Episode 10 of Military Tales features an insightful conversation with Roger Youngblood, a pilot with 24 years of flying experience in a unique sequence of attack aircraft: the A-1 Skyraider, the A-7 Corsair II, and the A-10 Warthog. Roger’s journey into flying the A-1 began with a simple, powerful attraction. While at Reese Air Force Base for pilot training (Class 6907), he saw two A-1 Skyraiders land. The sound of their engines, described as a “big Harley Davidson engine with a hopped up cam,” captivated him. He “fell in love with it”, seeing it as a link to World War II and Korea, and immediately knew he wanted to fly it.

His desire was so strong that during his first tour in Saigon, within 30 days, he volunteered for a consecutive overseas tour specifically to get the chance to fly the A-1, which was only stationed at Nakhon Phanom (NKP), Thailand, for the U.S. Air Force at that time. He spent his first year in Vietnam observing the South Vietnamese Air Force’s A-1s, familiarizing himself with the aircraft before training on it back in the States and returning to NKP.

Roger refers to the relationship a single-seat fighter pilot has with their aircraft as marrying “her”. He describes being “wedded to that airplane” once strapped in. A concept that stuck with him from another A-1 pilot was “let her dance” when coming in for an attack or landing approach. This referred to making evasive maneuvers to avoid ground fire. He states, “you and her are dancing together she’s with you you’re with her you take care of her and she’ll take care of you,” and that the A-1 “got me home many times”.

He spent his entire flying career in “attacker aircraft below five six thousand feet”. He sees the A-10 as taking many of the A-1’s successful characteristics: the ability to fly for a long time, carry a lot of ordnance, and having a big gun. He calls the A-1 the “sweetest dream you can find” for a single-seat, single-engine aircraft, noting its massive engine (largest since the B-29) and payload capacity (more than a B-17). The move to the A-7, with its computerized weapons delivery system, was a significant “leap” but still a loved airplane. The A-10, built around its powerful 30mm gun, is another favorite, particularly for its low-level maneuverability and effectiveness in close air support and search and rescue. Roger loves being “down where I’m working with troops”.

A standout mission for Roger was a Search and Rescue (SAR) mission to pick up a downed F-4 crew member in the Mugia Pass, called “Gunfighter A2 Alpha and Bravo Alpha 71”. He led this SAR mission, working to locate and extract the pilot, Lieutenant Colonel Blissett. He later connected with Colonel Blissett years later on Thanksgiving, finding it “meaningful” to speak to him again. This SAR involved a large, coordinated effort of A-1s (Sandy), Jolly Green helicopters (Jolly), and FACs. Roger notes that the enemy would often wait until the Jolly Green helicopter was in a hover to pick up a survivor before opening fire. He recounts the tension of coordinating the mission, including halting the extraction momentarily when the back seater, initially silent, finally came up on the radio. This mission, and others like it, proved to him how well the different aircraft and crews could work together to ensure “we never leave anybody behind”. He describes the SAR operation as a complex “orchestration,” “opera,” or “fantastic piece of music”.

Roger expresses immense pride in his service and the aircraft he flew. Seeing the actual A-1s he flew (A1665 and A1606) 44 years later, cranking up and taxiing out, brought back “memories beyond belief”. He is passionate about sharing his experiences, particularly with younger generations, hoping to inspire them. He still feels the connection to the A-1 so strongly that he can sometimes “smell the fuel that went into the a1”. His dedication to military service is clear, and he cherishes opportunities to connect with others who understand that unique bond forged among those who “hang their lives out for each other”.