Recipients of the Purple Heart belong to a distinct class of soldiers who were wounded or killed while serving in the United States military. Initially established by President George Washington, the Purple Heart is one of the US military’s most distinguished honors. One such recipient was Needham Roberts, a brave soldier from Trenton who served during World War I. As we remember his life of service, may we never forget those who have sacrificed so that we may live freely. Needham Roberts was born in Trenton, NJ, on April 28th, 1901. Needham was the son of a pastor and spent his youth residing right here in the region. Roberts was raised on Trenton’s Wilson Street, graduated from Lincoln Elementary School and attended high school.
Roberts dropped out of high school and worked at a local pharmacy but quickly resigned and joined the U.S. Army at the beginning of World War I. Despite only being 16 years old, Roberts lied to the Army recruiter and stated that he was 19 to join the service. Upon enlistment, Roberts was assigned to the 15th Regiment of New York, later re-designated as the 369th Infantry. This Infantry would later go on to be recognized as the Harlem Hell Fighters, widely regarded as the most celebrated African-American Regiment in World War I. In addition, the Hellfighters were the first Black troops enlisted in New York’s National Guard. Roberts conducted his initial military training at Spartanburg, South Carolina.
They were soon caught embroiled in a confrontation with local residents. Musician and drug major Noble Sissle was at the center of the incident that led to the unit’s early deployment to France. Segregation forbade them to fight alongside White soldiers under the leadership of John “BlackJack” Pershing and his Expeditionary Forces. Instead they welcomed their assignment with French forces, learned the language and wore their uniforms. Due to segregation, these soldiers were not permitted to fight alongside White service members and were assigned to the French Army for training. The American soldiers quickly learned the French language and their military strategies, ultimately going on to don the uniforms of the French military.
It was in France that Needham Roberts and his fellow soldier, Henry Johnson, would encounter a battle that would change their lives forever. Roberts and Johnson were stationed in the Argonne Forest, in the wilderness of northeastern France. While on guard one evening, Johnson and Roberts were ambushed by German soldiers carrying out a raid. Despite being injured by German soldiers, these two brave soldiers continued to fight and defend the French line. Unfortunately, Roberts was wounded severely, leaving him too disabled to continue fighting. In this vulnerable state, the German soldiers attempted to drag Roberts off as a prisoner of war. Thankfully, Henry Johnson was able to intervene and protect Roberts from this dreadful fate.
Johnson was able to fend off the German soldiers with a bolo knife and rescue Roberts, saving his life in the process. Bill Harris, one of the soldiers fighting alongside Roberts and Johnson in the Hell Fighters, said: “It was Roberts who first sensed that something out there in the darkness wasn’t quite right, and he slithered on his belly over to his buddy’s side. Then Johnson heard it, too—an almost inaudible clicking sound they both knew was probably made by a wire cutter. They couldn’t see a thing beyond their fingertips, but that sound was enough. It told them that the enemy was out there, even if they couldn’t be seen, and the two privates shouted, ‘Corporal of the guard! Corporal of the guard!’”
Harris noted that Johnson “fired a flare to light up the battlefield, but before their eyes could adjust to the burst of light, exploding hand grenades put them in the midst of a shower of shrapnel. This blast knocked Roberts off his feet, and he was thrown back against the wall of the dugout, badly wounded and not able to get back on his feet.” At this point, Johnson, despite also being wounded, jumped immediately into action to save his fellow soldier. During the altercation, one of the Germans shouted “the Black bastard got me!” Johnson quickly fired back with “damn right. This little Black bastard will get you again if you try to get up.”
Roberts was disabled by his wounds, and unable to maintain steady employment. To supplement his income, Roberts would do public speaking engagements and lectures discussing his experience during the war. In the early 1940s, he gave radio addresses and other speeches as part of the Army’s effort to recruit African-Americans for World War II. Roberts would ultimately end up passing away shortly after the conclusion of World War II in 1949. Unfortunately, the United States did not recognize the heroism and bravery of Roberts until 47 years later, when he was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart in 1996. Although the award was long overdue, Roberts finally received the recognition he deserved from the United States.