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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:
Ms. Jennifer J. Roberts

Col. William H. Roberts was born in the small coal mining city of Harrisburg, Illinois. He lived in Harrisburg and attended local schools until his graduation from Harrisburg Township High School in June 1946. In September 1946 he joined the Army Air Force as a private and served two years in enlisted status. He was in the Air Force when it became a separate service in 1947. In September 1948, he was selected to attend Aviation Cadet Pilot Training. He trained in the AT-6 Texan at Randolph AFB, Texas and soloed in December 1948. In June 1949, he was transferred to Barksdale AFB, Louisiana where he completed his advanced pilot training in the B-25 Mitchell bomber. He was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant on 30 September 1949 and was awarded the aeronautical rating of pilot.
His first flying assignment was with the 43rd Air Refueling Squadron at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson Arizona where he flew KB-29Ms, a version of the B-29 which had been modified to refuel B-50s. It was this system which supported the B-50, Lucky Lady, on the first nonstop flight around the world in 1948. He became a KB-29M aircraft commander at the early age of 23.
In mid-1952 he was assigned to Yokoto Air Base in Japan as a B-29 bomber aircraft commander. He flew 19 combat missions in support of the Korean War.
After returning from Korea, Col. Roberts attended B-36 training at Carswell Air Force Base, Texas. He was a copilot on a B-36 crew which was assigned to newly opened Loring Air Force Base in Maine. Col. Roberts flew the B-36 for a little more than three years and checked out as an aircraft commander just before he was sent to Castle Air Force Base, California to train in the B-52. He was in the 2nd class to be trained in this aircraft. After his training at Castle AFB, Col. Roberts returned to Loring. His unit, the 42nd Bombardment Wing became the first Air Force unit equipped with B-52s to become combat ready. Col. Roberts participated in developing the practices and procedures to place the B-52 on ground alert. During this period, he made the first alert launch of a B-52 confirming that the alert aircraft could be airborne within 15 minutes of notice to launch. He also participated in operation “Chrome Dome” which placed nuclear armed bombers on airborne alert. During this period he had become an instructor pilot in the B-52. In late 1958, Col. Roberts was assigned to Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas. At Bergstrom, he continued as an instructor pilot and a standardization pilot. Col. Roberts continued to assist in the development of the procedures used to employ the B-52. Among the projects he worked on and in some cases led the efforts included: testing a procedure where multiple nuclear weapons were delivered to close by military targets in a target area (“large charge bomb run”); refining a “sidestep” maneuver which prevented surface to air missiles from “locking on” during a high altitude bomb run; developing low level penetration and bombing for the B-52 which was designed as a high altitude bomber; revising procedures for use with KC-135/B-52 at lower levels than normal and developing, testing and documenting a procedure to evaluate aircraft takeoff performance using timing and speed when operating from airfields without runway distance markers.
In 1964, during a routine flying physical, Col. Roberts was found to have a change in his EKG which resulted in his medical disqualification for flying. He continued his Air Force career in the aircraft maintenance and logistics career fields. Col. Roberts was the Chief Aircraft Maintenance and later the Deputy Commander for Resources of a Special Operations Wing in Southeast Asia during the Viet Nam War. He served at squadron, wing, air division and numbered Air Force levels until his retirement in 1979 after more than 33 years of service.
In 1976 he passed an FAA class III physical and pursued civil aviation licenses. He obtained his private pilot license, a commercial pilot’s license and became an instrument rated instructor pilot. He soloed approximately 20 students until he discontinued flying in 1988 due to medical issues.
While stationed at Loring AFB in 1956, he met and in a whirlwind romance, married Lorie M. Madore less than three months after they had met. They have four children, three daughters and one son.
Col. Roberts’ decorations include: The Legion of Merit, The Meritorious Service Medal, The Air Medal, four awards of the Air Force Commendation Medal and other awards for his service in Korea and Southeast Asia.