Searching for the family of Tom Roberts
Tom Roberts was an Army private from Bakersfield who served in the Pacific during World War II. His father was in the oil business and Tom hoped to return to Bakersfield after the war and work in the oilfields.
Private Roberts did some training at Camp White, Oregon with his friend, Harold Reitz.
On Oct. 20, 1944, both young men were in the first wave that hit the beach on Leyte, in the Philippines. A few days later, on Oct. 26, the two combat infantry scouts were involved in the battle for Catmon Hill, just north of Dulag. Tom was killed in that fierce battle.
If you have information about Tom Roberts or his family, please call Bakersfield Californian reporter Steven Mayer at 395-7353 or e-mail him at smayer@bakersfield.com.