Lawrence Edward Roberts Sr. (1922 - 2004)

Born 9 Dec 1922 in Orange, New Jersey, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Lucimarian (Tolliver) Roberts — married 21 Sep 1947 (to about 12 Oct 2004) in Summit, Ohio, United States

Descendants

Died 12 Oct 2004 at age 81 in Biloxi, Harrison, Mississippi, United States

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Biography

Lawrence Roberts Sr. is Notable.

Lawrence Roberts Sr. is a Military Veteran.
Served in the United States 477th Medium Bombardment Group, 332d Fighter Wing
Tuskegee Airman

Col. Lawrence Edward Roberts, Sr. was a highly decorated U.S. military pilot during World War II and subsequently serving in the Air Force for a total of 32 years. He was one of the “Documented Original Tuskegee Airmen." The Tuskegee Airmen were known for heroic combat service in support of Allied Forces in the European Theater. They served with the 332d Expeditionary Operations Group and the 477th Bombardment Group, both largely Black units of the United States Army Air Forces.

Lawrence Edward Roberts was born on December 9, 1922 in Orange, New Jersey, United States. His parents were Robert Roberts and Dorothy Henderson.^[1] He grew up in Vauxhall, New Jersey.^[2][3] As a child, he dreamed of being a pilot and would take a sawed-off broom handle to use as his "throttle" as he pretended to fly. Although this dream seemed unrealistic to many others at a time when very few Black men were pilots, Lawrence would eventually achieve his dream.^[4]

Lawrence attended Howard University, received a bachelor's degree from Morningside College, and a Master's Degree from the Tuskegee Institute.^[5]

While Lawrence was attending Howard University, World War II broke out and Lawrence enlisted, going to the Tuskegee Institute where he learned to be a pilot and became part of the heroic Tuskegee Airmen. After World War II, he continued his military career, serving for 32 years and rising to the rank of Colonel. He received numerous service medals and awards, including a posthumous Congressional Gold Medal for his service with the Tuskegee Airmen.^[5][6][7][8]

Tuskegee Airman Congressional Gold Medal

Lawrence married Lucimarian Tolliver on 21 September 1947.^[9] They had met in the cafeteria at Howard University and their children saw them as soulmates.^[4] They had four children, including newscaster Robin Roberts.^[5][4]

After his retirement from the Air Force in 1975, Lawrence worked for Global Associates at the National Space Technology Laboratories. He lived on the Gulf Coast in Pass Christian and Biloxi, Mississippi, near Keesler Air Force Base where he both started and ended his military career. He was very active in the community and his church there. Within the Presbyterian Church (USA), he served as a member and vice moderator of the General Assembly Council, member and chairman of the Presbytery of Mississippi, and an elder of the First Presbyterian Church (USA) of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. He served on the board of many community organizations including Leadership Gulf Coast, Board of Trustees for Pass Christian School District, Executive Board of the Mississippi School Boards Association, southern region of the School Boards Association, and he was the Director of the Genesis Foundation.^[5]

Lawrence died on October 12, 2004, in Biloxi, Harrison County, Mississippi, United States.^[5][1] He was buried in the Biloxi National Cemetery.^[10]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} "U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007," database, Ancestry.com, Ancestry Record 60901 #47975536 (accessed 6 September 2022); Lawrence Edward Roberts, born 9 Dec 1922 in Orange, New Jersey, died 12 Oct 2004.
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," ED 160, Vauxhall, Union Township, Union County, New Jersey, USA; sheet 14B, family 287, lines 84-88, Laurence Roberts in Robert Roberts household; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X4NQ-8GQ
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," ED 20-172, Vauxhall, Union Township, Union County, New Jersey, USA; sheet 5B, family 72, lines 44-47, Lawrence Roberts in Robert Roberts household; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K4Y6-8NQ
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2} Bonner, Michael. "The Nerve to Dream: The Legacy of Lawrence E. Roberts, Legendary Tuskegee Airman," Mississippi Aviation Heritage Museum, 21 Feb 2021, https://msaviationmuseum.org/blog/the-nerve-to-dream-the-legacy-of-lawrence-e-roberts-legendary-tuskegee-airman : accessed 6 Sep 2022.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4} "Col. Lawrence E. Roberts, USAF, retired," obituary, Sun-Herald [Biloxi, Mississippi, 14 Oct 2004, page 6, column 4-5; image copy, Newspapers.com, (column 4 and : column 5 : accessed 6 Sep 2022).
6. ↑ "U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010," database, Ancestry.com, Ancestry Record 2441 #4349198 (accessed 6 September 2022); Lawrence E Roberts, Birth Date: 9 Dec 1922, Death Date: 12 Oct 2004.
7. ↑ "Colonel (Retired) Lawrence E. Roberts," Keesler Air Force Base, www.keesler.af.mil/library/biographies/bio.asp?bioID=12807, archived at the Way Back Machine on 16 Jun 2011.
8. ↑ Tuskegee Airmen Pilot Listing, Tuskegee University, Roberts, Lawrence E. 44-J-TE 12/28/1944 2nd Lt. 0840208 Vauxhall NH, https://www.tuskegee.edu/support-tu/tuskegee-airmen/tuskegee-airmen-pilot-listing
9. ↑ Ohio, Summit County, Marriage Records, Volume 118, page 275, #120452, Lawrence E. Roberts and Lucimarian Tolliver, 21 Sep 1947; "Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2016", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2ZQ-L73M : accessed 6 Sep 2022).
10. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/11260794/lawrence-edward-roberts: accessed 06 September 2022), memorial page for COL Lawrence Edward Roberts Sr. (9 Dec 1922–12 Oct 2004), Find A Grave: Memorial #11260794, citing Biloxi National Cemetery, Biloxi, Harrison County, Mississippi, USA; Maintained by Cindy (contributor 46573079).

• Profile of Lawrence Edwards Roberts, https://cafriseabove.org/lawrence-edward-roberts-sr/

See also:

• Wikipedia: Col. Lawrence E. Roberts
• Wikidata: Item Q6504020, en:Wikipedia