Samuel B. Roberts
Samuel Booker Roberts Jr. (* May 12, 1921 in San Francisco ; † September 27, 1942 in the Battle of Guadalcanal ) was an American helmsman in the US Navy .
Roberts joined the U.S. Marine Reserve in 1939 and was called up for active service in 1940. He served aboard the battleship USS California (BB-44) and USS Heywood (AD-12) before transferring to the troop carrier USS Bellatrix (AKA-20) .
After heavy sea fighting in Guadalcanal , which began on August 7, 1942, Roberts was commanded to a landing unit on the island of Guadalcanal to support transport tasks.
On September 27, 1942, Roberts volunteered to rescue a company-sized unit that was surrounded by Japanese forces. When the operation threatened to fail under heavy fire, Roberts, as a volunteer, drew the Japanese fire with his boat by crossing directly in front of their lines. After the rescue operation was successful, he was supposed to withdraw, but at the last moment his boat was hit and Roberts was fatally wounded.
For his courageous efforts, Samuel Booker Roberts was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross . After him were three US warships named, most recently the USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG-58) .
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| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Roberts, Samuel B. |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Roberts, Samuel Booker junior (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American helmsman in the US Navy |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 12, 1921 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | San Francisco , California |
| DATE OF DEATH | September 27, 1942 |
| Place of death | Battle for Guadalcanal |