Archibald Roberts

Archibald Edward Roberts, retired Army officer, author. Born in Cheboygan, Mich. on March 21, 1915, to Archibald Lancaster Roberts and Madeline Ruth nee Smith Roberts. Roberts migrated to Fort Collins from Asheville, N.C., in 1938. He enlisted in the United States Army in June 1939 and advanced through grades to lieutenant colonel. Graduate of Officer Candidate School, MAC, 1942; Armed Forces Information School, 1950; Basic Airborne Course, Infantry School, 1951; Medical Field Service School, 1951; Command and General Staff College, 1952; student at U.S. Armed Forces Institute, 1953; and University of Maryland, 1958. Married Florence Snure in Cheyenne, Wyo., on Sept. 25, 1940 divorced February 1950, and had children, Michael James and John Douglas. On June 23, 1951, married Doris Elfriede White at Fitzsimmons Medical Center in Denver, and had children, Guy Archer, Charles Lancaster, and Christopher Corwin. Served in Far East Command, 1942, 1953-1955, European Theatre of Operations, 1943-1945, 1957-1962. Authorized awards-Department of the Army include, Army Commendation Medal, Good Conduct Medal, American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation Badge, Master Parachutist Badge. Civilian awards include, Award of Merit, 1966-1967, American Academy of Public Affairs, Good Citizenship Medal, 1968, Sons of the American Revolution, Good Citizenship Medal, 1969, American Legion-Colonel Arch Roberts Week, 1971, city of Danville, Ill., Special Tribute, 1979, state of Michigan. Lt. Col. Roberts, then a major, was author and producer of the 24Infantry Division, "Citizenship in Service" troop information program, Augsburg, Germany, 1960. Dubbed "Pro Blue" this education mission became the central issue in the 1962 U.S. Senate "Military Muzzling" investigation Military Cold War Education and Speech Review Policies, Senate Committee on Armed Services, April 4-13, 1962. "Pro Blue" troop presentation and aftermath, is detailed in Roberts first "civilian" book, "Victory Denied," published after Roberts was 'fired" by Secretary of the Army, Elvis Stahr. Entire text of the "Citizenship in Service" program was entered in the Congressional Record by Senators Thurmond and Tower, Aug. 20, 1961. Charging that Stahr's termination order was illegal, Roberts filed a civil suit against Stahr's successor, Stanley R. Reasor, David E. McGiffert, undersecretary of the Army, and Major Gen. Kenneth G. Wickham, U.S. Army, the Adjutant General Civil Action No. 2106-62. On appeal from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, April 28, 1965, defendants were ordered to reinstate Major Roberts to active duty, promote him to grade lieutenant colonel, reimburse him for legal fees and, "...restore all rights, privileges and emoluments to which he would have been entitled, both by law and regulation, but for the unlawful and invalid order hereinbefore declared null and void." Lt. Col. Roberts voluntarily retired on Oct. 1, 1965, ending 26 years of military service. Remaining in Fort Collins, Roberts founded The Committee to Restore the Constitution, a political research and public information corporation and devoted his time to authoring eight books on "the new world order" and its U.S. manifestations: United Nations organizations, federal regional government and Federal Reserve System. During and after his legal struggle, Roberts conducted an extensive public speaking regimen addressing audiences as large as 5,000 and as few as 50. He appeared on hundreds of radio and television programs throughout the United States. Invited to testify before 25 state legislative bodies, Roberts revealed to state lawmakers the authority and power of the state in correcting unconstitutional acts by their agents in Washington. Both indictment and remedy are revealed in his books and monthly bulletin published by Committee to Restore the Constitution. Roberts is the author of "Rakkasan-History of the 187Airborne Division," 1957; "The Marne Division-History of the Third Infantry Division," 1958; "Victory Denied," 1966; "The Anatomy of a Revolution," 1968; "Peace: By the Wonderful People Who Brought You Korea and Vietnam," 1972; "The Republic-Decline and Future Promise," 1975; "The Crisis of Federal Regionalism- A Solution," 1976; "Emerging Struggle for State Sovereignty," 1979; "How to Organize for Survival," 1982; "The Most Secret Science," 1984; and hundreds of articles on the "new world order." Colonel Roberts was preceded in death by his brother, Richard Aaron Roberts, Major USAF, retired. Lieutenant Roberts flew P-40s with General Chenault's 75Fighter Squadron the Flying Tigers in China during World War II. He was shot down by Zero fire on this 23rd mission. Escaping capture by Japanese forces he was hidden by Chinese and eventually carried on a litter back to his base in Chungking. Roberts' mother, Madeline Ruth Dick R died on Oct. 11, 1980. He is survived by his wife, Doris, five sons, and five grandsons. Roberts was a member of the 11Airborne Division Association, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Reserve Officers Association and Sons of the American Revolution. He is listed in "MARQUIS WHO'S WHO," "Who's Who in the West," "Who's Who in America," and "Who's Who in the World." Roberts passed away on July 25, 2006, at a local nursing home. Funeral service at 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Joseph Catholic Church. Interment with Military Honors at Grandview Cemetery. Bohlender Funeral Home handling arrangements.