Dave Roberts’s father, Waymon Roberts, was a United States Marine stationed in Japan when he met and married the love of his life, Eiko Roberts. His father grew up in Texas and was named in the Marines in 1969 as a teenager.
After four years of marriage, they welcomed their son, Dave, in 1972, in Okinawa, Japan. Waymon remained in the Marines until retiring as a Master Gunnery Sergeant in 1998. He transferred to different bases around the world during his service.
Dave spent his childhood moving from one military base to another in two to three-year sequence. He was born in Okinawa and moved to multiple bases in California, to Okinawa again, North California, Hawaii, and finally to California; the family eventually settled in San Diego.
He joined Vista High School as a freshman and was named the most valuable player on the junior varsity baseball team. Dave then transferred to Rancho Buena Vista High School the following year, becoming a standout in basketball, football, and baseball.
