Roberts, Rufus Putnam

Roberts (b. 1917) was born in Monroe Center, Wisconsin.

His family lived on a farm and his father was a jockey and horse trader. Roberts joined the Army in 1942 along with one of his brothers and attended basic training at Camp Wallace (Texas). He was originally assigned to a glider unit in El Paso (Texas) but due to illness was transferred to another unit where he became a cook and later mess sergeant. Roberts served as a mess sergeant with nine different outfits including the 145th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Unit, which was deployed to England, France, and Belgium in fall 1944. Roberts also served in Germany where he recruited Polish POWs to work in the kitchen. He was discharged in November 1945. Roberts was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars for fifty years.

From the description of Oral history interview with Rufus Roberts, [sound recording], 2006. (Wisconsin Veterans Museum Research Center). WorldCat record id: 668109014