Jerry A. Roberts served in the U.S. Army as a First Lieutenant and Helicopter Pilot, A Company, 502nd Aviation Battalion, 12th Aviation Group, 1st Aviation Brigade during the Vietnam War. On July 5, 1966, just as the UH-1D helicopter he was co-piloting touched down, the craft was hit by enemy ground fire, immobilizing it. Roberts led the crew to the safety of a nearby ditch. After discovering that two of his crew members had been wounded during the move to the ditch, Roberts returned to them and was carrying them to safety when he was mortally wounded by small arms fire. He was awarded the Purple Heart, Silver Star, Bronze Star, Air Medal with 18 Oak Leaf Clusters, and Vietnam Campaign Medal.
