Joseph R. ROBERGE, ARM3, (Aviation Radioman 3rd class) Ser: No. 6667891, USNR

Joseph Roberge was born as Auge Emil Roger Roberge on 24 Jul 1923 in Troy, VT, the son of Romeo Roberge and Eva Chartier. He was their 6th child. In the 1930 census they are living at 8 Germain Street in Burlington, VT and Roger was the 6th of 9 children listed. Romeo and his first son were both employed as Bread Makers in a bakery (Ref: Burlington City Directory: The STAR BAKERY at 7 West Canal St, Winooski, VT). The father and mother were both born in Canada and all 9 children were born in Vermont. In the 1940 census they were living at 40 Germain Street, and Roger was 16 years old. The father and 4 of his children worked at the bakery. The father was a baker, his 22 yr old son Rosaire was a manager, and others were a Baker, a Pastry cook, and a Salesman.

His draft registration has him as Roger James Roberge of Proctor Ave, Burlington, VT age 18 and son of Eva Chartier Roberge.

Burlington Free Press 20 Oct 1942 - 17 recruits including Joseph Roberge left on a train from Burlington, going to the Navy Recruiting Station at Springfield, MA.

DEATH 20 JUN 1944 • USS Bunker Hill, South Pacific, radioman and gunner most likely on a TBF-1 Avenger aircraft.

US Navy Casualty Book: ROBERGE, Joseph Roger, Aviation Radioman 3rd class, USNR; Parents Mr. & Mrs. Romeo Roberge, 29 Proctor Ave, So. Burlington, VT

NAVAL HISTORY NET: ROBERGE, Joseph R, ARM3, 6667891, USNR, from Vermont, location Pacific Ocean, missing, date of loss June 20, 1944 (pm) + ROBERGE, Joseph R, Aviation Radioman Third Class, 6667891, USN, from Vermont, Jun-44, Honolulu Memorial (bm) + ROBERGE, Joseph Roger, Aviation Radioman 3c, USNR. Parents, Mr. and Mrs. Romeo Roberge, 29 Proctor Ave., South Burlington, Vt (na)

CITATION for the AIR MEDAL in the Burlington Free Press: Navy medal citation : "For meritorious achievement in aerial flight as air-crewman of a torpedo bombing plane of a torpedo squadron attached to a U. S. aircraft carrier in action against enemy Japanese warships near the Marianas Islands in June, 1944. When his pilot launched a vigorous heroic attack on the enemy vessels in the face of heavy aerial opposition and intense anti-aircraft fire of all calibers, Roberge carried out his duties skillfully and with unwavering determination, rendering invaluable service by providing vita target range data and enabling the pilot to drop his torpedoes accurately. During the retirement after the attack, he steadfastly manned his machine gun and strafed hostile screening ships, thereby reducing the effectiveness of the enemy fire, and on the return flight was of great navigational assistance. Roberge's expert technical ability and courageous devotion to duty, maintained at great personal risk, were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States naval service."

REFERENCES:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/89394583

https://www.naval-history.net/WW2UScasaaDB-USNbyNameR.htm NAVAL HISTORY NET:

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen here on Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Related to this, there will be a smart phone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen's name and read his/her story.

Joseph R Roberge