Needham Roberts
| Needham Roberts | |
|---|---|
 William Henry Johnson and Needham Roberts standing with their French Croix de Guerre medals in 1918 | |
| Born |
April 28, 1901 Trenton, New Jersey |
| Died |
April 18, 1949 (aged 47) Newark, New Jersey |
| Buried | Fairmount Cemetery, Newark, New Jersey |
| Allegiance |
.svg.png){kind=small} United States of America |
| Service/branch |
 United States Army |
| Years of service | 1918 |
| Unit | |
| Awards |
 Purple Heart Croix de guerre |
Needham Roberts (April 28, 1901 – April 18, 1949) was an American soldier in the Harlem Hellfighters and recipient of the Purple Heart and the Croix de Guerre.
World War I
While on guard duty on May 14, 1918, Roberts and private William Henry Johnson fought off a 24-man German patrol, though both were severely wounded. Both were awarded the Croix de Guerre for their actions, as well as a posthumous Purple Heart.[1]
In 2002, Johnson was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross; in 2015, this award was upgraded to the Medal of Honor.
Death and burial
Roberts died in Newark, New Jersey on April 18, 1949, and was buried at Fairmount Cemetery in Newark.[2] According to news accounts, Roberts and his wife Iola jointly decided to commit suicide, and hung themselves in the basement of their home.[3] Newspaper accounts also indicated that they may have been motivated by the fact that he had been accused of molesting a child the day before.[4] In fact, Roberts had previously been arrested on a similar charge, which led to his first wife divorcing him.[5]
References
- ↑ Martin, James B. (2014). African American War Heroes. ABC-CLIO. pp. 135–136. ISBN 9781610693660.
- ↑ Needham Roberts at Find a Grave
- ↑ McGhee, J.; Webber, H. B. (April 30, 1949). "New Facts brought to Light in Roberts Double Suicide". New York Age. New York, NY. p. 11. (Subscription required (help)).
- ↑ Webber, Harry B. (April 30, 1949). "Jersey Journal". New York Age. New York, NY. p. 11. (Subscription required (help)).
- ↑ "Jersey Journal".