Menu
  • Abous us
  • Search database
  • Resources
  • Donate
  • Faq

Lanier Fulton Pershing

Name:
Fulton Pershing Lanier
Rank:
First Lieutenant
Serial Number:
O-430592
Unit:
Air Transport Command
Date of Death:
1944-01-31
State:
North Carolina
Cemetery:
Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia
Plot:
Section 34
Row:
Grave:
1972
Decoration:
Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
Comments:

Fulton Pershing Lanier was born on November 30, 1917 in North Carolina. He resided in Harnett County, North Carolina prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on July 25, 1940, prior to the war, at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Farm Hand and also as Single, without dependents. Fulton served as a Captain and Pilot on C-87 #41-23862, India-China Wing, Air Transport Command, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

C-87 #41-23862 took off from Kunming, China on a Cargo Transport Mission to Jorhat, India. The C-87 was not heard from or seen again on January 31, 1944. Having actually gone "Missing" on the above date, he was not officially declared by the military as being dead until January 18, 1946. They were later found, in 1994, to have crashed, possibly due to icing weather, on a mountainside near Lhasa, China where they had been covered by snow and ice for many years. Fulton was first declared "Missing In Action" and his status was changed to "Killed In Action" once his remains were recovered. He is now buried in the Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia, USA in a common grave with his crew. It is unknown why the different date on the headstone in Arlington is shown. His name is permanently inscribed on the Walls of the Missing, Manila American Cemetery, Taguig City, Philippines. A "Rosette" was placed in front of his name at Manila to signify that his remains were recovered. He also has a cenotaph located in Harnett Memorial Park, Lillington, Harnett County, North Carolina.

CPT Fulton Lanier was one of over 2000 Americans who lost their lives defending China from their Japanese invaders from 1941-1945. He is also commemorated on the The Monument to the Aviation Martyrs in the War of Resistance Against Japan in Nanjing, China.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov