Born in Newport, Arkansas, Roy moved with his family to Beebe where he helped in his father's drugstore. He also worked from 6 p.m. to midnight as an auto mechanic, ran a paper route, and raised pigs. Roy enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces soon after Pearl Harbor, entering basic training in January of 1942, and took B-24 training. A B-24 pilot, he was based at Toretta Field near Cherignola, Italy as part of the 484^th Bombardment Group. Roy flew thirty-five missions. One day in mid-December of 1944, he broke out of the clouds and saw an estimated seventy-mile long line of Germany infantry, tanks, and other vehicles. He radioed for permission to strafe and bomb but was refused. He believes that column was moving up to begin the Battle of the Bulge. Roy was discharged at Camp Chaffee near Fort Smith, Arkansas. Later, he graduated from the Tennessee School of Pharmacy and worked in and owned drugstores throughout his career.