At the June meeting, the City of Plainview honored its oldest veteran, Joe Roberts.
Jeff Collins did the honors of presenting Mr. Roberts with a plaque that noted his exemplary service in the Marine Corps during WWII.
Joe entered the war and saw action in the Pacific Theater, including Kwajalein and Guam, as a corporal in the 5th Amphibious Corps of the 3rd Marine Division. He was an MP when he was honorably discharged in 1945 at the end of the war.
Roberts became a professional roofer by trade, married his beloved Irma, and fathered Jim and Kathy. Irma is no longer by his side so he has taken up playing pool at the Corryton Community Center with some friends who are Navy Veterans.
The “Pool Sharks” are Joe Roberts at 98 years old, Jim Prince at 92, Jim Courtney at 80 and Bob Bishop, who at 77 is the youngster of the group. Joe and Bob usually challenge the two Jim’s.
On the day this reporter witnessed the match, Joe cleared the table of some five balls in a row to ultimately win the game. The camaraderie is enthusiastic and spontaneous as the guys enjoy the friendly competition.
The Navy Veterans had varied service and careers. Jim Prince served in the Navy Medical Corps in Korea and spent 35 years as an educator at several North Knox County Schools. Jim Courtney saw service in Naval Aviation during the Cuban Missile Crisis and retired from Norfolk Southern Railroad. Bob Bishop was a Navy radioman during the Vietnam War from 1965 to 1969. Bob's career was with Ingles Market.
On July 4th and every day, may we all remember women and men like Joe Roberts, Jim Prince, Jim Courtney and Bob Bishop, who served to protect our freedom. Thank you for your service and your sacrifice.