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.
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
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]
Mr. Serxner: The 497th Tactical Fighter Squadron was assigned to the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing (“Wolf Pack”) at Ubon-Ratchitani Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, December 1965. You might try: https://web.archive.org/web/20180307120544/http://www.8tfw.com:80/pages/index3.htm
Link doesn’t work Bryan.
☲✪☲ I forwarded your note to Brig Gen J.B. Stone & Ms. Christina Olds [Robin’s daughter].
??
ℭhief ℬob
its actually F-4C 63-7668, not F-4D 66-7668
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.
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.
One of Americas greatest fighting men. A true hero.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Ubon.veterans/?ref=share