Gordon was born in Middletown, Ohio, on the 14th of June 1950, and he enlisted in the US Army just three days after graduating from high school. After basic training at Fort Benning and infantry school, he was assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, and was soon deployed to the Republic of Vietnam. Within three months, Gordon had earned the Silver Star and the Bronze Star for distinguished actions, but it was his actions on the 11th of July 1969, that would later earn him the Medal of Honor. The citation reads:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sgt. Roberts distinguished himself while serving as a rifleman with Company B, during combat operations. Sgt. Roberts' platoon was maneuvering along a ridge to attack heavily fortified enemy bunker positions which had pinned down an adjoining friendly company. As the platoon approached the enemy positions, it was suddenly pinned down by heavy automatic-weapons and grenade fire from camouflaged enemy fortifications atop the overlooking hill. Seeing his platoon immobilized and in danger of failing in its mission, Sgt. Roberts crawled rapidly toward the closest enemy bunker. With complete disregard for his safety, he leaped to his feet and charged the bunker, firing as he ran. Despite the intense enemy fire directed at him, Sgt. Roberts silenced the two-man bunker. Without hesitation, Sgt. Roberts continued his one-man assault on a second bunker. As he neared the second bunker, a burst of enemy fire knocked his rifle from his hands. Sgt. Roberts picked up a rifle dropped by a comrade and continued his assault, silencing the bunker. He continued his charge against a third bunker and destroyed it with well-thrown hand grenades. Although Sgt. Roberts was now cut off from his platoon, he continued his assault against a fourth enemy emplacement. He fought through a heavy hail of fire to join elements of an adjoining company which had been pinned down by the enemy fire. Although continually exposed to hostile fire, he assisted in moving wounded personnel from exposed positions on the hilltop to an evacuation area before returning to his unit. By his gallant and selfless actions, Sgt. Roberts contributed directly in saving the lives of his comrades and served as an inspiration to his fellow soldiers in the defeat of the enemy force. Sgt. Roberts' extraordinary heroism in action at the risk of his life were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.

Gordon remained in Vietnam for eleven more months, returning home to the States in June of 1970, and nine months later he received the Medal of Honor from President Nixon on the 2nd of March 1971, in a ceremony at the White House. At the time, Gordon was the youngest living recipient, and he went on to attend the University of Dayton, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in 1974. He then married and had two children, spending the next eighteen years as a social worker before returning to the Army. This time, Gordon commissioned and served in company and field grade commands, as well as staff assignments, in Korea, Fort Bragg, Haiti, Fort Gordon, Iraq, Fort Benning, and Kuwait. In June of 2008, he served as the brigade commander for Walter Reed Medical Center, a position he held for two years, before serving as command surgeon for the 1st Sustainment Command at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Gordon was the only Medal of Honor recipient to still be serving on active duty until Salvatore Giunta received the Medal on the 16th of November 2010. Gordon Ray Roberts retired from the Army at the rank of Colonel on the 18th of May 2012, after about 24 years of service, and he currently resides in Ohio.