Earnest "E.T." Thomas Roberts

December 23, 1923 – October 16, 2020

We lost our amazing dad and Papa TT on Friday, October 16, 2020. ET was born in a small town called Krebs, Oklahoma on December 23, 1923 to Sally Francis Forman and Earnest Roberts. He was the third of seven children in his family (Irene, Ralph, ET, Elmer (Skinny), Loyd Gene (Duggan), Jim and Colleen). Their father was a grocery store butcher who moved his family to Konowa, Oklahoma while ET was in the Army during WWII. While in Konowa, Earnest Sr. met the Isaacs family from “around the bend” and told the beautiful teenager, Lola Mae Isaacs, about his sons who were overseas in the war. The Isaacs had several girls in their family…more than enough for his five sons! When ET returned home in 1946, he met and fell in love with Lola Mae. The two married on September 25, 1946. They had two sons, Steve and Randy (Brooke). Sadly, Grandma Lola passed away in 2011. They have seven grandchildren (Matthew, Stephanie, Justin (Kimberly), Lacey (Jared), Eddie (Danielle), Ryan and Geena) and seven great grandchildren (Samuel, Brooklynn, Jaxon, Caidence, Kinlee, Cooper and Brooks)…the loves of his life.

Staff Sargent ET Roberts of the 29th Infantry Division of the United States Army was in the in the second wave of infantry that hit Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944, the day infamously known as D Day. His experience was harrowing and treacherous. Hedgerows lined every field and orchard of the picturesque Normandy countryside. Behind those barriers the Germans waited. This was the battleground facing the 29th Infantry Division after those who survived the onslaught on the beach, fought their way inland. The fighting was tough and brutal, a battle of sheer guts, of bayonets and hand grenades, of young men running across open fields and hiding from Nazi defenses, in fox holes they dug for themselves at night. They drove through to the Battle of St. Lo, absorbed deadly artillery pounding in an area known as “Purple Heart Hill” where ET was shot and wounded. He spent 28 days in an army hospital then was sent back to the front lines with the 116th Infantry Regiment. ET spent 29 months in Europe fighting for our American freedom and for the freedom of European countries against the German Nazi regime. He fought in several battles and four major engagements for which he earned four Bronze Service Stars for Distinguished Valor in Battle…the Invasion of Omaha Beach (D Day), the Battle of St. Lo, The Battle for Brest in France and the Battle of the Bulge in the Belgium Ardennes Mountains.

ET would later say of the Battle of the Bulge that he celebrated his 21st birthday in the freezing brittle Belgium Ardennes Mountains during the miserable winter of December 1944 and January 1945. Mortar fire was all around them. They dug in at night and ate cold rations because they could not start a fire for fear of the alerting the enemies. He witnessed from 200 yards away, as the Germans brought in their Panther 88mm tanks, the most advanced artillery of the time. They were fighting in the mountains at 4,000-7,000 feet elevation where there was thick tree cover, narrow roads, artillery everywhere and thousands and thousands of men in the forests. With the help of General Patton’s Tank Division, Allied Forces, led by General Eisenhower, out maneuvered the Germans with grit and determination to break through and win the Battle of the Bulge. It was one of the last major German offensives of the war and was the pivotal turning point in favor of the Allies. ET was with the 116th Infantry Division as they marched on to Berlin where the surrender of the Nazis took place. ET stayed in Berlin for a month pulling guard duty to help protect the German people from further destruction and looting by the Russians and Polish. He stayed so that American soldiers who had wives and families in the US could go home. When his job was done, he traveled home on the Queen Mary.

ET did not speak about the war for 50 years. When the 50th anniversary of D Day was celebrated in five cities around the world, son Randy, escorted a reluctant ET to the event in Los Angeles. It was there that the flood gates opened. Against all that ET was about, he stood at the podium that evening and spoke for the very first time about his experiences during the war. Through tears he captivated the audience. Over time we learned that he was an expert marksman and sharpshooter. Before he was shipped to England in 1944 he was stationed at Camp Walters outside of Mineral Wells, Texas. It was there that he fought above his weight class to become the camp boxing champion and earned the belt buckle to prove it. Over the decades ET has spoken to students at various local schools and has been honored in many ways for his heroism. For all his days he remained very emotional about the brutality of war and humble about being called an American hero. His most cherished experience was in 2013 when he and Randy went to Washington D.C. as a part of the Kern County Honor Flight Program where he saw the WWII Memorials and so much more. He was treated with such respect and honored over and over for his service. Those who brought him the most joy, respect and recognition are Congressman Kevin and Judy McCarthy, Lili Marsh (Executive Director of Honor Flight Kern County), Cheree Linford (Honor Flight Historian), Mike Hart (news anchor 23 ABC), Julian Wilson (Silver Titans Productions), family friend Greg Hicks and especially his son, Steve, for championing for his dad and caring for him so that ET could live out his life in his own home.

As a dad and a grandpa, ET was second to none. He was a Godly man who loved Jesus with all his heart and who unwaveringly supported his kids and grandkids in every sporting event in which they participated. Matthew and ET shared a love for the mountains and fishing, and Matt was always there for Papa whenever he was needed. For 20 years ET was a permanent fixture either inside the dugout or outside the backstop at the Centennial Baseball Diamond where his son, Randy, coached, grandson Justin, played and later coached, and grandson, Eddie, played. The athletes on those baseball teams have many “ET” stories that by now have probably taken on a life of their own. He could also be found in the corner of the Centennial gym on Tuesdays and Thursdays supporting the volleyball teams for which his daughter-in-law, Brooke, coached and granddaughter, Lacey, played and later coached. His support wasn’t limited to baseball and volleyball. He stalked the football sidelines enjoying Friday Night Lights for many, many years and supported the basketball and softball programs as well. And when he needed yet another competitive “fix” he could be found at a BC sporting event or any other high school game in town.

We miss Papa TT desperately. His life, his stories, his courage and his sense of humor enriched the lives of so many. We count ourselves lucky that God chose him to be the head of our family.

ET’s service will be at Hillcrest Memorial Park, 9101 Kern Canyon Rd. on the Hill of Valor, Friday, November 6, 2020 at 2:00. In lieu of flowers consider making donations to the Honor Flight of Kern County (UPS HFKC), 8200 Stockdale Hwy. Suite M-10, Box 255 Bakersfield, CA 93311.

We respectfully ask that you wear masks and follow Covid protocols.