Charles Church Roberts
| Charles Church Roberts | |
|---|---|
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At the White House, 13 June 1911
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| Born |
March 6, 1882 Newton, Massachusetts |
| Died | March 8, 1957 (aged 75) |
| Place of burial | Prospect Hill Cemetery, Millis, Massachusetts |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Navy |
| Years of service | c. 1904–1921 |
| Rank | Lieutenant (junior grade) |
| Unit |
USS North Dakota (BB-29) USS Santee USS Manley (DD-74) USS Melville (AD-2) USS Reid (DD-292) USS Fox (DD-234) |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
| Awards | Medal of Honor |
Charles Church Roberts (March 6, 1882 – March 8, 1957) was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor. He was awarded the medal for his actions during a fire aboard the USS North Dakota (BB-29) in 1910. He later served in World War I and became a commissioned officer.
Roberts was born on March 6, 1882, in Newton, Massachusetts. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy from Illinois in about 1904.
By September 8, 1910, he was serving as a machinist's mate first class on the USS North Dakota (BB-29). On that day, while the North Dakota was conducting tests using oil as fuel, an explosion occurred, killing three sailors and endangering the ship. In the engine room, pieces of hot coal and coke floated in waist-high hot water, oil was aflame above one of the boilers, and the entire room was filled with smoke, steam, and fumes. Despite these dangers, Roberts and five other men of the ship's engineering department entered the engine room to haul the boiler fires and perform other tasks necessary to prevent a boiler explosion. After ensuring the safety of the ship, they then searched for and removed the bodies of the three sailors killed in the initial explosion.
For these actions, Roberts and the five other men were approved for the Medal of Honor a month later, on October 4. On 13 June 1911, President Taft presented all six heroes with their medal in a ceremony at the White House. The others were Chief Machinist's Mate Thomas Stanton, Chief Machinist's Mate Karl Westa, Chief Watertender August Holtz, Chief Watertender Patrick Reid, and Watertender Harry Lipscomb.
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