James Roberson Sr. (Dadeo)
JAMES E. ROBERSON, SR., born 10 October 1926 in Norfolk Va. Enlisted, USN, Oct. 11 1943 in Washington DC age 17. Boot Camp, US Naval Training Station, Sampson, NY. Graduated Chamberlain Vocational school "Radio Science" and able to read schematics and repair radios requested radio school – only to realize that it was radio operators school. Unable and unwilling to type and take code he requested and received "SEA DUTY" Aboard the LST 547. 23 March 1944 till 12 Jan. 1946, he successfully maintained all the radio and radar equipment on board LST 547.
Upon completion of his wartime duties he was authorized to wear the American Area, Asiatic Pacific, Philippine Liberation Ribbons and the World War II Victory Medal, having participated in the Okinawa Campaign, and the occupation of Japan.
On 3April 1946 James Roberson R/T3/c reported onboard the USS Shangri-La CV38, he was initially assigned to the V3R Division, Radar Maintenance Section and specifically to maintain the SU Radar in Flag Plot. In less than six months natural ability to trouble-shoot and repair Radar was recognized and after passing the test he was promoted to ETM2/c, at that time he was reassigned as Petty Officer in Charge of Radar Maintenance. Awarded a citation by Admiral Blandy for a successful radar mission during Operations Crossroads, the Atomic Bomb Test Able and Baker at Bikini Atoll in July 1946.
Roberson now states his proudest accomplishment was that every piece of shipboard Radar was in perfect working condition when he signed them off and secured them in preparation for moth balls, which he completed a large part of before being transferred for discharge on Aug 27 1947.
Civilian life found a challenging career at the Naval Research Laboratory as an Electronic Technician. He found his work most rewarding while assigned to the Techniques Branch, Sound Division involved in Anti-Submarine Warfare, designing and constructing the necessary Instrumentation to prove or disprove theories and tactics being proposed as techniques for underwater detection and tracking of submarines. To properly evaluate and document one such proposed technique it was necessary to qualify as a diver to observe and photograph the effectiveness of the device he had constructed. He completed the necessary training courses at the Navy Deep-Sea Diving School at the Navy Yard Washington DC in Nov 1966 at age 40. In 1968 Roberson Designed, constructed, and controlled the logistics to test a complete underwater countermeasures system.
By 1970 Roberson had turned his attention to a new concept, and although he was unable to mathematically prove it, he took a non-conventional approach and designed of a new type of antenna he felt might be useful in submarine communications. Although this proved not to be the case, later he was called to be the sole recipient of a Certificate of Award and a Monetary Award for the submission of that patent application. It is believed that the explanation given for the non-conventional reasoning of the principles disclosed in that application had led to the successful solution of a similar problem in a different field.
Applied for seven patents (as a federal employee), is the co-inventor with his son James E Roberson Jr. for patent # 4220110 Issued 2 Sept 1980 Scupu ; Self Contained Underwater Propulsion Unit.
James Roberson now retired is living in Florida with Anita his wife of 56 years. They were married while he was serving aboard the Shangri-La). They have two children James Roberson Jr. and Gloria Cushman and Five Grandchildren; Christopher and Heather Cushman, Amy Nicole(Roberson) Oxford, Jacob and Rachel Roberson