Calvin C. Roberts

Calvin C. Roberts was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1925. He served in the US Navy from 1943 to 1946, achieving the rank of 2nd Class Petty Officer.

Following his high school graduation in 1943, Roberts was drafted, and he saw it as a good opportunity, given that his mother couldn’t afford to send him to college. He realized he could use the GI Bill to get a degree. Additionally, Roberts stated, “I wanted to be in service…I was proud.”

After completing Basic Training, Roberts served stateside in Michigan, Illinois, and Hawaii before being sent to Guam. There, he was tasked with capturing Japanese soldiers hiding out in the mountains, and worked in logistics, loading and unloading supply ships. Roberts emphasized that every job in the military served a worthy cause. He stated, “If you unloaded a ship, you had just as much to do with a guy…on the firing line. People forget that. You can’t do nothing without those supplies.” Roberts would have been sent to Japan had it not been for the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

As an African American in the US military, Roberts was confronted with segregation and prejudice. He recalled his mother telling him to “stay in your place.” While in service, Roberts observed that African American soldiers were relegated to menial jobs, working as cooks and stewards, and all his officers were white. He reflected on his time in service as an African American man stating, “When you serve Uncle Sam, it’s a sad and bitter pill to be in a war, and you’re separated [when] you’re supposed to be together. We’re all serving Uncle Sam. We’re all part of the United States.” After the war, Roberts recalled thinking, “The war is over. Maybe things will be better.” Yet, he had to remain careful if traveling through the South, and recounted having to enter a movie theater through the back entrance while in North Carolina. Roberts pointed out that despite his veteran status, he was still treated unfairly. He emphasized, “…that really disturbed me.”

Following his discharge from the Navy, Roberts used the GI Bill to attend Howard University. After graduating, he worked for International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) for thirty-five years. Roberts married and had three sons, one of which served in the US Marines. Later in life, he joined the American Legion, working as a financial officer and organizing events such as Black History Day.

Calvin C. Roberts died on September 13, 2019, at ninety-four years of age. 

Additional Resource:

• Poem by Calvin Coolidge Roberts