World War II Honoree

Kasper Ferber Fulghum

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Augusta, Georgia

Honored By

Roseann Fulghum Blacher

Relationship

Daughter

FIRST SERGEANT. ORGANIZED UNDER THE COMMAND OF CAPTAIN RICHARD ALLEN MAYOR; BATTERY A, 214TH COAST ARTILLERY ANTI AIRCRAFT GEORGIA NATIONAL GUARD. INDUCTED ON NOVEMBER 24, 1940 UNDER COMMAND OF CAPTAIN RODNEY S. COHEN, JR. MOBILIZED 212 MEN ON NOVEMBER 28, 1940 TO SERVE 1 YEAR ACTIVE DUTY BUT SERVED FOR 1 YEAR IN CAMP STEWART, GEORGIA. AFTER BEING ONE OF THE FIRST UNITS IN THE U.S. ARMY TO RECEIVE HIGHLY SECRETIVE TRAINING IN THE NEW RADAR SYSTEMS. THE UNIT RETURNED TO CAMP STEWART AFTER EXTENSIVE MANEUVERS IN NORTH CAROLINA, ON DECEMBER 2, 1941, EXPECTING TO BE DISCHARGED BACK TO CIVILIAN LIFE. ON DECEMBER 7, 1941 PEARL HARBOR WAS ATTACKED. THE UNIT WAS NOTIFIED THAT THEIR DEPLOYMENT WAS EXTENDED INDEFINITELY AND WAS SENT TO LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA TO SET UP RADAR DEFENSES FOR THE WEST COAST. AFTER 1 YEAR, SENT TO FORT DIX, NEW JERSEY ON TO ORAN IN NORTH AFRICA THEN TO TELERGMA, ALGERIA TO DEFEND ALLIED AIR FIELDS AND ATTACHED TO GENERAL GEORGE PATTON'S III CORPS. WITH DEPARTURE OF INVASION FLEET, RETURNED TO ALGIERS TO SET UP DEFENSES AROUND ALLIED HEADQUARTERS OF GENERALS EISENHOWER AND DEGAULLE. NEXT STOP, FOGGIA, ITALY TO DEFEND ALLIED AIRFIELDS ONCE AGAIN. WITH CESSATION OF AIR RAID THREATS, UNIT BEGAN INFANTRY TRAINING AS COMBAT ENGINEERS TROOPS AND DESIGNATED AS COMPANY A, 255TH ENGINEER COMBAT BATTALION. SPENT THE WINTER OF 1944 TO 1945 IN PORETTA, RIOLA AND VERGATO, SOUTH OF BOLOGNA BUILDING BAILEY BRIDGES, REPAIRING HIGHWAYS, CLEARING MINE FIELDS AND OPERATING A ROCK QUARRY IN ADVANCE OF THE LAST BIG SPRING OFFENSIVE IN THE PO VALLEY TO THE NORTHERN BORDERS OF ITALY. THIS COMPANY RECEIVED SIX BRONZE BATTLE STARS DENOTING PARTICIPATION IN SIX MAJOR BATTLES.