23 September 1967

Aviation, , , , , , , ,
Colonel Robin Olds, USAF, in the cockpit of McDonnell F-4C-21-MC Phantom II, 63-7668, on his last flight out of Ubon-Rachitani RTAFB as Wing Commander, 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, 23 September 1967. This was his 152nd combat mission of the Vietnam War. (U.S. Air Force)

23 September 1967: Colonel Robin Olds, United States Air Force, the Wing Commander of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing based at Ubon-Rachitani Royal Thai Air Force Base, flew the final combat mission of his military career.

On this last mission, Colonel Olds flew a McDonnell F-4C-21-MC Phantom II, serial number 63-7668. Olds had flown this Phantom when he and Lieutenant William D. Lefever shot down a MiG-21 near Hanoi, 4 May 1967.

23 September 1967: Colonel Robin Olds' last flight as Wing Commander, 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, Ubon-Rachitani RTAFB, Thailand. The airplane is McDonnell F-4D-31-MC Phantom II 66-7668. (U.S. Air Force)
23 September 1967: Colonel Robin Olds’ last flight as Wing Commander, 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, Ubon-Rachitani RTAFB, Thailand. The airplane is McDonnell F-4C-21-MC Phantom II 63-7668. (U.S. Air Force)

63-7668 had been delivered to the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing from the factory on 18 January 1965. It was lost in the South China Sea, 27 January 1968.

© 2018, Bryan R. Swopes

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9 thoughts on “23 September 1967”

  1. Gentlemen:
    I have a 150 page mimeo’d book entitled “Fighter Pilots Songbook. It has “Maxon 372B and 497th TFS handwritten on the cover. Inside: Second edition/November 1965/433rd Tactical Fighter Squadron.
    Names given as typists, etc:
    Sandi Wilson George Kahl Cpt. Bob Ashcraft Cpt. Bob Bones Mr & Mrs J A Maher Jere Mileusnich Cpt. J B Stone Cpt. Bennie Wallace Tim Wilson Lt. John B. Spencer Cpt. Chuck Kahl.

    Any information about this book would be appreciated. I’d send it to wherever it may belong, since I do not want to dispose of it. I got it some years ago from a friend.
    Sincerely,
    Stanley J. Serxner [email protected]

    2. ☲✪☲ I forwarded your note to Brig Gen J.B. Stone & Ms. Christina Olds [Robin’s daughter].
      ??
      ℭhief ℬob

    1. Thanks, Raymond. You are correct. Col. Olds had previously flown 63-7668 to shoot down a MiG-21, 4 May 1968. 66-7668 was based at Spangdahlem AB, Germany, at the time. Thank you for brining this to my attention.

  3. I served in the 497th ,1965 thru 1968. All my photos and memorabilia are going to the USAF museum in Dayton Ohio on my next trip there.

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