The Writer's Connection, SM
a publication of The Virtual Writing Coach SM


"The Creative Process of Writing is a Liberating and Therapeutic

Experience"

www.virtualwritingcoach.com

Novmeber, 2010

In This Issue:

1. Preview
2. Publisher's Note
3. Robin Olds: Ace Fighter Pilot
4. Helpful Hints

1. Preview

The Writer's Connection explores the creative process of writing and the interplay between thoughts, feelings, and actions. We are an interactive community of authors and readers who share ideas to enhance our knowledge, skills, and experiences in writing fiction
in any genre, but our emphasis remains mystery and suspense thrillers.

Published monthly, the Newsletter offers writing tips for authors, coaching suggestions, editing, and marketing information. Topics are presented from the perspective of Keith Barton and represent only his ideas on producing your first manuscript, and are provided to the general public. Because we are an interactive community of writers, other viewpoints are welcomed and may be printed in future monthly newsletters with permission from Keith Barton.

2. Publisher's Note

November, 2010

Dear Writer's Connection Subscriber,

This month features the author's firsthand account of his experiences as a fighter pilot in WWII and Vietnam.

3. Robin Olds: Ace Fighter Pilot

Those of you who know me know that I like military history. I’ve written about The Civil War, WWII, Vietnam, The Iraqi and Afghanistan Wars. I ran across an extraordinary autobiography on Fighter Ace pilot Robin Olds that was ghostwritten and completed by
his daughter when her father was dying of COPD. Robin graduated from West Point in 1943 and saw action in the latter stages of WWII over Europe flying the P - 38 Lightning and P - 51 Mustang, both single canopy prop jets. Robin knocked down five planes in WWII in short
order to become an Ace pilot with five kills. He loved to fly.

But what is extraordinary about this book is the dedication to his flying and his commands as he found himself advancing from 2nd LT. to Brigadier General after Vietnam and his retirement in 1973. He flew in Nam in 1967 - 68 when targets in North Vietnam were limited to supply trains and non - essential targets. American policy forbade directly bombing bridges, munitions plants, and military transport vehicles and ships. Robin was critical of our policy when it became clear we were losing good men because they were restricted by McNamara’s War of attrition.

Robin loved planes: oh how he loved flying! He trained in the F4 Phantom in just four days and shot down five MIGs with sidewinder rockets after coaxing them into dogfights. The B - 52 “carpet bombing” was above altitude for the MIGs and useless in pinpoint accurate bombing of targets that were deep underground in an
elaborate tunnel system described earlier in The Rumor of War by Philip Caputo. Olds actually flew 162 missions over Nam when 100 was the maximum number before being reassigned to stateside even if
your one year tour wasn’t up. He also passed on at least five more planes giving the kills to other wingmen in his squadron because he didn’t want to be shipped back to the U.S. for “dog and pony”
shows for the press. An unforgettable scene describes his talk with LBJ after returning from Vietnam in 1968 (Johnson would later withdraw his name from running for President a second term in March) in which he told Johnson that we need to fight “to win,” and anything less was travesty and hypocrisy.

He married a movie actress and moved his two daughters across the country between California and Washington, D.C. as he was assigned to various commands. His last command was commandant of the USAF Academy in Colorado Springs. Another vintage Olds was getting Pappy and some of his other buddies to fly in low formation over the parade ground on graduation day knocking out all the windows in the mess hall and chapel. Olds was your typical no - nonsense swearing, drinking, fighter jock but beneath his bravado was a love of country and his men. He knew every non - combat officer and NCO under his commands because he knew planes couldn’t fly without superb maintenance, weaponry, and supplies.

After his retirement he kicked around for about 15 years going to ribbon cuttings and reunions, but quickly tired of the limelight as his flying buddies slowly died off. After two failed marriages, his eldest daughter came to live with him to help him finish his extraordinary autobiography as he lay dying from congested heart failure following prostate cancer. It’s ironic that his oxygen mask and wheelchair in his 80s replaced the oxygen masks he wore fighting German Messerschmitt and North Vietnamese MIGs. Olds was not a fan of the post - WWII cold war Air Force of missiles, SR 71 Blackbird and B - 52 SAC planes with the Russians in the 50s and
60s. He was a fighter pilot and believed that tactical air command (TAC) was the backbone of the Air Force. In many ways, Olds was a throwback to the Rickenbacker days of dogfights with 50 - caliber machine guns. He had asked that the guns be placed on the earlier F - 4 models to no avail in Vietnam (later placed on the F4E model in 1972).

Olds hated politics, kissing ass, and pressing the flesh with Congress to obtain more funding for the Air Force. He could have easily retired with four stars but he had no use for desk jockeys and ass wipers who gave up flying for pushing paper. He hated his
Pentagon assignments and pleaded with upper brass to return to commanding a squadron. He even flew the F - 15 Eagle (unbeknownst to higher ups) with the help of some junior officers just to show that he still had the “right stuff” at 52 years of age when he finally
retired from military service.

For those of you who love flying and the intricate details of being in the cockpit where man and plane become one, this is an exceptional read. If you’re more interested in politics and the history of flying then pass on this book for something a little
more sedentary. As one old fighter pilot passes from this world into the “wild blue yonder” he is confronted with a dream of meeting his old flying buddies in heaven: “There’s Chappie, Tex, Hub, Leon, Tooey, Pappy, Jim” and other faces he remembers from his combat days and nights. He yells to the group, “Olds Flight, checking in.” He meets his father, an AF pilot who says to his son,
“Welcome home, Robbie.” Robin Olds has flown his last mission.

Helpful Hints:

1. Vietnam was controversial to say the least. What air policies would you had advised President Johnson to win the war?

2. Flying with a stick by the seat of your pants was popular in both World Wars, before technology took over piloting the plane. What do military pilots enjoy today about flying? Explain the rise of restoring and flying vintage aircraft.

3. Olds F - 4 sits in Wright - Patterson’s AF museum near Dayton, Ohio. There were at least five upgrades A - E. Why were the Sparrows and Sidewinders preferred over the AIM4 Falcon missile for the F - 4D? Can you think of other military snafus that prevented pilots from safely engaging the enemy?

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(c) Copyright 2003 A. Keith Barton, Ph.D.
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The Writer's Connection SM Mission:

The Writer's Connection SM is dedicated to helping first - time authors create their first manuscript for publication and to offer an exchange of ideas and opinions from our readers who might be interested in becoming authors.

The Writer's Connection™ is a publication of The Virtual Writing Coach and Keith Barton, Ph.D. and a registered trademark.We would like The Writer's Connection SM to be as interactive as possible. If you have feedback, comments, topics you would like
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Archives

You can read previous issues of The Writer's Connection SM in our archive section which is located at the top right section of this page.

About Keith Barton, Ph.D.

Dr. Barton received his Ph.D. in 1972 from the University of Texas at Austin and has been a practicing therapist for over thirty years. He is currently enrolled in MentorCoach and is accepting new
clients. He has been an adjunct professor at the University of South Carolina, consultant to Fortune 500 companies in executive development, founded and managed Texas Community Living Ventures, Inc., in 1986 for providing group home services to persons with
mental retardation, and for the past 13 years founded and runs a clinical practice in Northwest Houston. He writes part - time with the goal of completing one novel a year. His desire to coach others derives from his passionate interest in helping others become attuned to their creative powers of storytelling.

Dr. Barton has training in coaching, cognitive and family therapy and health psychology. He has published articles, made presentations and conducted workshops about:

Anxiety and achievement
Stress management
Self - esteem
Communication skills
Marital/relationship enrichment
Wellness issues
The relationship between psychology and spirituality

Copyright by Virtual Writing Coach (SM) and Keith Barton, 2001 - 2008.