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James E. Fuller
Private
C CO, 2ND BN, 327TH INFANTRY, 101ST ABN DIV, USARV Army of the United States Evanston, Illinois March 26, 1947 to June 22, 1966 JAMES E FULLER is on the Wall at Panel 8E, Line 74 |
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REMEMBEREDby his sister,Rose M. Fuller E-mail address is not available. |
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I miss the fact that I did not get to see you grow up into the man you would have been. I think of you often. You are so dearly missed.
Love forever from your Aunt Cathy (Verne) |
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Though we never spoke, I remember you. You were one of the cool guys that I admired. The last time that I saw you, you visited the high school in your crisp new uniform with spit-shined shoes. You were surrounded by all the beautiful and popular girls. At that moment, you had the world in your hands. The war raged and continued. I served ten years myself. When I visited "The Wall," I cried for you. And each Memorial Say, I drink a salute to you. Though we never spoke, I'd just like to say "Thanks".
Stewart White, Jr. |
A Note from The Virtual WallQL-1, the main highway from Saigon to Hanoi, mostly runs along the coastal plain - but in some places mountains get in the way. Tuy An is one of those places; large hill masses crowd down to the sea, isolating the valleys to the west of the hills. The Special Forces base at Dong Tre was only about 18 kilometers (12 miles) due west of Tuy An, but getting from Tuy An to Dong Tre requires going around one sprawling mountain and through a pass between two others. The SF camp had been subjected to intermittent attacks during the spring of 1966 and intelligence reports indicated there were perhaps two VC battalions holed up in the hills between Tuy An and Dong Tre. In the third week of June 1966 two companies of the 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry were inserted mid-way along the Tuy An-Dong Tre road on a search-and-destroy mission.Alpha 2/327 was given the eastermost insertion point, about 11 KM east-southeast of Dong Tre, while Charlie 2/327 was inserted in the pass about 8 KM east of Dong Tre. The plan was that Alpha 2/327 would move northwestward to the road, then west along it until the two companies were joined. While Alpha swept the area, Charlie was to move northwards up the slope of Hill 258, the southern peak of a large hill mass. Both companies were inserted without opposition on 18 June. They established night defensive positions, with Alpha 2/327 planning to begin their movement toward Charlie on the 19th and Charlie planning their move up Hill 258. As Alpha began their move northwest on the morning of the 19th they could hear sporadic gunfire from the pass area. As the day wore on, it became apparent the VC were going to oppose Charlie's move up Hill 258. Towards nightfall both companies were ordered to establish NDPs. On the 20th, Charlie began an early move up Hill 258 - and found themselves in trouble with dug-in VC troops. Alpha was directed to speed up their movement toward Charlie and did so, arriving at an abandoned hamlet called Trung Luong at about noon - just about 2 kilometers east of Charlie's company base in the pass. As Alpha 2/327 was moving into the hamlet they were taken under attack by enemy troops. Radio traffic on the battalion net made it clear that Charlie 2/327 was taking a pounding on Hill 258 - and Alpha no longer was in a position to help them. Bravo Company 2/327 tried an insertion on the Hill 258 crest but heavy antiaircraft fire forced the helos to deposit the infantrymen further to the west than planned. Charlie Company was directed to reverse course and make for their company base in the pass. With both Bravo and Charlie off the VC-infested areas of Hill 258 supporting fires - air and artillery - could be brought to bear. Seventeen US soldiers from A, B, and C Companies died in the fighting on 20 June, Private Fuller among them. At about 7:30 PM reinforcements arrived in the form of two companies from the 1st Bn, 8th Cavalry which were inserted - without opposition - on the crest of Hill 258 ... the VC had withdrawn from their positions. Although the cavalrymen were able to join up with the paratroopers, 2/327 wasn't out of trouble. VC attacks on 21 and 22 June against 2/327 positions in the pass resulted in 14 more dead - and it was no consolation to know that the VC losses were far greater. The 31 men from 2nd Bn, 327th Infantry who died in the fighting around Trung Luong between 20 and 22 were
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