Episode 27: Colonel Robert Certain – From B-52 Navigator to “The Unchained Eagle”

Episode 27 of American Warrior Radio features Debrief #6 with Old Guys on the Airplanes, focusing on Colonel Robert Certain, a Vietnam War veteran and Prisoner of War (POW). Host John Mollison introduces Colonel Certain, highlighting his journey from a navigator flying the powerful B-52-G Stratofortress to becoming an Episcopal priest after the war. Beyond his combat and post-combat careers, the episode delves into his personal journey of facing the “battle within”.

The episode provides background on Operation Linebacker II, ordered by President Richard Nixon in December 1972. The purpose of these bombing strikes in North Vietnam was to demonstrate U.S. power and resolve to end the war and force the North Vietnamese government back to Paris to agree to a peace treaty. Hanoi was heavily defended, probably as much as Moscow, with surface-to-air missiles (SAMs). Crews were briefed to expect a shootdown rate of about 10 percent, with no search and rescue available; if shot down, you were “on your own”.

Colonel Certain served as a navigator, part of the “offense team” located downstairs in the B-52, responsible for celestial and map navigation, while the bombardier (radar navigator) focused on targeting and bomb release. He describes the crew of a B-52 as six people, including three rated navigators, each with specific roles (offense, defense, electronic warfare). His job was to navigate the aircraft, often using celestial navigation by observing stars or the sun.

Before Linebacker II, Colonel Certain flew 100 combat missions during Operation Arc Light. Arc Light missions typically involved three B-52s flying in a cell formation, about a mile apart. A D-model B-52 could carry 120 500-pound bombs and create a swath of destruction two miles long and 1500 feet wide. Targets were largely truck parks, supply stacks, troop emplacements, and trying to pulverize the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Colonel Certain noted that warriors typically de-personalize the target. However, recounting one mission where a South Vietnamese Army unit counted 150-250 bodies after a B-52 strike his crew was part of, he describes it as a “very quiet day” with the crew being reflective about the “human toll of war”.

Linebacker II marked the first time B-52s went that far north into North Vietnam. Colonel Certain was part of Operation Bullet Shot, assembling B-52s on Guam for the effort. He was not supposed to fly the first Linebacker II mission on December 18th, 1972, as his crew was scheduled to go home that day, which also happened to be his 100th personal takeoff. Learning all rotations were suspended and seeing every B-52 being loaded with bombs revealed this was a “max effort”.

The mission on December 18th started with several ominous signs, including an earth tremor during taxiing. Their aircraft and position in the formation changed multiple times due to other planes having mechanical issues. They also had issues with aircraft pressurization (finding outflow valves propped open) and rendezvoused with the wrong refueling tanker mid-flight. Despite these issues, Colonel Certain successfully navigated his aircraft to the target area on time, hitting a jet stream with a 120-knot tailwind just before the bomb run.

Seconds before dropping their bombs on a rail yard target, their B-52 was hit by the first of two SAMs. Missiles don’t directly hit, but explode nearby, sending shrapnel through the aircraft. The hit destroyed engines, started fires (including one in the forward wheel well right below a fuel tank), and mortally wounded at least two crew members, the pilot and the gunner. Unable to guarantee the bombs would hit the target, they safetied and jettisoned them before Colonel Certain realized the severity of the fire and it was time to bail out. He ejected and landed near the target area.

Colonel Certain was quickly captured by four militiamen with AK-47s. He was stripped, blindfolded, and walked through villages, at one point thinking he was going to be shot. His first thought upon capture was, “well I’m going to be a prisoner of war because that’s just the way it’s going to be”. He arrived at the “Hilton” (prison in Hanoi), initially feeling safer there. Being the first B-52 crew member captured, he didn’t know what to expect, but found his experience was much less severe than anticipated.

Along with five other captured crew members from two B-52s, he was presented at a news conference to the international press corps. Seeing European journalists with cameras gave him immense joy, believing his picture going out meant he would survive. He refused to talk to the cameras, as they wanted him to call for an end to the war and condemn the bombing.

Colonel Certain identifies as a “late war POW,” distinguishing his experience from those captured before the Johnson bombing halt, who were “tortured mercilessly”. Treatment improved significantly after Ho Chi Minh died, as the new regime decided to stop the severe torture. This made the December 1972 POWs part of a group who were received differently by their captors.

The bombing campaign ultimately worked, and the Paris peace treaty was signed. Releases started in mid-January 1973, with Colonel Certain being on the last flight on March 29th, 1973. He returned home to a welcome that was significantly better than what most ground forces received throughout the war, including parades, a White House dinner, job offers, and lifelong passes.

Despite the welcome, Colonel Certain faced internal struggles. He experienced nightmares that would wake him and his wife. While some people focus on the “dysfunction” (the ‘D’ in PTSD), he prefers the term “post-traumatic stress responses and reactions,” stating that anyone who goes through trauma will have them. He learned he had anger management issues he hadn’t recognized. He noticed his difficulties were most pronounced between Thanksgiving and Easter, which coincided with the bookends of his imprisonment, what he now calls a “trigger warning”.

Colonel Certain emphasizes that combat veterans are not “broken people”. Trauma can lead to personal growth and insight into others facing difficult situations (bad jobs, marriages, etc.). While acknowledging that some may need professional help and medication, he believes you learn to grow from post-traumatic stress rather than being “cured”.

The conversation also touches on the importance of history being “nutritious” and the need to teach it better. Comparing the evacuations of Saigon and Kabul, Colonel Certain notes the denial and lack of planning in both situations, emphasizing that such movements require extensive preparation over months or years.

The episode concludes with Colonel Certain offering a prayer for the country, reflecting on unity, love, overcoming prejudice, and remembering those who served. It underscores the value of listening to the stories of elders, who “contain the memory of who you are”.