Col. Robert Vere Lipscomb, USAF Ret.

Col. Robert Vere Lipscomb, USAF, Ret., a member of the last of the real fighter pilots, "slipped the surly bonds of earth" one last time on Sunday, October 31, 2010 in Pinetop, Arizona. He was 89 years old. He was born in Tacoma, Washington on March 22, 1921 to Vere and Edna (Sterrett) Lipscomb. He flew the P-47 Thunderbolt fighter during WWII, providing close air support for Gen. Patton's troops as they drove through France and Germany. Throughout his colorful military career, he was a highly decorated pilot who loved flying, above all else. After WWII, he flew F-86 Sabrejets in Korea as an advisor to the Korean Air Force. He then became the Commander of the 4532nd Combat Crew Training Squadron at Williams AFB in Mesa, Arizona. At the rank of Major, he brought the first squadron of the speedy F-86s to Luke AFB and was named Commander of the newly organized Luke 4517th Combat Crew Training Squadron. The 4517th used the F-86 to train fledgling pilots to employ the jet aircraft as a weapon. The arrival of these pilots saw Luke become an international settlement. The class included students from Korea, Turkey, Ecuador, Chile, Norway, Iran and Venezuela, who were trained under the military assistance pact the United States had with it's NATO and SEATO allies. Robert left Luke AFB for a new assignment at Nellis AFB as Commander of the 4521st Combat Crew Training Squadron. The Air Force allowed Hollywood director, Dick Powell, to utilize the 4521st in filming the movie, "The Hunters", starring Robert Mitchum and Robert Wagner. Lipscomb is flying the F-86 in many of the scenes. At the height of the Cold War, Major Lipscomb was stationed at Bentwaters, England where he flew the nuclear capable F-101 Voodoo, commonly known as the Voodoo One-O-Wonder. He served under the commands of Col. Robin Olds and Col. "Chappie" James, who both became Generals and Aces over the skies of Vietnam. After England, Lipscomb was off to Augsburg, Germany where he served as Air Liaison Officer to the Army, under Gen. Edward Rowney. During this assignment he got in his precious flying time checking out in the T-38 Talon at Ramstein AFB. His last assignment was at Shaw AFB in South Carolina, where he retired in 1969. He enlisted at the age of 19 as a Private in the Army Air Corp at the beginning of WWII, and worked his way through the ranks to his present rank of Full Colonel, USAF. Col. Lipscomb was preceded in death by his son, Robert Lance Lipscomb. He leaves behind the family he cared for, and for whom he provided a most exciting, loving, and full life; his wife, Betty Lipscomb of Pinetop, Arizona; 2 daughters: Leith Lindenstrauss (Volker) of Dortmund Germany, Laurel Reynolds of San Francisco; son, William Lipscomb (Ana) of Pinetop, Arizona; 3 grandchildren: Tod Wood (Jacqueline) of Hawaii, Charles Reynolds (Beth) of San Francisco and Adam Lipscomb (Kristen) of Tucson, Arizona. Also, three great-grandchildren to carry on his legacy. The surviving family will accompany this remarkable husband and father to Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C., in the spring, where he will be buried, with full military honors. Col. Lipscomb now has the sun to his back, with an airspeed and altitude advantage.