ROBINSON, PAUL K.

Name: Paul K. Robinson
Rank/Branch: O4/United States Air Force
Unit: 469TFS, 385 TFW
Date of Birth: 05 January 1939
Home City of Record: Galion OH
Date of Loss: 01 July 1972
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 211600N 1061200E
Status (in 1973): Returnee
Category:
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F4E, #277
Missions: 350 SVN, 137 NVN
Incident No: 1889

Other Personnel in Incident: Kevin J. Cheney, returnee, navigator

Source: Compiled by P.O.W. NETWORK March 1997 from one or more of the
following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with
POW/MIA families, published sources, personal interviews.  2023

REMARKS: 730328 RELEASED BY DRV

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March 1997
                       Paul Kurtz Robinson, Jr.
                         Biographical Sketch
   
Paul K. "P.K." Robinson was born January 5, 1939, in Galion, Ohio. He
graduated from Galion Senior High School in 1957. During his school years,
he was on the National Honor Society and lettered on the football and
baseball teams. Following graduation from High School, "P.K." attended one
year of college at the College of Wooster, Wooster, Ohio. During this time,
he applied for and was accepted as a member of the newly formed United
States Air Force Academy. As a cadet, he was named to the Superintendent's,
the Dean's and the Commandant's lists. He was active in many sports and
served as a member of the Honor Society. As a First Classman, he was a Group
Commander.

Following graduation as a Distinguished Graduate in June 1962, "P.K."
attended pilot training at Williams AFB, Arizona. He subsequently completed
F-100 training at Luke AFB, Arizona as he was selected for future
assignments as a fighter pilot. His first operational tour was at RAF
Lakenheath. During this tour, he was named as a "Select Crew". He was then
assigned to Tuy Hoa AB, RVN, Southeast Asia. During this tour and while
assigned as a "Misty FAST-FAG" at Phu Cat AB, he completed over 250 combat
missions, including 101 missions over North Vietnam. He participated in many
of the key battles of the Vietnam War including the Dak To Offensive, the
siege at Khe Sahn and the Tet Offensive.

"P.K." was then selected as an Olmsted Scholar and, after language training
at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California, attended
l'lnstitut d'Etudes Politiques in Paris, France. He obtained a "diplome" in
Intemational Relations and graduated with "laureat" honors. He then returned
to Southeast Asia as an F-4E pilot flying out of Korat RTAB, Thailand. On
July 1,1972, while on a mission north of Hanoi, "P.K." was shot down by a
Surface-to-Air Missile and was captured by the North Vietnamese militia. He
was incarcerated in various prisons in the Hanoi area and was released on
March 28,1973, during Operation Homecoming.

"P.K." served on the staff of the Air Force Department of Legislative
Liaison for four years, was the Deputy for Operations at RAF Bentwaters and
helped introduce the A10 into the European theater of operations, was the
commander of the 355th Tactical Training Wing at Davis-Monthan AFB, Tucson,
Arizona and served as a Division Director on a Pentagon tour. "P.K." retired
from active duty as a Colonel while serving as the Vice Commander, Tactical
Fighter Weapons Center, Nellis AFB, Nevada in July 1988.

After his Air Force career, "P.K." began a second career with First
Interstate Bank of Nevada. He served in several divisions and branches as a
loan officer and as a Branch Manager. He was named as a Business Loan
Officer in July, 1996 when Wells Fargo Bank bought out First Interstate
Bank. "P.K." is a Vice President with Wells Fargo Bank.

"P.K." is active in various endeavors to include church, snow skiing,
hiking, hunting and boating. He is a member of the North Las Vegas Chamber of
Commerce, and the Nellis AFB Civilian/Military Council. He is the past State
President of the Air Force Association and a member of the Air Force
Association's Constitution Committee, the City Director for Crown Ministries
and the Church Chairman for his church. He is married to Reta, his wife of
33 years. They have two children.