Roebuck

"Split up and hunt them down!"

- Roebuck

Sergeant Roebuck is an American squad leader of the United States Marine Corps in Call of Duty: World at War during World War II. He is voiced by Kiefer Sutherland, best known for his role as Jack Bauer from the hit TV show, 24.

Call of Duty: World at War
Roebuck is part of the invasion force that assaults Makin Island. He comes to rescue Miller (the player) on Makin, stabbing the would be killer in the back. Along with Sullivan and the other Marine Raiders, they raid the island, rescue their support squad and escape Makin Island. Two years later, Roebuck, Miller, Sullivan and a new recruit named Pvt. Polonsky participate in the invasion of Peleliu as part of the 1st Marine Division. They make way for Allied forces after clearing Japanese defenses but Sgt. Sullivan gets stabbed by a Banzai Charger at the end of the level. Roebuck is promoted to Sergeant during the landing on Peleliu and takes command of the squad. He takes part in capturing Peleliu airfield and crushing the remaining Japanese forces there. After Peleliu, he leads Miller, Polonsky and several others in the invasion of Okinawa. After clearing Wana ridge, they receive orders to storm Shuri Castle. After fighting through numerous Japanese soldiers they storm Shuri Castle and come across Japanese forces attempting to surrender. He and Polonsky move in to secure the soldiers, only to get attacked by them (They were only pretending to surrender). He could live or die according to the player's actions.

Survival
Towards the end of the Shuri Castle level, a group of three Japanese soldiers can be seen surrendering. Roebuck and Polonsky both walk up to them and turn towards Miller, giving the Japanese a chance to strike. Roebuck, who's in between two soldiers calls for help and so does Polonsky. It requires a faster trigger finger and better aim to save Roebuck as he has two enemies holding him instead of one. If Miller saves Roebuck, he sacrifices Polonsky. If saved, Roebuck would kneel by Polonsky pleading him to get up and would shout, swear and curse at the attacking Japanese while firing his M1 Thompson. After the Japanese are defeated, he gives Miller Polonsky's dog tags and says now they could all go home. If you save him you receive the Xbox 360 achievement or PlayStation 3 Trophy "Guardian Angel".

Death
If you don't attempt to save either Polonsky or Roebuck, Polonsky fights off his attacker and Roebuck is killed by a grenade. If you save Polonsky, Roebuck still suffers the same fate.

Quotes

 * "Everything that was asked of us we've done, every night we lay in a filthy foxhole, praying the enemy won't slit our throats. Every day we spent crawling through the mud and the dirt while bullets whistle all around. This is the enemy's last stand. When we take Shuri Castle we go home. All of us."
 * (During the cutscene before Semper Fi): "Makin Atoll - little more than sand, trees and a small Japanese Military base. Miller's reconnaissance team landed there almost a week ago. Since than - we've heard nothing. The waiting's over, we're going in. For all we know they're already dead. If what little we know about the Japanese is true, it might be better if they are."
 * (During the cutscene before Little Resistance): "Years after the raid on Makin, we're heading up an all out assault on Peleliu Island... No POW's to rescue this time... Our mission: take the airfield and cripple their supply network. Alongside familiar faces, fresh faced recruits. The older guys like Miller, Sergeant Sullivan and myself, we're known as "The old breed". "Old"... we're not even out of our twenties."
 * (During the cutscene before Hard Landing): "We're all numbed by Sullivan's death. We just never saw it coming, I still can't believe it. The most solid, dependable and courageous Marine we've ever known. Blink of an eye, gone. Now it's down to me, and me alone, to lead these men, my brothers, safely through this campaign. AA fire from Peleliu airfield is knocking our planes night out the sky. Taking this airfield is our only priority. Whatever the cost."
 * "Stay alert!"
 * "Watch the grass... Watch the trees... Watch any damn place Tojo could be waiting!"
 * "Miller!!!"( Also his last word when he is killed)
 * "Miller, you're okay? Thank God. We're going to make them pay for what they done."
 * "You fucking animals!"
 * "Those animals killed him! ANIMALS!!"
 * "Clear every corner of this courtyard!"
 * "We let our guard down Polonsky, we can't let it happen again."
 * "Split up and hunt them down!"
 * "Just get up the hill, Polonsky."
 * "Come on, Miller!"
 * "This is it, Miller."
 * "Set that charge, Miller!"
 * "Call in that airstrike! Blow them all to hell."
 * "Bleed you bastards!"
 * "Outstanding marines, out-fucking-standing!"
 * All the more reason we need to keep moving. Every plane we lose makes our job harder. So, lets pick it up and take out those damn guns!
 * MG Bunkers up ahead. Nambu Artillery sitting right in front of it. PRIVATE! Get a grenade up there!! Everyone MOVE! Go! Go! Go!
 * "Flamethrowers... we'll burn em' out."
 * "Die you bastards!"

Trivia

 * Roebuck highly resembles Soap MacTavish from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.
 * Roebuck carries his M1911 in a holster around his chest instead of his waist.
 * When Sgt. Sullivan is stabbed in the stomach, Roebuck's label changes from Corporal to Sergeant immediately.
 * If Roebuck dies on Breaking Point, you cannot pick up his Thompson, but if Polonsky dies you can take his M1 Garand.
 * Roebuck's high and tight hair style is probably a reference to the same hair style Kiefer Sutherland had in his part as Lt. Jonathan Kendrick in the 1992 film, A Few Good Men.
 * Judging by the size of Roebuck's Bowie Knife, it should have gone straight through the Japanese soldier who kills Pyle and then attempts to kill Miller.
 * Roebuck's skin is darker on the Wii.
 * Even when Roebuck is a Corporal, he has Sergeant's stripes on his sleeves.
 * Roebuck has deep scars on his face. They are of unknown origin. It is possible that maybe he was a POW and could also explain his deep resentment towards Japanese soldiers.
 * Roebuck has a machete on his back, similar to Reznov's and Swift's machete.
 * Roebuck wears trousers with magazine holders attached to it, unlike most of the other Marines who wear leather leggings around their ankles.
 * Roebuck is never seen with a helmet except on Blowtorch & Corkscrew where it doesn't get shot off as often compared to Polonsky.
 * If Roebuck survives on the Wii version, at the end of the level he goes to Polonsky's body, but Polonsky's body appears as Roebuck's body instead.
 * Roebuck and other Marines still use Thompson submachine guns during the battle of Okinawa even after it was officially replaced by the M3 Grease Gun. This is not really too surprising considering the Marine Corps had more of a say in what weapons they used than the Army had, and considering that the Thompson may have been officially replaced but that wouldn't mean that every Thompson that had been issued would be recalled and soldiers would be reissued M3s. New soldiers and replacements likely would be given M3s but many of the older soldiers would have kept their Thompsons.
 * On the Wii version, Roebuck doesn't wear a helmet throughout the whole campaign at all.
 * Roebuck is the multiplayer announcer when playing as the Marine Raiders.
 * In Hard Landing Roebuck has a BAR instead of a Thompson.
 * Roebuck can be seen with a machete on his back that he never uses throughout the Pacific Campaign of Call of Duty: World at War.
 * He seems to resemble the Nazi Zombies character, Tank Dempsey, much like Polonsky does.
 * Sometimes, when Roebuck talks, his lips won't move.
 * There is a glitch where Sgt. Roebuck will wait in a certain part of a level for the rest of the level. This can be fixed most of the time by throwing a grenade at him which will force him to move. This will not work if the level has ended as he will get stuck in another position.
 * In Call of Duty: World at War: Final Fronts, he has no scars and never dies.
 * Besides the level Semper Fi, he is one of four who wear camouflage uniform.
 * During the cut scene after Little Resistance, the photo of Roebuck resembles Tom Hanks.