John Q. Roberts

John Q. Roberts (1914–1942) was a United States Navy officer who received the Navy Cross posthumously for his actions in combat during World War II.

Biography

John Quincy Roberts was born in Boaz, Alabama, on 2 September 1914. He enlisted in the United States Naval Reserve on 12 October 1940. After undergoing flight training, he was commissioned as an ensign on 27 September 1941 and reported to Scouting Squadron 6.

Roberts was serving as a Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bomber pilot with the squadron aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CV-6) during the pivotal Battle of Midway, in which the Imperial Japanese Navy lost all four of the aircraft carriers it had committed to the battle in a crushing defeat. On 4 June 1942, Roberts pressed home the attack on the Japanese aircraft carriers despite formidable opposition, contributing importantly to the success of the squadron and the entire task force, but did not return to Enterprise. Presumed dead, he was declared missing in action on 5 June 1942.

Awards

For his heroism at Midway, Ensign Roberts was awarded the Navy Cross posthumously.

Namesake

The U.S. Navy destroyer escort USS John Q. Roberts (DE-235) was named for Ensign Roberts. She was converted during construction into a high-speed transport, and was in commission as such as USS John Q. Roberts (APD-94), from 1945 to 1946.

References

• This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.