DUKE CUNNINGHAM IS THE MAN

Question

Hes like one of the coolest man alive even after his USAF career he did some cool stuff

Answer 1

Yes he sure could fly, but he sure did fall from grace - wonder what his prison cell is like.

Answer 2

Met him several times while at Nav school.  He would stop in on his way to/from NAS Alameda and Fallon.  A total gentleman, totally UNLIKE Steve Ritchie whom I have also met.  But that's another story.

Something sure as h**l changed when he became a Congressman.

Answer 3

Robin Olds, per the "facts" shot down 4 in WW Nam.  Ritchie shot down 5 (his backseater, Chuck DeBellvue is credited with 6 -- I served under him when he was my Base Commander).

Robin never lost a wingman getting his "4".  Ritchie lost 3, 4 if you count that one of the 5 was actually a USAF Phantom.

Ritchie never carried a bomb, had dedicated GCI and only flew when the MiGs were up.  Robin went downtown all the time.

Unfortunately, there will never be an confirmation, but the story is Robin got 9 more but gave them away as he knew he would be sent home the minute he made "ace".

Robin Olds was a fighter pilot's fighter pilot and world is a sadder, more mundane place with out him.  I met (and drank) with him just a couple years before his passing -- in his 80's he was still a stud and I'd have followed him anywhere.  Two's in.

Can't wait until Christina and Ed get the book published....

Answer 4

Definitely a man who walks his own path.  He was a career Navy guy though.

Answer 5

Jim makes an interesting point.... I was at the American Fighter Aces Association convention when it was in San Antonio in late 1972. "Tex" Hill of the AVG and the REAL Flying Tigers was the president and invited me to come as his guest, I was 16 and just started flying, and Tex took a liking to me. I met Duke and talked with him a lot over the weekend.. he was recruiting me to FLY NAVY as the bumpersticker read back then... and the USAF had just brought Steve Ritchie halfway around the world to be there because he had scored his 5th kill in SEA becoming the only USAF "ace" of the war.  I thought maybe it was because he was the star of the show that he was the way he was... but I saw him later in years and nope.. he was the same. Robin Olds... was my hero... and he married Ella Raines *(what a honey)  so was Duke until he totally lost SA in the real world...  Years later when I flew with a guy that was in the 555th with Ritchie... I commented that he was... well... not the most likeable person I ever came across and he steadfastly denied it and got a little hot about it  and said that he was really a great guy...  maybe I always caught him on a bad day.. because  Bob knew him well enough to say those things... and was assigned his airplane that had the 5 red stars still painted on the splitter plate long after Ritchie was gone. Bob said the crew chief offered to put his name on the canopy rail since it was his plane now... but he couldn't do that.. no one (with any self respect) would want to put their name to someone else's work.  

Duke told me and I heard it generally all over later on that the USAF wanted an ACE so badly... that they picked Ritchie because of his contacts, grades, performance, and because he already had two MiG kills in May...  to be the guy to get it done... so he was given priorty as the shooter anytime the chance came up... there were so few engagements... it was hard to get the MiGs to come up and fight... so when they did,  the other flights held back so Ritchie could get in and get the kill.  

Doesn't matter now... but it struck me as interesting that someone else had the same viewpoint I had experienced. Robin Olds would give him credit for being professional and skilled... but other than that.. he never accused him of being a team player or someone what he would want with him when he'd "had the schnitzel"  

Answer 6

Well, Randell "Duke" Cunningham was an Officer (21 years) in the US NAVY , not the USAF, he was an ace (shot down 5 aircraft flying F-4 Phantoms in Vietnam). He also was an instructor at Top Gun, and won the Navy Cross, Silver star (twice) 15 air medals and the purple heart.

So yes, while in the service, and his early work in congress, he was "very cool". His fall from grace however, was not, and went against everything he stood for while in the Navy. Currently serving time for coruption, taking bribes etc. Should be out in 2-3 years.