A Call to Duty: Sgt. Michael Benjamin Roberge

When Michael Roberge enlisted in the U.S. Army in December of 2001, it was in part a reaction to the attacks of Sept. 11.

"Ya, I was angry," said Roberge, now a Marlborough postman. "But I didn't want to react completely out of anger, so I waited a bit before I joined."

Recently retired from the military after seven years of service both in the Army and National Guard, Roberge, who was discharged with the rank of sergeant, served two tours in Iraq and participated in the second battle for Fallujah in November 2004.

"I guess I was first struck by the heat," said Roberge with a laugh of his immersion into the Iraqi war zone. 

It was several months before he found himself in the heart of a battle, but once he did, there was no mistaking it for anything else.

"I didn't feel like I was in tons of danger when we were under attack in Buhriz, but a round did go right through the window over my head," he said.

It was several months later in November of 2004 that Roberge faced his greatest challenge. His unit was one of many on the front lines of an attack to retake the city of Fullujah from insurgents. Embedded with his unit was a Boston Globe reporter who followed the battle in detail and even quoted Roberge.

In that battle, Roberge and the rest of his unit were in the process of clearing a bunker when his team leader was shot in the leg. Roberge, was forced to gun down the combatants at close range, then he and another soldier dragged their team leader to safety and medical attention.

The siege of Fallujah lasted almost another two weeks, and Roberge assumed the role of team leader after the incident and in the weeks and months that followed.

Several years now after his discharge from the military, Roberge works for the and is happily engaged. He and his fiance plan to be married this October.

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