Episode 065 - Albert J."JAX" Roberts: A1 Pilot Reflects on Secret War and Incredible Rescue Missions

Episode 065 – Albert J.”JAX” Roberts: A1 Pilot Reflects on Secret War and Incredible Rescue Missions

In Episode 65 of Military Tales, we feature Albert J. “Jax” Roberts, an Air Force A-1 Skyraider pilot who flew during the Vietnam War. Jax shares compelling stories from his time flying the “Spad,” focusing on his critical role in supporting Army Special Forces teams during insertions and extractions, as well as Search and Rescue (SAR) missions. He recounts the intense feelings before dangerous missions, the close coordination with ground troops, and the profound experience of meeting veterans he helped save years later, realizing the “value of what we did”. The episode also details an incredible rescue of a pilot previously declared killed in action and Jax’s unique, albeit untested, “naked” escape and evade plan. Join us to hear Jax’s candid reflections on the war and his harrowing, yet heartwarming, tales of flying the A-1.

More information on Episode 065 – Albert J.”JAX” Roberts: A1 Pilot Reflects on Secret War and Incredible Rescue Missions

Episode 65: Flying “Naked” and Saving Lives – An A-1 Pilot’s Vietnam Tales

In the latest installment of Military Tales, we sit down with Albert J. “Jax” Roberts, an Air Force veteran who flew the venerable A-1 Skyraider during the Vietnam War. Jax, who grew up with the name Jackson and earned his nickname from his A-1 unit, shares candid stories about his time supporting troops on the ground, facing intense danger, and even developing a unique escape and evade plan involving being naked.

Coming from a family with an airline pilot father, Jax initially targeted transport aircraft like the C-141 after pilot training. However, his first assignment was to the smallest, slowest aircraft in the inventory, the O-1, which he surprisingly found to be the best flying experience because it forced him to learn and master things independently. He then pursued the A-1, a move that he is now “so glad that it turned out”. Despite being a young 23-year-old second lieutenant, his reaction upon being awarded the A-1 was the common “an A what?” as young fighter pilots typically desired speed.

Jax offered a perspective on the war that was somewhat contrary to other pilots; he felt the war “didn’t make sense” because assets were being used inefficiently, but he never said no to his responsibility. He contrasted this with another pilot who would actively seek out missions if alert duty was quiet.

He was part of a unique unit where, at one time, nine out of thirteen officers were lieutenants. This unusual composition meant that everyone quickly learned to take on leadership roles and flight lead positions, with roles often rotating between pilots like himself and Dawn Angerbrickson.

During his last nine months in the A-1, 98% of his missions involved either inserting or extracting Army teams, or conducting Search and Rescue (SAR) operations. These missions could range from uneventful to “very harrowing”. Jax described a feeling before these significant missions, sitting in the cockpit during arming, comparable to the nervousness felt as a kickoff receiver in sports – a “wet my pants feeling” that vanished the moment they got airborne and became focused on the task. Missions where he flew with people “for a reason” were always the most significant and memorable, unlike routine bombing runs on suspected truck movements.

Supporting the Army Special Forces teams on the ground involved close coordination. He recalls flying so low that he could sometimes see their faces. When using markers, instead of dangerous smoke, the teams would occasionally use a red or orange silk panel stretched out, visible even from treetop level. Hearing the Army guys’ reactions on the radio after a close call – “thanks a lot,” “that was close” – underscored the immediate impact of their support.

Meeting the ground troops he supported at SAR reunions years later proved to be a profound experience, allowing him to realize the “value of what we did”. Veterans would approach him, some with tears in their eyes, and tell him, “If it wasn’t for you, I’d be dead”. One veteran specifically recalled an A-1 flying by “this close” to the ground.

Jax shared a particularly incredible rescue story that occurred about 10 days after one of their guys went out on a team insertion mission. The helicopter was hit, went down, and burst into flames, with initial reports indicating no survivors. However, days later, while flying another mission about 60 miles away, a helicopter pilot spotted a man on the ground waving a large flag. Despite initial caution that it could be a trap, the pilot identified the man as Caucasian and went in. It turned out the man had been thrown free of the crash and had been walking through the woods towards the East China Sea. His uniform had caught fire, so he had taken it off, but his survival vest and boots had been spared. He had been declared killed in action in the newspaper, making his rescue a “heartwarming story”.

This dramatic rescue partly inspired Jax’s personal Escape and Evade (E&E) plan. While many pilots carried extra bullets for their sidearm, Jax opted for an extra battery for his radio, believing hiding and talking on the radio was his best survival strategy, a tactic confirmed by SAR guys later. His unconventional backup plan, should the radio fail, involved taking off all his clothes except his boots and survival vest and walking East. His reasoning? A soldier encountering a naked person in the woods would likely be hesitant to engage directly. Thankfully, he never had to test this “brilliant plan”.