H.Q, U.S.A.F., Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
June – August 1969
I was back once more to the city where I was
born, but never wished to be, working in the
Pentagon and assigned to DCS Procurement on
the F-111 swept-wing fighter program. That
project was prominent in a childish game
between the Air Force and the Senate Armed
Services Committee, whose powerful leader,
Sen. McClellan was determined to prove the
F-111 could barely fly, while the Pentagon
under dominant civilian decision makers
installed by recently departed Secretary of
Defense, Mc Namara, set out to respond that
it could almost fly with the engines
shut-off. Extensive and costly paper
evaluations passed back and forth, serving
no real purpose. It was nothing like the
Air Force that I had joined 20 years before,
and which became increasingly political from
without, and moving to within. Many things
added up, not the least of which was my
performance appraisals in flight test and
Vietnam combat, but one thing that happened
put the cap on everything.
An Army 2nd Lieutenant’s hand written note
to the Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for
Operations was the final straw. “Tactical
Air Power has never been effective in war!”
he declared. Was the lieutenant punished?
Not on your life! Instead a major effort
was directed and scores of high-ranking
people in the Air Staff were dedicated to
the task of responding with pages of
historically based rebuttal. Studies were
done on the accomplishments of tactical
airpower during WW II, Korea and Vietnam.
This with a war in progress!
That reaction was because the second
lieutenant was a PhD in the Analysis Group
of Secretary of Defense, McNamara, as the
tactical air “Whiz Kid”. The situation
deteriorated for a long time, then improved
greatly under President Reagan’s
administration, but deteriorated greatly
with President Clinton administration, at
which point politics again permeated the top
echelons. That was demonstrated by the
request for early retirement in his own and
honorable way of protest by Air Force Chief
of Staff, General Ronald Fogleman.
Jim Bean, 388th Deputy for
Operations had initiated award of the Air
Force Cross to me, before he was shot down.
Bob Ronca, my buddy and comrade from the 335th
squadron - when we flew combat in Korea and
for two years flying tests at Eglin, had
received an AFC, posthumously presented for
continuing to attack a ground target in Pack
I after being hit in his F-100. His award
was far more deserved, so I will always
consider mine shared with many deserving
members of our 34th squadron.
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Col. Giraudo returns from Hanoi with flag presented to the Cadets of the Air Force Academy |
Since the presentation was in the Pentagon,
by the Chief of Staff, all of the A.F.
Deputy Chief’s attended and lined up for
congratulating. My Dad lived in D.C., with
his wife, a dear friend for many years, and
my youngest two half-brothers. One of my
favorite photos shows the six of us with
recently promoted B/G John C. Giraudo. That
was a very special first and only meeting
with this hero and great combat leader, who
was an idol, not only of his 355th
pilots, but all of us.
I had little time to wear my Vietnam awards
because of a chosen or forced career move,
depending on point of view, retirement. I
did so with mixed emotions, whereas Martha’s
were enamored of Air Force life, but she
adapted perfectly, as I expected she would,
because it’s her nature to make life good.
As a representative of many Thud Jocks, I
was deserving of being honored and
recognized. As an individual I am glad to
have been considered in that recognition for
the difficult job under trying political
restraints and without popular support that
we were duty bound to accomplish.
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Smith’s meet Gen. Giraudo: Bob, Martha, Father & wife Mary Ellen and their sons David and Jay |
I was honored to have the Air Force Cross,
Silver Star and my 4th
Distinguished Flying Cross, products of my
two combat tours awarded to me and pinned on
by Air Force Chief of Staff, General
McConnell, so near the end of the favorite
time of my life. And with the honor of
having a number of the Deputy Chiefs in
attendance.
There was little time before retirement and
no time to wear medals after that, so mine
have their place in my office at home, a
place where photos and mementos recall for
me the finest people and most exciting
events of my life. Medals are awarded to
individuals but seldom earned along and the
higher the level of those medals the more
warriors shared directly in them. The Air
Force Cross and Silver Star, if not my other
awards, were absolutely attributable
directly to the courage and performance
under fire of my Vietnam mates in the sky
and made possible by the ground crews that
kept us going.
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Gen. McConnell presents medals to Bob |
Rewards come easier to
commanders because they are recognitions of
the effectiveness of the unit and when I
view them my mind drifts to many people in
the 34th Squadron who gave so
much of themselves. That was true with my
first Distinguished Flying Cross, which
rewarded a lieutenant for shooting down
MiG-15’s, because he could trust another
lieutenant wingman to protect him. It was
equally true of the Air Force Cross because
19 other F-105 pilots risked equally the
hazards on every mission. Many paid the
highest sacrifice, and others suffered
unimaginably as prisoners of very cruel
captors. They were the real heroes!
The military had things going the way they
should in Desert Storm. The same armies we
now fight in Iraq were totally at our mercy,
cornered for the kill, until President
George W. H. Bush halted the attack, when at
that time Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen.
Colin Powell was little more than a pawn in
that. The enemy walked out of a deadly trap
to survive and fight again. Desert Storm,
Phase Two, so quickly effective could be a
repeat episode unless a democratic Iraq
emerges, a real long shot and dangerous work
for our comrades on the ground. Powell now
plays a pivotal role as Secretary of State,
along with SecDef in the outcome. It will
prove to be either the greatest drain on
America and accelerator of our decline as a
nation or the beginning of a new period of
world security and peace.
The one common thread that has made us
successful, beyond our economic capacity and
technology is the strength and
determination, the loyalty and integrity of
American fighting forces when the call goes
out. I have seen it close up and personal
twice. Recently, as the troops entered and
captured Saddam Hussein Airport and renamed
it Baghdad International, I was proud beyond
description. Their difficult and dangerous
task of policing is no less a combat tour.
Let’s hope our leading politicians and
statesmen do as well with their part to
assure success!
Yes Martha, There Is Life After Air Force
My 23 years in Aerospace industry proved a
great surprise. When I left the world I
treasured and only one I knew, I left with
disenchantment, but had great reservations
about any real satisfying experience in the
future, because, except for his character,
accomplishment is what defines a man. And
satisfaction in the accomplishment is what
makes it a good choice. I made special
effort never to compare it with my former
career, expecting that I would have to
measure my goals and accomplishments against
different sorts of standards to find
satisfaction.
I discovered in flying that what satisfied
me most in life’s work was to succeed in
challenges when the probability of failure
was highest, and its risks greatest. Not a
“death wish” as some people suppose, but the
determination to overcome tough odds in that
work. When I moved to industry, I found that
same challenge by searching out jobs where
direct measurement of performance was exact
and demanding. There are many places for
those who choose to advance by perception,
not by accomplishment, and in many cases
that is the easiest route if financial
reward is primary goal. I met a whole new
breed of very skilled and intelligent
scientists and engineers, which tested my
abilities differently than before, but the
risk of failure was clear and success
therefore was sweet.
My first four years I worked as an
Engineering Manager on the Skylab Mission,
working directly with Astronauts, some of
whom were friends, in satisfying their needs
in design. My first assignment was for
design and delivery of a simulator in a
matter of months that would convince the
crews that it was possible to manually steer
an infra-red sensor from space to keep its ¼
mile circular field of view within 1 mile on
earth. The spacecraft had constant motion
due to gyroscopic stability that changed the
view angle from space, which added to their
concern of being saddled with a task
impossible to achieve. We were able to
convince them and the Infrared Spectrometer
was flown as a result, providing unique
Earth Resources data around the world.
My next assignment moved me from Denver to
New Orleans as Systems Design Manager for
the Space Shuttle External Tank from its
very inception. Stints in manufacturing and
later as Engineering V.P. prepared me for
Vice President and General Manager of the
Program. Throughout, I had the pleasure of
working with some old friends among the
astronauts and meeting new ones in those
next 13 years, from the first moment of
design, through the Challenger tragedy.
After the accident, and the rigors of the
investigation the task slowed and I realized
I had done it all before, under far more
duress.
Martha and I moved to Orlando and a new and
challenging Army Apache Helicopter program,
in which we were the contractor for the
Target Acquisition and Designation Systems
and Pilot Night Vision System (TADS/PNVS).
This integrated system gave the choppers the
ability to attack day or night from low
altitude with a Gatling cannon or Hellfire
missiles, and introduced me to management in
technical disciplines entirely new to me.
Our company was unique because major
programs, were also a business entity, so
the program Vice President, had every aspect
from design to sales, from manufacturing to
test, from customer training to field
maintenance, and from contracts to the
bottom line, profits. There was no place to
hide, and I loved it, like a new aircraft or
exciting new acrobatic maneuver.
And the best news was the Apache is a fine
flying helicopter, capable of rolls, loops
and rapid negative ‘g’ pushovers, which
would separate the rotor blades on most
helicopters. My good fortune of being taught
to fly choppers at Edwards by my friend and
excellent test pilot, Phil Neale gave me the
opportunity to check out in the Apache. The
commanders and troops at Ft. Hood ,
Kileen, TX allowed me to fly night tactical
training missions on deep interdiction with
attacks on old tanks and trucks in a target
area. I thought the guys in the back were
very courageous to sit there, knowing that
there is no time flying 50 feet over the
rough terrain, to recover from a mistake.
On my first flight, I told the guy in back
that it had been over 20 years since I last
was at the controls of a rotor plane, and
they proved to me then, even before Iraq
that they have unlimited guts. He didn’t
touch the controls from take-off until final
landings, and I made actual landings in the
prairie in the dark of night and simulated
attacks on junked tanks and trucks. I
believe the situation in Iraq II
demonstrated the difficulty of employing
this low/slow aircraft with its strong radar
return, against modern defenses.
Nevertheless it certainly is memorable to me
because it was the last military aircraft I
will ever get to fly.
Later, When Desert Storm started, I took
over the “Lantirn” Project to accelerate our
delivery of the Navigation and Targeting
Pods used so effectively by the Air Force in
attacking ground targets, night and day.
That system, combined with modern weapons,
gives the F-15 combat flexibility and the
extreme accuracy that was instrumental in
the selectivity and destructive
accomplishments against many targets, which
was vital to the outstanding success of the
air power.
Until I passed the age of 70 and had little
else to occupy my mind, I didn’t reflect
much on my flying career. I intentionally
shunted it aside to avoid that wonderful old
dream overwhelming my attention to the world
of the present, even at the cost of losing
track of great buddies, some of whom I now
am in contact with again.
In divorcing myself from the pleasure of
flying, I finally realized that I craved was
a life full of high risk of failure in order
to really enjoy the pleasure of success.
After leaving flying behind I also realized
that the risk does not have to be one of
life, but merely pride or reputation. It
became apparent to me that, even in the big
business of defense industry there are
relatively few jobs that put you in harms
way, as to real accomplishment, success and
reputation and many folks shun those,
choosing instead the style of the bureaucrat
or politician….Hide in the weeds and jump up
only when a great success is certain. Then
claim it as your own. The guys who make
difficult things happen seek their rewards
first within themselves: Often that’s all
they get because of others who pop up to
usurp the credit. The choose to jump up
even more into the face of failure, finding
such success all the more stimulating. They
wish to succeed or fail in full view and
with full responsibility. In flying we
called that “Shining Your Ass!” In the air
or on the ground it’s the greatest high in
life. It does not play well in government
service, including military, except in a
real war. Then those are the leaders until
peace returns.
I recently made one more observation on my
own life. Interest in my past, not my
future reveals that I accept there are no
significant new dreams left for me: No more
times to pop up and face the music, or I
would not be looking forward to them!
With 9-11 so close behind us, and great
risks so near ahead, I hope that we have not
driven our iconoclasts and our ‘willing
targets’, away from facing the challenges
ahead. Let’s hope there are many more Chuck
Beamer’s ready to jump up and lead with,
“Let’s Roll!” What’s happening in Iraq
makes me feel they are all around us!
My profession now is Golfer, with one day of
work and 6 rest. No, I’m not exactly a
Professional Golfer, but I did sleep in a
Motel 6 last night … and I do give swing
improvement suggestions …especially to folks
with whom I have a friendly bet … frequently
and most effectively, during their
back-swings!
And, as with me, Martha looks back on the
military days with a happy nostalgia, and
has found new friends, happy events and
contentment. But the old friends and
memories of those days are never far away.