PVT Pythias Carl Roberts

PVT Pythias Carl Roberts was born 25 Mar 1906 in Huron, South Dakota. He and his twin brother, Richard Damon Roberts, were the youngest of the 8 children born to William Albert and Mary Ada (Streeter) Roberts. His father clerked for the U.S. Surveyor General's office. The family lived at 1447 Third Street in Huron. Mother, Mary, died in 1920. He completed 4-years of high school. "Pete", as he was known, worked for Standard Oil Company and later opened a sign company in Huron. He married Kathleen Moore in January 1933 but the couple divorced before 1935. Pete married again in March 1936, this time to Georgia Mattie Berrien. The couple resided at 557 Third Street in Huron. Pete was working for the Standard Oil Company advertising department, painting signs.

Pete joined the National Guard but did not re-enlist. He had been discharged for more than 3 months when he was drafted in December 1942. He received his basic military training at Fort Snelling, Minnesota and the army took advantage of his skills and put him to work painting signs there. PVT Roberts was sent overseas to England on 27 May 1943. Once there he was assigned to G Company 116th Infantry and again tasked with painting signs for military authority. He trained for and participated in the amphibious assault on 6 Jun 1944 (D-Day) and continued to fight with G Company until killed on 18 Jun 1944. He was reportedly mistaken for an enemy soldier in the often confusing fighting in the hedgerows and shot by an Allied soldier.

PVT Roberts was repatriated in 1948 and re-interred at the Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Pete and Georgia had no children and Georgia never re-married. She died in 1973 and is buried with him at Fort Snelling.