History
Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, on July 14, 1922, to an Army family, Robin Olds spent his childhood growing up in Hampton and Langley, Virginia, among military aviators and aircraft. His father was a World War I pursuit pilot and an aide to Billy Mitchell, the commander of the first B-17 squadron. After graduating from high school, Olds attended the United States Military Academy in 1940, where he excelled in athletics and graduated in June 1943 while completing pilot training that earned him his wings and the rank of Second Lieutenant.
After his commission, he was assigned to the 329th Fighter Group, an operational training unit based at Grand Central Air Terminal in Glendale, California, where he trained on the Lockheed P-38 Lightning. Olds quickly transitioned to a combat squadron in Europe, flying with the 434th Fighter Squadron of the 479th Fighter Group in the European Theater. There, he piloted P-38J Lightnings and later North American P-51D Mustangs.
He became an ace early in his combat career, shooting down two Focke-Wulf Fw 190s on August 14, 1944, and three Messerschmitt Bf 109s on August 23, 1944.
During World War II, he flew a P-38J named “Scat 1,” and by the end of the war, he was flying “Scat VII,” a P-51D Mustang. The name “Scat” originated from his West Point roommate, Lawton “Scat” Davis, who was unable to become a pilot due to poor eyesight and colorblindness. To honor his promise to his roommate, Olds named each of his aircraft “Scat,” adding a new number each time he was assigned a different airframe. First Lieutenant Davis was later killed in action on January 16, 1945, near Beck, Belgium.
Olds flew 107 combat missions and was credited with 24.5 victories, including 12 aerial kills (Bf 109s and Fw 190s) and 11.5 aircraft destroyed on the ground. He was the only pilot to achieve ace status in both the P-38 (5 victories) and the P-51 (8 victories).
Following World War II, Olds flew in the first P-80 jet demonstration team (his P-80A was named “Scat X”), then held command positions in several operational units and staff roles in Europe. During this period, he flew aircraft such as the North American F-86 Sabre, McDonnell F-101 Voodoo, and the Gloster Meteor. As a result, he missed combat service in the Korean War despite repeated requests for assignment. Determined to return to combat, Olds pursued deployment as the Vietnam War escalated.
In 1966, at the rank of Colonel, Olds was assigned to command a McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II wing in Southeast Asia. At just 44 years old, he took command of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base. Under his leadership, the “Wolfpack” became the USAF’s top operational wing with the most MiG kills. Olds flew combat missions in an F-4C he nicknamed “Scat XXVII.”
He personally planned and led Operation Bolo on January 2, 1967, a mission designed to lure North Vietnamese Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21s into an aerial trap. F-4Cs were disguised as F-105 Thunderchiefs by carrying jamming pods, using their call signs, and flying their typical profiles while equipped for air-to-air combat. The operation was highly successful, resulting in seven MiG-21s destroyed, nearly half of the VPAF’s operational fleet, without any USAF losses. Olds himself was credited with one MiG-21 kill during the mission, his first jet victory. The result significantly reduced VPAF fighter activity for approximately ten weeks.
Olds flew a total of 152 missions over Southeast Asia between 1966 and 1967 before relinquishing command of the 8th TFW on September 23, 1967. During this tour, he scored three additional MiG kills, bringing his total to 16 aerial victories.
He was transferred to the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs in December 1967, serving as Commandant of Cadets for three years. He was promoted to brigadier general on June 1, 1968, and retired from active duty in 1973.
Robin Olds enjoyed retirement until his passing in March 2007. At age 84, he appeared in two episodes of the Dogfights series on the History Channel, where he recounted his experiences flying the P-38 in World War II, leading Operation Bolo, and achieving his last MiG kills in Vietnam.
