Roberts began his career as a Navy Corpsman attached to 5th Marine Regiment during World War I and earned his first Navy Cross during the Battle of Belleau Wood for evacuation of wounded Marines under heavy machine gun fire. He received his second Navy Cross during the Nicaraguan Campaign in fall 1928, where he distinguished himself while he led several Marine patrols against hostile bandits and the third one for his command of 22nd Marine Regiment during Battle of Okinawa in World War II. Roberts was killed in action by Japanese sniper at the end of Okinawa campaign.