From Sheppard to Vietnam and back

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Adawn Kelsey
  • 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs
SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Retired Air Force Capt. Bill Robinson, returned to Sheppard Dec. 11-15, after training here nearly 50 years ago, to tour training facilities, visit leadership and tell his Air Force story including his experience as a prisoner of war.

Robinson arrived at Sheppard Jan. 3, 1962, to completed the Helicopter maintenance course. He said it has been a great experience to come back to the base where he started his Air Force career. While attending technical training he hardly had time to look up from his books.

"It has been a pleasure to walk around Sheppard leisurely and see its contribution to our present day Air Force," he said. "This is the first base that I have been to in a while where I see my history throughout the base. I see everything that was flying when I was on active duty, and now they are on a pedestal of honor, you might say."

Robinson spent seven years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam from 1965 to 1973. After being shot down in hostile territory, Robinson was served small food rations, was not allowed any verbal communication and was often times held in an isolation cell no larger than three feet by three feet wide.

He said he learned a specific trait as an Airman which helped him and is comrades pull through their time as POWs.

"Teamwork - there is no substitute for being able to rely on each other," he said. "I never felt like I was a one-man band; I felt like I was surrounded by others, and we all had the same interest. No matter how individual you want to feel, you still feel the strength and the unity that comes from the others who were there."

Sheppard is responsible for training more than 80,000 Airmen, Army, Navy and Marine Corps students annually. The base is also home to the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program where members from 13 participating countries receive combat-oriented pilot training.
 
Robinson said it is great to see that the future of the Air Force is in good hands.

"I feel that the people here are making a difference in our country," he said. "They are the ones that have been handed responsibility to maintain what we call freedom.

"These people come knowing our country is at war, yet they still come because they believe in something bigger than themselves. To me as an older airman it is refreshing to see the young guard coming on to make a difference and to take on the increase in responsibility."

Before departing, Robinson said his message to the Airmen was to be proud of who they are.

"Be proud of your accomplishments and strive to do the best you can at all times," he said. "Always remember it's not what you do when people are looking, it's what you do when people aren't looking.

"I like to use what I call the 'Four Faith' that kept us going -- faith in yourself, faith in those around you, faith in your country and faith in your god. A mirror is your most important ally, you have got to like what you see there."

Robinson also wanted say "thank you" to the hosts and for the opportunity to return to Sheppard, a place that he said played an important part in who he is today.