James Robinson Risner James Robinson " Robbie " Risner ( born January 16 , 1925 ) was a general officer and professional fighter pilot in the United States Air Force . Risner is a double recipient of the Air Force Cross , the second highest military decoration for valor that can be awarded to a member of the United States Air Force . He was the first living recipient of the medal , awarded the first for valor in aerial combat during the Vietnam War , and the second for gallantry as a prisoner of war of the North Vietnam ese for more than seven years . Risner became an ace in the Korean War , and commanded a squadron of F - 105 Thunderchief s in the first missions of Operation Rolling Thunder in 1965 . He flew a combined 163 combat missions , was shot down twice , and was credited with destroying eight MiG - 15 s . Risner retired as a brigadier general in 1976 . Childhood . Risner was born in Mammoth Spring , Arkansas , but moved to Tulsa , Oklahoma in 1931 . His father was originally a sharecropper , then during the Great Depression became a day laborer for the Works Progress Administration . By the time Risner entered high school , his father was self - employed , selling used cars . Risner worked numerous part - time jobs in his youth to help the family , including newspaper delivery , errand boy and soda jerk for a drug store , for the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce at age 16 , as a welder , and for his father polishing cars . Risner had a religious upbringing as a member of the 1st Assembly of God Church . He wrestled for Tulsa Central High School , where he graduated in 1942 . In addition to a love of sports , Risner ' s interests were primarily in riding horses and motorcycles . Military career . Army Air Forces and Air National Guard . Risner enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces as an aviation cadet in April , 1943 , and attended flight training at Williams Field , Arizona , where he was awarded his pilot wings and a commission as 2nd Lieutenant in May 1944 . He completed transition training in P - 40 Warhawk and P - 39 Airacobra fighters before being assigned to the 30th Fighter Squadron in Panama . The 30th FS was based on a primitive airstrip without permanent facilities at Aguadulce , on the Gulf of Panama . Risner noted to a biographer that his tour under these conditions amounted to as much flying as he desired but a distinct lack of discipline on the ground . When the squadron was relocated to Howard Field in the Panama Canal Zone in January 1945 to transition to P - 38 Lightning fighters , its pilots were soon banned from the Officers Club for rowdiness and vandalism . In 1946 , Risner was involved in an off - duty motorcycle accident . While undergoing hospital treatment in the Army , he met his future wife Catherine Shaw ( Kathleen Shaw ) , she was a nurse from Ware Shoals , South Carolina , Risner and Shaw got engaged on a ship and were discharged and married the next month . In civilian life , Risner tried a succession of jobs , training as an auto mechanic , operating a gas station , and managing a service garage . he also joined the Oklahoma Air National Guard , becoming an F - 51 Mustang pilot . He flew nearly every weekend , and on one occasion , became lost in the fringes of a hurricane on a flight to Brownsville , Texas . Forced to land on a dry lakebed , he found that he was in Mexico and encountered bandits , but successfully flew his Mustang to Brownsville after the storm had passed . He received an unofficial rebuke from the American embassy for flying an armed fighter into the sovereign territory of a foreign nation , but for diplomatic reasons the flight was officially ignored . Korean War . Risner was recalled to active duty in February 1951 while assigned to the 185th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the OKANG at Will Rogers Field in Oklahoma City , Oklahoma . He subsequently received training in the F - 80 Shooting Star at Shaw Air Force Base , South Carolina . Risner ' s determination to be assigned to a combat unit was nearly ended when on his last day before going overseas he broke his hand and wrist falling from a horse . Robinson deliberately concealed the injury , which would have grounded him , until able to convince a flight surgeon that the injury had healed . He actually had his cast removed to fly his first mission . Risner arrived in Korea on May 10 , 1952 , assigned to the 15th Reconnaissance Squadron at Kimpo Air Base . In June , when the 336th Fighter - Interceptor Squadron , also at Kimpo , sought experienced pilots , he arranged a transfer to 4th Fighter Wing through the intervention of a former OKANG associate . Risner was often assigned to fly F - 86E - 10 , AF serial no . 51 - 2824 , nicknamed " Ohio Mike " and bearing a large cartoon rendition of Bugs Bunny as nose art , in which he achieved most of his aerial victories . His first two months of combat saw little contact with MiGs , and although a flight leader , he took a three - day leave to Japan in early August . The day after his arrival he returned to Korea when he learned that MiGs were operational . Arriving at Kimpo in the middle of the night , he joined his flight which was on alert status . The flight of four F - 86 Sabre s launched and encountered 14 MiG - 15 s . In a brief dogfight Risner shot down one to score his first " kill " , on August 5 , 1952 . On September 15 , using the call sign " John Red Lead " , Risner ' s flight escorted F - 84 Thunderjet fighter - bombers attacking a chemical plant on the Yalu River near the East China Sea . During their defense of the bombers , Risner ' s flight overflew the MiG base at Antung Airfield , China . Fighting one MiG at nearly supersonic speeds at ground level , Risner pursued it down a dry riverbed and across low hills to an airfield 35 miles inside China . Scoring numerous hits on the MiG , shooting off its canopy , and setting it on fire , Risner chased it between hangars of the Communist airbase , where he shot it down into parked fighters . On the return flight , Risner ' s wingman , 1st Lt . Joseph Logan , was struck in his fuel tanks by anti - aircraft fire over Antung . In an effort to help him reach Kimpo , Risner attempted to push Logan ' s aircraft by having him shut down his engine and inserting the nose of his own jet into the tailpipe of Logan ' s , an unprecedented and untried maneuver . The idea was to push the plane to reach the United Nations rescue base of Cho Do . Jet fuel and hydraulic fluid spewed out from the wounded Sabre . He radioed Joe to shut down his engine . The turbulence kept bouncing and separating the two jets , but Risner was able to re - establish contact and guide the powerless plane out over the sea . After two attempts , Risner was forced to discontinue when leaking fuel and hydraulic fluid covered his canopy and threatened to stall his own engine . Near Cho Do , Lt . Logan bailed out , after radioing to Risner , " I ' ll see you at the base tonight . " Risner stayed in radio contact with the rescue helicopter . Joe , a strong swimmer , landed close to shore , and the chopper tried to blow him in with the rotors . Tragically , Joe Logan didn ' t make it ; he became tangled in his parachute lines and drowned . Risner shut down his own engine in an attempt to save fuel , but eventually his engine flamed out and he glided to a deadstick landing at Kimpo . On September 21 he shot down his fifth MiG , becoming the 20th " jet ace " . In October 1952 Risner was promoted to major and named operations officer of the 336th FIS . Risner flew 108 missions in Korea and was credited with the destruction of eight MiG - 15s , his final victory occurring January 21 , 1953 . Regular Air Force career . Risner was commissioned into the Regular Air Force and assigned to the 50th Fighter - Bomber Wing at Clovis Air Force Base , New Mexico , in March 1953 , where he became operations officer of the 81st Fighter Bomber Squadron . He flew F - 86s with the 50th Wing to activate Hahn Air Base , West Germany , where he became commander of the 81st Fighter - Bomber Squadron in November 1954 . In July 1956 , he was transferred to George Air Force Base , California as operations officer of the 413th Fighter Wing . Subsequently he served as commander of the 34th Fighter - Day Squadron , also at George Air Force Base . During his tour of duty at George Air Force Base , Risner was selected to fly the Charles A . Lindbergh Commemoration Flight from New York to Paris . Ferrying a two - seat F - 100F Super Sabre nicknamed " Spirit of St . Louis II " to Europe on the same route as Lindbergh , he set a transatlantic speed record , covering the distance in 6 hours and 37 minutes . From August 1960 to July 1961 , he attended the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base , Alabama . He next served on the joint staff of Commander - in - Chief , Pacific ( CINCPAC ) in Hawaii . Vietnam War . In August 1964 , Lieutenant Colonel Risner took command of the 67th Tactical Fighter Squadron , an F - 105D Thunderchief fighter - bomber unit based at Kadena AB , Okinawa , as part of the 18th Tactical Fighter Wing . On February 18 , 1965 , as part of an escalation in air attacks directed by President Lyndon B . Johnson that resulted in the commencement of Operation Rolling Thunder , the 67th TFS began a tour of temporary at Korat RTAFB , Thailand , under the control of the 2nd Air Division . Risner ' s squadron led the first Rolling Thunder strike , bombing an ammunition dump approximately ten miles north of the Demilitarized Zone between the two Vietnams . The strike force consisted of more than 100 F - 105 , F - 100 , and B - 57 aircraft , and in the congested airspace , heavy anti - aircraft artillery ( AAA ) fire seriously disrupted its coordination and radio communications . Risner ' s wingman was shot down in the opening pass , and the mission was in danger of collapsing when Risner took charge . After the last strike had been delivered , Risner and the two surviving members of his flight remained in the area , directing the Search and Rescue mission that rescued his wingman . Risner , low on fuel and in a battle damaged aircraft , diverted to Danang air base for landing . On March 22 , 1965 , flying F - 105D 62 - 4233 , Risner was hit by ground fire while leading two flights of F - 105s attacking a radar site near Vinh Son . He directed his aircraft over the Gulf of Tonkin , ejected , and was rescued . On April 3 and 4 , 1965 , Risner acted as mission commander on two large missions attacking the Thanh Hoa Bridge in North Vietnam . On the afternoon of April 3 , the strike package of Rolling Thunder Mission 9 Alpha consisted of 79 aircraft , including 46 F - 105s . 16 of those carried AGM - 12 Bullpup missiles , while another 30 carried eight 750 - pound bombs each , half of which were designated for the railroad and highway bridge . The force had clear conditions but encountered a severe glare in the target area that made the bridge difficult to acquire for attacks with the Bullpups . Only one Bullpup could be guided at a time , and on his second pass , Risner ' s aircraft took a hit just as the missile struck the bridge . Fighting a serious fuel leak and a smoke - filled cockpit in addition to anti - aircraft fire from the ground , he again nursed his crippled aircraft to Danang . The use of Bullpups against the bridge had been completely ineffectual , resulting in the scheduling of a second mission the next day with 48 F - 105s attacking the bridge without destroying it . The missions saw the first interception of U . S . air attacks by North Vietnamese MiG - 17 fighters , resulting in the loss of two of Risner ' s F - 105s on April 4 . Risner ' s exploits earned him an awarding of the Air Force Cross and resulted in his being featured as the cover portrait of the April 23 , 1965 issue of " Time " Magazine . The 67th TFS ended its first duty at Korat on April 26 but returned from Okinawa on August 16 for a second tour of combat duty over North Vietnam . Shootdown and capture . On August 12 , 1965 , U . S . Air Force and Navy air units received authorization to attack surface - to - air missile sites supplied to the North Vietnamese by the Soviet Union . Initial attempts to locate and destroy the SA - 2 Guideline sites , known as Iron Hand missions , were both unsuccessful and costly . Tactics were revised in which " Hunter - Killer Teams " were created . Employed at low altitudes , the " hunters " located the missiles and attacked their radar control vans with canisters of napalm , both to knock out the SAM ' s missile guidance and to mark the target for the " killers " , which followed up the initial attack using 750 - pound bombs to destroy the site . On the morning of September 16 , 1965 , on an Iron Hand mission , Risner flew F - 105D 61 - 0217 as the " hunter " element of a Hunter - Killer Team searching for a SAM site in the vicinity of Tuong Loc , 80 miles south of Hanoi and 10 miles northeast of the Thanh Hoa Bridge . Risner ' s aircraft was at very low altitude flying at approximately 600 mph , approaching a site that was likely a decoy luring aircraft into a concentration of AAA . Heavy ground fire struck Risner ' s F - 105 in its air intakes when he popped up over a hill to make his attack . Again he attempted to fly to the Gulf of Tonkin , but ejected when the aircraft , on fire , pitched up out of control . He was captured by North Vietnamese while still trying to extricate himself from his parachute . He was on his 55th combat mission at the time . Prisoner of war . After several days of travel on foot and by truck , Risner was imprisoned in Hoa Lo Prison , known as the Hanoi Hilton to American POWs . However after two weeks he was moved to Cu Loc Prison , known as " The Zoo " , where he was confronted during interrogations with his " Time " Magazine cover and told that his capture had been highly coveted by the North Vietnamese . Returned to Hoa Loa Prison as punishment for disseminating behavior guidelines to the POWs under his nominal command , Risner was severely tortured for 32 days , culminating in his coerced signing of an apologetic confession for war crimes . Risner spent more than three years in solitary confinement . Even so , as the officer of rank with the responsibility of maintaining order , from 1965 to 1973 he helped lead American resistance in the North Vietnamese prison complex through the use of improvised messaging techniques ( " tap code " ) , endearing himself to fellow prisoners with his faith and optimism . It was largely thanks to the leadership of Risner and his Navy counterpart , Commander ( later Vice Admiral ) James Stockdale , that the POWs organized themselves to present maximum resistance . While held prisoner in Hoa Loa , Risner served first as Senior Ranking Officer and later as Vice Commander of the provisional 4th Allied Prisoner of War Wing . He was a POW for seven years , four months , and 27 days . His story of being imprisoned drew wide acclaim after that war ' s end . His autobiography , " The Passing of the Night : My Seven Years as a Prisoner of the North Vietnamese " , describes seven years of torture and mistreatment by the North Vietnamese . In his book , Risner attributes faith in God and prayer as being instrumental to his surviving the Hanoi prison experience . In his words : To make it , I prayed by the hour . It was automatic , almost subconscious . I did not ask God to take me out of it . I prayed he would give me strength to endure it . When it would get so bad that I did not think I could stand it , I would ask God to ease it and somehow I would make it . He kept me . Publication of Risner ' s book led to a flap with American author and Vietnam war critic Mary McCarthy in 1974 . The two had met , apparently at McCarthy ' s request , when McCarthy visited Hanoi in April 1968 . The meeting , described as " stilted " , resulted in an unflattering portrait of McCarthy in Risner ' s book , primarily because she failed to note scars and other evidence of torture he had made plain to her . After publication of the book , McCarthy strenuously attacked both Risner ( deeming him " unlikeable " ) and Risner ' s credibility in a review . Risner made no rebuttal at the time , but when interviewed 20 years later , termed it " character assassination " , a charge supported by several of McCarthy ' s liberal peers . Post - Vietnam career . Risner was released in Operation Homecoming on 12 February 1973 and returned to the United States . In July 1973 assigned to the 1st Tactical Fighter Wing at MacDill Air Force Base , Florida , where he became combat ready in the F - 4 Phantom II . Risner was later transferred to Cannon Air Force Base , New Mexico as Commander of the 832d Air Division in February 1974 and flew the F - 111 fighter - bomber . He was promoted to the grade of Brigadier General in May 1974 . On 1 August 1975 , he became Vice Commander of the USAF Tactical Fighter Weapons Center at Nellis Air Force Base , Nevada and retired from the Air Force on 1 August 1976 . Legacy . Risner is one of only four airmen with multiple awards of the Air Force Cross , a combat decoration second only to the Medal of Honor . He is also the first living recipient of this decoration . The Risner Award , created September 24 , 1976 , was donated by H . Ross Perot as a tribute to Risner and all Vietnam era Prisoners of War , and is administered by the Tactical Air Command ( now by Air Combat Command ) . The award is presented annually to the outstanding graduate of the USAF Weapons School , with the first recipient being Capt . Timothy A . Kinnan in 1977 . The Risner Award is a six and one - half foot trophy consisting of a sculpture of Risner in flight suit and helmet on a marble base , weighing approximately four tons . The trophy is permanently displayed at the United States Air Force Academy , with each winner ’ s name inscribed . A miniature replica , also donated by Perot , is presented to each year ’ s recipient as a personal memento . An identical casting , measuring four feet and weighing 300 pounds , was installed in the foyer of the USAF Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base in October 1984 . A nine foot bronze statue of Risner , sculpted by Lawrence Ludtke and mounted on a five foot pedestal of black granite , was commissioned by Perot and dedicated in the Air Gardens at the Air Force Academy on November 16 , 2001 . In addition to replicating the Risner Award , the statue commemorates Risner and other POWs who were punished for holding religious services in their room at the Hanoi Hilton on February 7 , 1971 , in defiance of North Vietnamese authorities . The statue was made nine feet tall in memory of Risner ' s statement , commenting on his comrades singing " The Star Spangled Banner " and " God Bless America " , that " I felt like I was nine feet tall and could go bear hunting with a switch . " Perot helped Risner later become the Executive Director of the Texans ' War on Drugs , and Risner was consequently appointed by President Ronald Reagan as a United States Delegate to the fortieth session of the United Nations General Assembly . Awards and decorations . General Risner received the following awards and decorations : Air Force Cross citations . 1st award . 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 . 2nd award . 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 .