[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 32 (Thursday, February 16, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S443-S444]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                        Tribute to R.C. Roberts

  Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. President, thank you for that enthusiastic 
introduction.
  I am here. Once again, it is the end of the week. At least in the 
Senate, it is the end of the week, not for the rest of America. But 
when we end up here with our work, on Thursday afternoon, I usually try 
and do a story about what I refer to as ``The Alaskan of the Week.''
  Hopefully, everybody can see this photo. We have included our 
Alaskans of the Week's pictures here. This is a really good one, if you 
are watching anywhere in Alaska, I hope, and across America.
  Now, the reporters usually like this speech because it signals the 
end of their week. Normally, we have a crowd of press in the Gallery, 
maybe not so much today.
  But it is about somebody who has done something good for their 
community or the State or maybe for their country. This Alaskan of the 
Week is actually someone who did something for the world--the world. 
Saved the world. Stay tuned. No exaggeration.
  Now, I always like to give an update on what is happening back home. 
We are getting covered in snow--tons and tons of snow. The Sun is 
starting to come back. It is a very cold and snowy winter. The Iditarod 
is right around the corner--the last great race. Senator Murkowski and 
I will talk about that soon. It is a beautiful time of year if you love 
the outdoors--skiing, snow-machining.
  So come visit Alaska. That is what I always do--make the pitch.
  And people don't know this, but Alaska is also an incredibly diverse 
State. In fact, Anchorage, my hometown, the State's largest city, is 
home to the country's three most diverse census tracks--racially, in 
terms of nationalities. By the way, the fourth most diverse is Queens, 
NY. So more diverse than Queens, NY, in terms of race, ethnicities, and 
nationalities. We are very proud of our diversity. More than 100 
languages are spoken in our schools--Native languages, other languages, 
foreign languages. We are diverse.

  We are very patriotic. In fact, Alaska is home to more veterans per 
capita than any State in the country. White, Black, Asian American, 
Alaska Native, all different races make up that key part of Alaska's 
heritage, military service.

[[Page S444]]

  By the way, if you are watching the news, you know there is a lot 
going on over Alaska right now. But I just want to say a word about our 
military, Active-Duty, National Guard, and Reserve Forces. Think about 
what our guys and women have done the last 2 weeks: tracked and 
intercepted this big Russian spy balloon, tracked and intercepted at 
least two of these smaller unidentified objects and shot two of them 
down--the one over Alaska. The one in Canada, those were shot down by 
Alaskan forces in Canada. Then, in the last 4 nights, these same forces 
have gone and intercepted two different Russian ``Bear'' bombers and 
fighters--Russian fighters who were trying to get into our airspace. 
This is in 2 weeks. These are not easy missions. They are very 
difficult, challenging, missions.
  Do you know what else wasn't an easy mission? Storming the beaches of 
Normandy. Storming the beaches of Normandy.
  I have a little picture here. That is why I want to get to our 
Alaskan of the Week, a very special, very patriotic Alaskan, a World 
War II veteran, Mr. R.C. Roberts.
  I can think of no better way to cap off Black History Month than to 
recognize Mr. Roberts, his service to our country, and help him and his 
family celebrate his 100th birthday.
  How about a round of applause, America, for Mr. Roberts' 100th 
birthday, a Normandy, D-Day, Omaha Beach veteran. He celebrated that on 
Tuesday, Valentine's Day, 100 years old.
  So who is Mr. Roberts?
  Let's hear a little bit about the life that he has lived in full. 
Like I said, that is him. That is him, our Alaskan of the Week, on the 
poster board. He was a handsome young man, saving the world, literally.
  He was originally born in Garrison, TX, in 1923. Imagine that, 100 
years ago. According to letters written by friends, he worked on a 
family farm, left school early in life, and joined the Army when he was 
just 18, shortly at the start of World War II. He wanted to go fight 
for his country, and he did fight.
  Many Americans have seen movies about D-Day. Again, here is a photo--
our brave soldiers, hitting the beaches at Normandy, facing 
unbelievable heavy fire, having to navigate mined obstacles on the 
beach, mines on the bluffs, Germans dug in with machineguns.
  You have seen in the beginning--I am sure many of you have--``Saving 
Private Ryan,'' the seawalls to climb. That is what he did. That is 
what he did for America, for freedom. It was the largest, most complex 
combined airborne-amphibious military invasion in world history. Mr. 
Roberts, our Alaskan of the Week, was there on Omaha Beach in 1944.
  He eventually marched all the way into Germany with the U.S. Army, 
all the way across Europe. He was part of the heroic mission that saved 
the world. That is not an exaggeration.
  Mr. Roberts served 3 years. He was awarded the European Campaign 
Medal with three Bronze Stars, representing three difficult battles 
across Europe that he fought in. And here is the thing, you have to 
remember this. It was 1944. Our military was fully segregated, and 
Black soldiers were discriminated against. In fact, it took until 1948 
for President Harry Truman to order the Armed Forces to be integrated, 
16 years before the passage of the Civil Rights Act. But this patriot, 
despite the discrimination, was fighting for America.
  How did Mr. Roberts make it through these ordeals--incredible 
ordeals--of fire?
  Prayer, he said. He said:

       Every day, I prayed, and [when I got home] I was so 
     grateful to be back in the United States.

  When he got out of the military and made his way back to Texas and 
then to California, he had a friend who was in Alaska who told him that 
his skills were needed up in the great State of Alaska.
  It was 1964. Our State had just been devastated by the largest 
earthquake ever recorded in North America. It was the second-largest 
earthquake ever recorded in the history of the world--9.2 on the 
Richter scale--our Good Friday earthquake in 1964. Tsunamis crushed 
buildings, and of course it killed a lot of people. There was a lot of 
rebuilding being done. So Mr. Roberts, who at this point was a cement 
mason, made his way north--north to Alaska, north to the future.
  He worked all across the State helping rebuild it: Fairbanks, Kenai, 
Valdez, the Aleutian Islands Chain. He literally helped lay pavement 
for the construction of what is now Ted Stevens International Airport 
in Anchorage.
  He bought a house in Chugiak, AK, outside of Anchorage. He met and 
married the love of his life, Joan, in 1970, in Anchorage. They joined 
the Eagle River Missionary Baptist Church, where they remained, and he 
remains an active member at the tender age of 100. Together for more 
than 40 years, before Joan passed, they raised four generations of 
children and had a wonderful life together.
  Like I said, Tuesday, Valentine's Day, February 14, was Mr. Roberts' 
100th birthday. I had the honor of calling him, wishing him a happy 
birthday, talking to him a little bit about his heroic service, 
thanking him for his heroic service.
  The day after his birthday, he caught up with his friend Darrell 
Little. Mr. Roberts and Mr. Little have been friends--best friends--for 
more than 40 years. Darrell was visiting Mr. Roberts, making him his 
favorite meal for his birthday, a beef tongue sandwich. Sounds pretty 
good.
  Darrell described Mr. Roberts as a loyal citizen who served his 
country bravely with honor and distinction. That is what being Alaskan 
of the Week is all about.
  Darrell asked Mr. Roberts what he wanted to say about his 
extraordinary life, and here is what Mr. Roberts said just 2 days ago. 
He loves Alaska. He wouldn't trade his time in the State for anything 
else in the world, even with all the snow we are having this winter. He 
also said it was such a great honor to serve his country, and he 
thanked God for blessing him.
  He sounds like an amazing guy. He is an amazing guy. I just spoke to 
him.
  Mr. Roberts, thank you for your service. Thank you for helping 
rebuild Alaska. Thank you for living and leading such an exemplary life 
for 100 years. Thank you, as we move into Black History Month, for 
showing an example of a young man, patriotic, despite systemic 
discrimination against him, who fought the evil Nazi regime heroically 
and valiantly, part of the ``greatest generation'' that literally saved 
the world.
  So, Mr. Roberts, happy birthday. I know you are also happy about one 
of the most prestigious awards you can ever get, Alaskan of the Week. 
We wish you well, sir.