George S. Roberts
*George S. Roberts was born on this date in 1918. He was a Black U.S. Army Air Force officer and fighter pilot.
George S "Spanky" Roberts was born in London, West Virginia, and raised in Fairmont, West Virginia. He was the son of Spencer Roberts and Estella Roberts. In 1934 Roberts graduated from Dunbar School (Fairmont, West Virginia).
In 1938, he graduated with a bachelor's degree in mechanical arts from West Virginia State College. Before attending Tuskegee, Roberts obtained his pilot's license in the Civilian Pilot Training Program. In July 1941, Roberts was the first cadet accepted into the U.S. Army Air Corps' aviation cadet training program with the Tuskegee Airmen's first class of aviation cadets, Class 42-C-SE, on March 7, 1942.
He graduated from aviation cadet training with Captain Benjamin O. Davis Jr., future Tuskegee Airmen Commander, and future U.S. four-star general; 2nd Lt. Charles DeBow Jr., 2nd Lt. Mac Ross, and 2nd Lt. Lemuel R. Custis. Roberts married Edith Norle McMillan minutes after his graduation from the Tuskegee aviation cadet training program ceremony.
Roberts was assigned to the 332nd Fighter Group's 99th Fighter Squadron, becoming its first African American Commander during World War II. His Squadron served in both North Africa and Italy. He also commanded the entire 332nd Fighter Group before Davis. After World War II, Roberts served as the senior Air Corps ROTC instructor at Tuskegee Institute.
In 1950, Roberts became the first African American U.S. Air Force officer to command a racially integrated unit at Langley Air Force Base. Roberts served during the Korean War and in Okinawa. In 1968, Roberts retired from the U.S. Air Force as a Colonel. Throughout his career, Roberts flew over 100 missions in the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. As a civilian, Roberts worked as a credit officer, training officer, and personal banking officer at Wells Fargo in Sacramento, California.
Roberts retired from Wells Fargo in 1982. He died on March 8, 1984, at 65 in Sacramento, California. The memorial bridge in Robert's hometown of Fairmont, West Virginia, was renamed to honor him.
