World War II Honoree

Adrian Nelson Forte

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Greenville, Ohio

Honored By

Donna Vogel

Relationship

Daughter

SERVED FROM JANUARY 1941 TO SEPTEMBER 1945. ENLISTED IN COMPANY 'M', 148TH INFANTRY, 37TH DIVISION, AND SPENT HIS FIRST YEAR IN TRAINING AS A RIFLE AND PISTOL MARKSMAN AT CAMP SHELBY, MISSISSIPPI. AFTER EMBARKING FROM SAN FRANCISCO IN MAY 1942, HE ARRIVED BY SHIP PRESIDENT COOLIDGE IN THE FIJI ISLANDS IN JUNE 1942. FOUGHT IN HIS FIRST ENGAGEMENT, THE WAR ON NEW GEORGIA ISLAND, AND HIS SECOND ON BOUGAINVILLE ISLAND, BOTH IN THE NORTHERN SOLOMON ISLANDS, NORTH OF AUSTRALIA. HE ADVANCED QUICKLY, MAKING THE RANK OF SERGEANT BY JUNE 1943. ARRIVED BACK IN SAN FRANCISCO FROM BOUGAINVILLE ISLAND BY SHIP PRESIDENT POLK IN JULY 1944. SERVED TWO YEARS OVERSEAS, AND TWO YEARS IN THE STATES. RECEIVED THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER RIBBON WITH ONE BRONZE STAR, THE AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL, A GOOD CONDUCT RIBBON, AND A COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE. HE WAS A SERGEANT IN SQUADRON 'A', 327TH ARMY AIR FORCE BASE UNIT WHEN HE MUSTERED OUT IN SEPTEMBER 1945.