LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Louise McRoberts upon the occasion of
her designation as recipient of a Liberty Medal, the highest honor
bestowed upon an individual by the New York State Senate

WHEREAS, It is incumbent upon the people of the State of New York to
recognize and acknowledge those within our midst who have made signif-
icant contributions to the quality of life therein; and
WHEREAS, From time to time this Legislative Body takes note of certain
extraordinary individuals it wishes to recognize for their valued
contributions to the success and progress of society and publicly
acknowledge their endeavors which have enhanced the basic humanity among
us all; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Louise McRo-
berts upon the occasion of her designation as recipient of a Liberty
Medal, the highest honor bestowed upon an individual by the New York
State Senate; and
WHEREAS, The New York State Senate Liberty Medal was established by a
resolution in 2014 and is awarded to individuals who have merited
special commendation for exceptional, heroic, or humanitarian acts on
behalf of their fellow New Yorkers; and
WHEREAS, Of the thousands of troops who enlisted in the United States
Armed Services during the Second World War, approximately 400,000 women
served in the military in various capacities over the course of the war,
many serving with medical units or as clerical aides; and
WHEREAS, Louise McRoberts of Windham, New York, had the distinction of
serving in both capacities, first helping to care for the wounded
returning stateside during the Battle of the Bulge, and later in Germany
serving with General George S. Patton's Third Army weeks after the
surrender of the Third Reich; and
WHEREAS, Born in Hollis, Queens, New York, on October 14, 1924, Louise
McRoberts, the daughter of Erna and Henry Kading, was a teenager when
the war began; she was too young to enlist, but after her brothers,
cousins, and friends joined the Armed Forces as the war deepened, she
joined the Women's Army Corps on her 20th birthday in 1944; and
WHEREAS, During her instruction at an Army camp in Georgia, although
women were never assigned combat duties, Louise McRoberts's basic train-
ing was just as rigorous as that for men, with the same level of phys-
ical activity; and
WHEREAS, Soon after her training, Louise McRoberts was deployed to a
medical unit, serving in a triage-type capacity as wounded Americans
arrived by the thousands during the infamous Battle of the Bulge; and
WHEREAS, Louise McRoberts was stationed at Camp Shanks which holds the
distinction of being the nation's largest embarkation point for troops
being deployed overseas, including 75 percent of those involved in the
D-Day invasions; at the time, it was dubbed "Last Stop USA"; for weeks
and shifts which lasted for days, the soldiers continued to arrive at
the medical unit where Louise McRoberts was assigned, sorting them for
care at various medical facilities depending on the severity of their
wounds; and
WHEREAS, By early May 1945, Germany had surrendered and Louise McRo-
berts was assigned to Patton's Third Army, special services; this duty
would take her to Heidelberg, Germany, where she would handle postwar
furloughs for GIs, and arrange for entertainment for the troops by
hiring local musicians and actors for plays and concerts; and
WHEREAS, In August of 1945, Louise McRoberts was on her way to Germany
when she heard the United States had dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshi-
ma, Japan; the unit she was traveling with was briefly detained in

France; she observed much devastation, but was joyed hearing the war had
ended; and
WHEREAS, Following her stint with the Army, Louise McRoberts married
her military sweetheart, Charles McRoberts, and together had two chil-
dren; in 1963, the McRoberts moved to upstate New York; and
WHEREAS, Louise McRoberts has remained active in her community and
attends many military commemorative events; she has volunteered exten-
sively to help others, and has worked with the Meals on Wheels program;
in addition, she is active in reading for youth programs, is active in
her church, and regularly attends VFW meetings; and
WHEREAS, In 2010, Louise McRoberts was a Greene County veteran to
enjoy one of the Honor Flights to the World War II memorial at Washing-
ton DC; and
WHEREAS, In addition to her husband and two children, Louise McRoberts
is the proud grandmother of three grandchildren, all of whom feel privi-
leged to be a part of her life and rejoice in her achievements; and
WHEREAS, The dedication and sacrifices of our military personnel
ensure our continued role as a Nation which embodies the ideals of
democracy, and is a defender of liberty for peoples throughout the
world; it is the sense of this Legislative Body to pay the highest trib-
ute to the valiant service displayed by the members of the United States
Armed Forces during that time of crisis; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Louise McRoberts upon the occasion of her designation as recipient
of a Liberty Medal, the highest honor bestowed upon an individual by the
New York State Senate; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Louise McRoberts.