Robert F. Dorr

Robert F. Dorr is the author of Mission to Berlin, a history of American B-17 Flying Fortress crews in World War II. He is an Air Force veteran (1957-60), a retired senior U.S. diplomat (1964-89), and an author (1955-present) of more than 70 books, as well as magazine articles and newspaper columns. He writes a weekly commentary for Air Force Times newspaper and a monthly feature for Aerospace America magazine. He lives in Oakton, Va., with his family and Labrador retriever. Contact him at robert.f.dorr@cox.net.

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An R-4 Hoverfly of the type used for the first helicopter combat rescue mission. Photo via Robert F. Dorr

Burma Where Special Ops’ Combat Rescue Mission Began

Today’s Air Force Special Operations Forces had their beginnings in the jungles of Burma during World War II. There, the upstart 1st Air Commando Group waged an unconventional and unorthodox …

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1st Lt. Christian F. Schilt beside his Vought O2U-1 Corsair. Schilt made 10 flights into the embattled village of Quilali to evacuate wounded and bring in medicine and supplies to the Marines on the ground. Schilt received the Medal of Honor for his exploits.

The Marines Pioneer Air Support in Nicaragua Centennial of Naval Aviation

What does Nicaragua mean to a Marine?

Plenty. Here, in 1928 and again in 1932, the most famous Marine of all, Lewis B. “Chesty” Puller, won two of his five …

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Capt. Matthew Feeman, in an F-16 Fighting Falcon approaches a Cessna airplane, flown by South Carolina's Civil Air Patrol, to initiate a "head butt" as part of exercise Fertile Keynote Nov. 19, 2009 above South Carolina. A head butt is an action taken by the intercepting aircraft to redirect the intruder in the appropriate direction after other communications, like radio contact, have failed. Feeman is an F-16 alert pilot from the 55th Fighter Squadron.  U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Michael Cowley

Sacrificing Air Sovereignty?

In Pentagon talk, it used to be called air defense. Today it’s commonly known as the Air Sovereignty Alert (ASA) mission.

It’s the modern-day term for protecting the skies of …

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F-35A AA-1 on a test flight. For the Air Force, with the cancellation of the F-22, much is at stake in the F-35 program. Lockheed Martin photo by Liz Kaszynski

U.S. Air Force Year in Review A Changing Force

The United States Air Force is changing.

While airmen perform superbly in Iraq and Afghanistan and in air sovereignty operations defending U.S. skies, the Air Force is making dramatic shifts …

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What Might Have Been: F-20 Tigershark The Best Fighter Never Bought?

When test pilot Russ Scott took off from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. on Aug. 30, 1982, he was making the maiden flight of a sleek and beautiful fighter, the …

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This artist's conception of the "Advanced USN Patrol Aircraft" shows a plane similar to the DC-9 airliner, known to the Navy as the C-9B Skytrain II transport, but with unducted fan engines. McDonnell Douglas via Robert F. Dorr

What Might Have Been: LRAACA McDonnell Douglas’ Unique MPA Contender

During the Cold War when the West was oncerned about the Soviet Union’s undersea fleet, McDonnell Douglas Corporation (MDC), which later merged with Boeing, offered the U.S. Navy an anti-submarine …

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Thunderbolt Versus Tiger Tank “Wrecking the German Army”

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During World War II in Europe, the German Tiger tank was a respected and feared fighting machine, but it was not always a match for the robust Republic P-47D Thunderbolt …

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A B-1B Lancer flies on a testing mission carrying a Sniper pod over Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The Sniper pod has helped give the Bone a new lease on life. U.S. Air Force photo/Jet Fabara

Approaching a Key Anniversary, the B-1B Redeems Itself in Afghanistan

In Afghanistan in February, a U. S. Air Force B-1B Lancer monitored hostile militants who reconnoitered, approached, and then attacked U.S. ground troops. Coordinating with the friendly ground commander, the …

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Rescue chamber alongside USS Falcon during the rescue of USS Squalus crewmen, May 1939.  Naval Heritage photo.

Squalus Disaster, Rescue, Gripped a Nation on the Eve of War

A naval disaster that evolved into a mass rescue captured the attention of the American public while the nation approached the end of the Great Depression and the start of …

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The second prototype of the Consolidated Vultee XP-54, in natural metal finish, during what was reportedly its only flight. Photo via Robert F. Dorr

Back to the Drawing Board The Big and Not So Beautiful Vultee XP-54

It would be unthinkable today, but during World War II the burgeoning U.S. aircraft industry was able to design, develop, and test numerous warplanes that were not needed and never …

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