MiG ENCOUNTER - Framed Collectors Piece

Colonel Robin Olds and his flight of eight F-4 Phantoms from the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing encounter a large group of North Vietnamese MiG-17s over the hills north of Hai Phong, 20 May 1967. During the clash that followed Olds and his WSO 1st Lt. Stephen B. Croker destroyed two MiG-17s.

In September 1966 when the 44-year-old former WWII fighter ace Colonel Robin Olds arrived to take command of USAF’s 8th Tactical Fighter Wing at Ubon, a Royal Thai Air Force base close to the border with Laos, the war in south-east Asia was escalating rapidly. He found many of the pilots in his new command were accomplished and experienced fliers, but morale was flagging – what they needed was some inspirational leadership. It only took Olds a few weeks to prove he was the best leader they’d ever had.

It wasn’t long before Olds’ 8th TFW were involved in some of the biggest and most successful air battles of the war. One such incident occurred shortly after the moment depicted in Anthony’s outstanding piece when Olds and his WSO, 1st Lt. Stephen B. Croker, would destroy two MiG-17s. These were aerial victories three and four for Olds, making him the leading MiG killer in south-east Asia at that time.