Leon Claud Roberts ★ World War II Gold Star Veteran from Alabama
On July 11, 1944 Captain Roberts was declared a casualty of World War II. ★ He served with honor in the United States Army Air Forces. ★ He is remembered by the people of Alabama. ★ May his positive example inspire us. Working together towards peace, mutual respect, and equality for all.
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Our displayed data concerning the life and military history of Leon Claud Roberts is a work in progress. We've assembled a list of elements we are in the process of researching and reviewing. This profile was last edited on 2023-09-16 00:57:18.
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Service Details
This Profile ID | 323460 |
Service ID | O-791539 |
Name | Leon Claud Roberts |
From | Prichard, Mobile County, Alabama |
Birth Date | June 29, 1921 |
Casualty Date | July 11, 1944 |
War | World War II |
Service Branch | Army Air Forces |
Rank | Captain |
Specialty | Pilot |
Unit/Group | 332nd Fighter Group, 99th Fighter Squadron |
Casualty Type | DNB - Died Non-battle, air crash |
Location | Italy |
Burial | Oaklawn Memorial Cemetery, Mobile, Mobile County, Alabama |
Notable Awards |
★ Air Medal |
Additional Details
Leon C "Derailer" Roberts was born and raised in Alabama. He was the son of Benjamin Franklin Roberts and Nellie Coleman. He was a member of the Tuskegee Airmen during the war. As a fighter pilot he was officially credited with destroying 1 enemy aircraft in aerial combat.
On July 11, 1944 he was piloting his P-51C Mustang #42-103913 when he crashed in Italy during a transition training flight. It was believed that a faulty oxygen mask caused him to black out and lose control. He had flown 97 combat missions in the Mediterranean Theater and was preparing to be rotated back home to Alabama. |
Commendations + Awards
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Please note this might not be a complete or completely accurate accounting. For some awards we use probability factors based on known service details. Thanks for your understanding.
★ Air Medal
★ United States Aviator Badge Army
★ World War II Victory Medal
★ American Campaign Medal
★ Army Presidential Unit Citation
★ Army Good Conduct Medal
★ European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign
Notable Reference Sources
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Alabama Gold Star Veterans Gallery
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Honoring the men and women of
Alabama who gave their all for their country.
May their example of courage and sacrifice be our guide. To be strong and responsible in our lives as citizens of the world.
Through honest daily actions, we honor them.
▶ Alabama was home to over 9,311
American Gold Star veterans from 4 wars of the 20th Century. Some significant statistics:
Guardians of Honor Credits
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▶ Rolling Thunder National Riders
▶ U-Haul Supported National Memorial Day Parade
▶ National Memorial Day Parade with Spirit of 45
▶ USS Midway Museum 75th Pearl Harbor Wall of Honor
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Honor States Admin
Roy "Joker"
Sarah Jo "Lady Chaos"
▼ Primary Sources - These are repositories for artifacts, documents, diaries, manuscripts, and other information that serve as original and authoritative sources of information.
National Archives (NARA)
Library of Congress (LOC)
Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA)
Findagrave.com
Ancestry.com
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Honoring our fallen.
Together. Uniting us in meaningful common cause. When we work together to honor our
Gold Star veterans, we heal our nation together.
It's a team effort. Everyone's invited to join as a
Citizen Historian and
Guardian of Honor. -
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