Private First Class Roberts was a member of the 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. He was seriously wounded while fighting the enemy in South Korea on 5 September 1950 and returned to duty on 9 October 1950. He was taken Prisoner of War while fighting the enemy near Unsan, North Korea on 2 November 1950 and died while a prisoner on 4 March 1951.

Roberts was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Prisoner of War Medal, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.