United States Army History of Service For Robert Francis Fullom Technical Grade Four SERVICE# 33159721 On February 10, 1942 Robert Francis Fullom of 3109 East Avenue, Erie, Pa in an Order To Report For Induction [#2232] was ordered to report at Perry School Building, Erie, Pa, on February 25th, 1942. On February 26th, 1942 Fullom boarded the 7a.m. Penna. R.R.train to the Perry School Building and was selected for active military service and sent to the 1301st Service Unit at New Cumberland, Pa. where he submitted to a physical exam and was assigned to CG Infantry Recruit Training Center, Camp Croft, South Carolina as a Private. Fullom also visited the 1301st S.U. Dental office on March 5 and 6 1942. On March 11th, 1942 Fullom arrived at Camp Croft and was assigned to Company 'D' 34th Infantry Training Battalion where he trained until May 22nd, 1942 at which time Pvt Fullom was assigned to Company'C' 26th ITB. Camp Croft. [The 26th ITB, assigned to the 8th Regiment, was the only group at Camp Croft to train men for functions in a Headquarters Battalion, The Communications Platoon consisted of a headquarters group, message center, wire section , and a radio & visual section. All Platoon members learned Morse Code, cryptography, and the operations of radios, telephones, switchboards and visual signaling. Further training included the use of messenger pigeons, laying and repairing wires, maintenance of radios and telephones, and message writing.]. While with the 26th ITB, Fullom trained as a Radio Operator. Pvt Fullom was assigned to Company 'F' 2nd Battalion, 1st Airborne Training Regiment , Fort Benning, Georgia on July 18th, 1942 [ Pvt Fullom was 'placed on jumping status' on July 20th, 1942, the official activation date of the 507th P.I.R.] where he stayed until September 12th, 1942 at which time Pt Fullom was assigned to 507th P.I.R. Headquarters & Headquarters Company, Fort Benning Georgia. On November 9th, 1942 Pvt Fulloms only child, a son, Eric was born in Erie, PA. Pvt Fullom visited the Fort Benning Denatal office on November 9th and 16th,1942, and again on February 13, 1943. The 507th P.I.R was transferred to Alliance AAB, Alliance, Nebraska on March 20th, 1943 and on July 1st 1943 Pvt Fullom took a 14 day furlough until July 15th, 1943. October 1943 Pvt Fullom was promoted to Private First Class. Pfc Fullom was assigned to Company 'B' 507th P.I.R. on November 23, 1943 until his battlefield death on June 15th, 1944. In late November 1943, Pfc Fullom and the entire 507th P.I.R. traveled by troop train, via Erie, Pa, where Pfc Fullom and the whole of Company 'B' disembarked the train for a leg stretching march for a few blocks around Erie. The Erie stop was not announced and it took a few minutes for Pfc Fullom to discover that he was in his home town. The train proceeded to Camp Shanks, near Orangeburg, Rockland County, New York arriving there on Nov. 23rd, 1943 under tight security where the Regiment stayed for two weeks. On December 3rd, 1943 Pfc Fullom marched four miles to Piermont Pier on the Hudson River, there he boarded a ferry that took him south passing the New York City skyline and the Statue of Liberty arriving at Fort Hamilton on the Brooklyn side of the Verrazano Narrows. On December 5, 1943, Pfc Fullom boarded the Troop Transport ship "Strathnaver", eleven days later, on Dec 16th Pfc Fullom arrived at Liverpool, England. Pfc Fullom than traveled by train north to Greenock, Scotland on the Clyde River, Pfc Fullom immediately boarded the liberty ship "S.S.Susan B Anthony" bound for Belfast, Northern Ireland, upon arrival at Belfast Pfc Fullom boarded a train to the summer resort of Portrush, Ireland arriving just before Christmas. Pfc Fullom and the 507th stayed in Portrush participating in training exercises, including night jumps. Pfc Fullom was promoted to TechFive in February 1944. In March 1944 T/5 Fullom traveled via train to near by to Nottingham, England bivouacking in six men pyramidal tents. While at Nottingham Fullom and the 507th began preparations for D-Day, participating in field exercises, map reading, German and French lessons, first aid instruction and Exercise Eagle [on May 12 the entire 82nd Airborne had a mass jump, a true dress rehearsal for the Airborne invasion of Normandy] Tech Five Fullom was promoted to Tech Four on May 27, 1944. On May 28th T/4 Fullom along with Regimental and First Battalion Headquarters Company traveled by civilian buses to Fulbeck, Engalnd where for the next five days Fullom and his fellow troopers studied maps, aerial photos and mock up sand tables of Normandy. On June 3rd Fullom helped in the rigging of their respective C-47's with the equipment bundles underneath the planes. On the afternoon of June 4th, Fulom and his comrades began the task of gearing up for the jump into battle, Because of the extreme weight of their equipment the men laid on the tarmac next to their respective C-47s . After being on the tarmac for some time the men got word that the operation was postponed. In the late night hours of June 5th Fullom geared up once again and boarded his C-47 . At 10 minutes to midnight the plane lumbered into the sky to its V formation slot, the formation turning to the southwest over the town of Bristol and onward south over the English Channel, observing an enormous armada of ships bound for Normandy. At approximately 2:30am T/4 Fullom made his jump into Normandy and landed somewhere near the village of St Mere Eglise. The whereabouts and battlefield experience of T/4 Fullom is not known between June 6th and June 14th or 15th . T/4 Fullom was designated killed in action on June 15, 1944. Research shows the T/4 Fullom may have been killed near the village of La Bonneville, Normandy, France most likely on June 14th. On June 20th, 1944 T/4 Fullom was temporarily interred at the VII Corps Cemetery, St Mere Eglise #1 at Row 6 Plot F Grave 113 marked by a cross. T/4 Fullom was re-interred at the Normandy American Cemetery, Colleville Sur Mer, Normandy, France on February 26, 1949 at Plot F Row 9 Grave 30, marked by a cross. T/4 Fullom served in the United States Army for 2 years 3 months 20 days. T/4 Fullom was awarded The Purple Heart Medal, The Croix de Guerre Unit Citation [French], the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal [with bronze star and arrowhead], the World War Two Victory Medal, the World War Two Honorable Service Lapel Button, the Parachute Badge, the Combat Infantryman Badge, Good Conduct Medal and the Presidential Distinguished Unit Emblem.