[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 103 (Tuesday, July 12, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1297]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 IN MEMORY OF LEONARD EARL ROBERTS, SR.

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES E. CLYBURN

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 12, 2011

  Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to submit a tribute 
commemorating the life of Leonard Earl Roberts, Sr., a great husband, 
father, staff sergeant, and engineer. Mr. Roberts passed away last 
week, leaving a legacy of service to his family, friends, faith, 
community, and country. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Roberts and 
his lovely wife Mrs. Dessie Roberts during a visit to Washington a few 
years ago. I know that all who were close to him reflect on his memory 
with respect, admiration, and pride. While I did not know Mr. Roberts 
for an extended time, his grandson Marcus Mason is a great friend; I 
might add that his great-grandaughter Taelor served as an intern in my 
office for several summers. Mr. Roberts epitomized the Greatest 
Generation and a life well lived. I would like to submit the following 
heartfelt obituary for Mr. Roberts, written by his family.

                               The Legacy

       ``I hope you don't mind if we put down in words, how 
     wonderful life has been with you in the world.''
       December 30, 1925--Leonard Earl Roberts, Sr. entered the 
     world at the height of the Harlem Renaissance. Born to Mary 
     Queen Dorsey in Vidalia, Louisiana, Leonard Sr. was the 
     eldest of five. Two brothers and one sister have preceded him 
     in death. He attended and completed his secondary school 
     education at Madison Parish Training School in Tallulah, 
     Louisiana where he was an academic high achiever. He began 
     demonstrating his engineering acuity by creating a hand 
     carved, functioning orchestra that remained on display in the 
     sandbox for several years following his graduation.
       Leonard Sr. was no stranger to meeting and overcoming 
     adversity. In his desire to serve his country he joined the 
     Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) at the young age of 
     sixteen, where he participated in the efforts to rebuild our 
     nation's infrastructure, supporting the economic recovery 
     efforts from the Great Depression of the 1930s. Later that 
     year, Leonard Sr. answered the call of his personal 
     conviction and love of country and voluntarily enlisted in 
     the US Army. Leonard Sr. stepped forward to defend our 
     country following the events of Pearl Harbor, despite being 
     under age. He quickly advanced to the rank of Staff Sergeant. 
     Leonard Sr. was in the first wave to land on Omaha Beach 
     during the Normandy invasion on June 6, 1944 as part of 
     Operation Overlord, coined D-Day by the world. He 
     successfully led his platoon on many battles until his 
     honorable discharge on December 7, 1945 at the close of the 
     war. His entire outfit received the Bronze Indian Arrowhead 
     for Assault Trooper, the Cor-De-Guerre, France's highest 
     military honor, and several other medals and honors.
       Upon his return home, he quickly sought, found and married 
     his childhood sweetheart, and life-long love and soul mate, 
     Dessie. Leonard Sr. and Dessie began to build their family 
     while also engaging in his academic pursuits. Leonard Sr. 
     moved to Boston, Massachusetts, taking advantage of the GI 
     Bill, made available to WWII veterans, where he attended 
     Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and received his 
     Engineering degree. Leonard Sr. began his family while in Las 
     Vegas, NV and became father to Donna, Janet and Leonard Jr.
       Leonard Sr. moved his family to Los Angeles, California, 
     where Jacqueline and Keith were born, to begin his lifelong 
     career in the aerospace industry. He designed a four axis 
     machine for specialized production of precision oversized 
     aircraft parts which revolutionized the industry. In 1972, 
     Leonard Sr. established Roberts Aerospace Manufacturing 
     Engineering Corporation (RAMEC) and continued to receive 
     coveted government contracts as a result of his expertise in 
     precision manufacturing for nearly four decades until the 
     time of his passing. He was well known in the industry as a 
     man of integrity.
       After supporting his wife's philanthropic pursuits in 
     Christianity and community service for over fifty years, 
     Leonard Sr. or ``Mr. Honey'' as he was often referred to by 
     members of the sororities Order of the Eastern Star and Top 
     Ladies of Distinction, joined First African Methodist 
     Episcopal Church in 1998 where he attended faithfully. 
     Leonard Sr. valued God, Country and family above all else, 
     demonstrated by his marriage to Dessie for sixty-five years 
     and his commitment to his children Donna, Janet, Leonard, 
     Jr., Jacqueline and Keith. His love will live forever in the 
     hearts of his grandchildren Allen Talbert, Kellie Clay 
     (deceased), Chanel Troy-Thompson, Danielle Benoit-Williams, 
     Natalie Roberts, Raquel Roberts-Richards and Bridgette 
     Craddock and great-grandchildren Taelor Chanel Mason, Jeraud, 
     Jeremiah Jr. and Jehman Williams, Carl Quincy Clay, II, 
     Lauren, Sydney and Brandon Talbert, and Rameses Earl Roberts 
     Richards.
       Leonard Sr. will be lovingly remembered by his sister 
     Dottie, his nieces Cheri, Donna and Shanel along with a host 
     of other relatives and friends.
       He recently imparted the profound statement to his loved 
     ones, a motto which he lived by, ``Everything is manageable 
     in a family.'' Leonard Sr. lived his life by anticipating the 
     outcome of an effort before beginning the task.
       On Tuesday, July 5th God descended to call him home. It 
     mattered not how straight the gate or how charged with 
     punishment the scroll, Leonard Sr. was the master of his 
     fate, he was the captain of his soul.

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