression against defenses that would hinder delivery aircraft in the performance of their mission. On the initial attack, while exposing himself to heavy ground fire, with complete disregard for his personal safety, Colonel Risner's aircraft sustained a direct hit in the left forward bomb-bay area, filling the cockpit with smoke and fumes. He flew his badly damaged aircraft over heavily fortified hostile territory before successfully landing at a friendly airfield. On 4 April, he again led an attacking force of fighter aircraft on a restrike against the same target. Colonel Risner initiated the attack, directing his aircraft into the target in the face of heavy automatic ground fire. His aerial skill and heroic actions set an example for the others to follow. In the course of the operation, Colonel Risner's unit encountered the first MIG force committed in aerial combat against the U.S. Forces in Southeast Asia. However, he refused to be diverted from his primary mission of completing the destruction of the assigned targets. Colonel Risner's actions not only deprived the communist force of its vital supply route and much needed equipment but further served to emphasize the high degree of U.S. determination in Southeast Asia. Through his extraordinary heroism, superb airmanship and aggressiveness, Colonel Risner reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.

2. Lieutenant Colonel James R. Risner, United States Air Force, For actions while a prisoner of war, Date of Action 31 October to 15 December 1965

The President of the United States, authorized by Title 10, Section 8742, United States Code, takes pleasure in presenting a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Air Force Cross to James Robinson Risner, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Air Force, for extraordinary heroism in military operations against an opposing armed force while a Prisoner of War in North Vietnam from 31 October to 15 December 1965. Through his extraordinary heroism and willpower, in the face of the enemy, Lieutenant Colonel Risner reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.'

• Air Force Distinguished Service Medal
• Two Silver Stars
• Three Distinguished Flying Crosses
• Three Bronze Stars
• Three Purple Hearts
• Two Meritorious Service Medals
• Three Air Medals
• Joint Service Commendation Medal
• Air Force Commendation Medal
• Air Force Presidential Unit Citation
• Three Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards
• Prisoner of War Medal
• American Campaign Medal
• World War II Victory Medal
• Army of Occupation 1945-1990
• National Defense Service Medal (2001-Present))
• Korea Service Medal
• Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
• Four Vietnam Service Medals
• Three Air Force Longevity Awards
• Armed Forces Reserve Medal
• Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon
• Korean Presidential Unit Citation
• Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation
• United Nations Service Medal (Korea)
• Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
• Republic of Korea War Service Medal

Unit Assignments

• 1946-1951, Oklahoma Air National Guard
• 1951-1952, 185th Tactical Fighter Group (Korean War/Second Korean Winter)
• 1952-1953, 336th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron - Rocketeers
• 1952-1953, 15th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron
• 1953-1953, 50th Fighter Bomber Wing
• 1953-1956, 81st Fighter-Bomber Squadron
• 1956-1960, 34th Fighter-Day Squadron
• 1956-1960, 308th Tactical Fighter Squadron
• 1960-1961, Air War College
• 1961-1964, United States Pacific Command (USPACOM)
• 1964-1965, 67th Tactical Fighter Squadron (Vietnam War/Vietnam Defensive Campaign)
• 1965-1973, POW North Vietnam
• 1973-1974, 4501st Tactical Fighter Replacement Squadron
• 1974-1975, 832nd Air Division
• 1975-1975, 12th Air Force
• 1975-1976, Air Force Tactical Fighter Weapons Center

Aircraft Piloted

1944-1945, P-40 Warhawk/Kittyhawk

1944-1945, P-39 Airacobra

1945-1946, P-38 Lightning (Forked Tail Devil)

1946-1951, P-51/F-51 Mustang

1951-1951, F-80/P-80 Shooting Star

1952-1954, F-86 Sabre

1962-1965, F-105 Thunderchief (Thud)

1973-1974, F-4 Phantom

1974-1976, F-111 Aardvark

Sources

^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]}

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Memorial for BG James Robinson Risner, Find a Grave, ID# 119152190, (accessed May 15, 2018).
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} United States Census, 1930, database with images, FamilySearch (accessed 15 May 2018), James Risner in household of Grover W Risner, Oak Grove, Oregon, Missouri, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 14, sheet 10A, line 18, family 208, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1215; FHL microfilm 2,340,950.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} United States Census, 1940, database with images, FamilySearch (accessed 15 May 2018), James R Risner in household of Grover W Risner, Area B, Tulsa, Tulsa City, Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 79-15, sheet 4A, line 39, family 102, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 3348.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946, database, FamilySearch (5 December 2014), James R Risner, enlisted 19 Sep 1944, Ft Mcpherson, Atlanta, Georgia, United States; citing "Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938-1946," database, The National Archives: Access to Archival Databases (AAD) (http://aad.archives.gov : National Archives and Records Administration, 2002); NARA NAID 126323, National Archives at College Park, Maryland.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Risner, Robinson. The Passing of the Night. New York: Random House, 1973.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} James Robinson Risner, Wikipedia, (accessed May 15, 2018).
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} Obituary for James Robinson Risner, "United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014," database with images, FamilySearch, The Orlando Sentinel, Florida, United States, 01 Nov 2013; from "Recent Newspaper Obituaries (1977 - Today)," database, GenealogyBank.com, (accessed May 15, 2018).
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} “J. Robinson Risner Dies at 88; Leader of Hanoi Hilton Prisoners.”, Chawkins, Steve. Los Angeles Times, October 30, 2013, (accessed May 15, 2018).
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} “Robinson Risner, Ace Fighter Pilot, Dies at 88.”, Martin, Douglas, New York Times, October 28, 2013, (accessed May 15, 2018).
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1} “Robinson Risner, Air Force Ace and POW, Dies at 88.”, Schudel, Matt, Washington Post, October 29, 2013, (accessed May 15, 2018).

See also:

• Risner, James Robinson "Robbie", Description of April 3, 1965 incident leading to capture by North Vietnamese, P.O.W. NETWORK, (accessed May 15, 2018).

• Brigadier Robinson Risner, U.S. Air Force, (accessed May 15, 2018).

• Correll, John T. “Nine Feet Tall.” Air Force Magazine, February 2012, pp. 74–78.

• Howes, Craig. Voices of the Vietnam POWs: Witnesses to Their Fight. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993.

• Leader and Gen. Robinson Risner Rose To Torturous Challenge As POW, Bucky Fox, Investors Business Daily editor, (accessed May 15, 2018).

• In Memory – Brig. Gen. Robbie Risner – A True Hero, Leader, and Great American, Lee Ellis, (accessed May 15, 2018)

• Open Vault from WGBH, Vietnam: A Television History; Interview with Robinson Risner, 1981(accessed May 16, 2018).

• Risner's early POW Experience], COL Ted W. Guy (USAF ret.), Former POW/SROO, Welcome to the Hanoi Hilton, (accessed May 16, 2018).

• Brigadier James Robinson Risner

Memories: 1