X. L. Fulton
PFC X. L. Fulton was a Marine Corps aviator with VMSB-141 during the Guadalcanal campaign.
He was lost in a storm over the Solomon Islands on 13 November 1942.
Branch
Marine Corps Regular
Service Number 322526
Current Status
Remains Not Recovered
Pursuit Category
The DPAA has not publicized this information.
Capsule History
Pre-War Life
Birth
November 20, 1925
at Amarillo, TX
as Austin G. Rains, Jr.
Parents
Austin G. Rains
Cleo Hall (Rains) Fulton (d. 1945)
stepfather, Labon Burbank Fulton
Education
White Deer High School (ex-1943)
Occupation & Employer
High school student
Service Life
Entered Service
September 16, 1941
at Oklahoma City, OK
Home Of Record
821 South Carolina Street
Amarillo, TX
Next Of Kin
Parents, Labon & Cleo Fulton
Military Specialty
Aviation radioman / gunner
Primary Unit
VMSB-141
Campaigns Served
Solomon Islands / Guadalcanal
Individual Decorations
Purple Heart
Additional Service Details
—
Loss And Burial
Circumstances Of Loss
Sixteen-year-old X. L. Fulton enlisted in the Marine Corps in September 1941. After boot camp and stateside training as a in aviation, he was posted to overseas duty with VMSB-141, joining the squadron at Guadalcanal in early October 1942. As part of the “Cactus Air Force,” Fulton took part in numerous patrols and strikes on ground and sea targets in the Solomon Islands.
On 13 November 1942, American Army, Navy, and Marine pilots based on Guadalcanal attempted to finish off the Japanese battleship Hiei, crippled in a naval battle near Savo Island. The big ship attempted to steam north to safety while her crew worked desperately to repair her crippled steering mechanism; although hit numerous times, she stubbornly remained afloat. A final flight of Marine dive bombers departed Henderson Field late in the afternoon and flew through a rapidly developing storm to attack the Hiei‘s escorting ships. Among the fliers were Second Lieutenant Amedeo Sandretto and PFC Fulton in SBD-3 06572.
The storm grew so strong that the flight was scattered and only the leader, Major Joseph Sailer, Jr., was able to drop his bomb on the target. In the relatively short distance between Henderson Field and the Hiei, two bombers disappeared along with their crews. Sandretto and Fulton were never heard from again; both were declared dead on 19 February 1945.
Burial Information or Disposition
None; remains not recovered. Fulton was officially declared dead on 19 February 1945.
The wreck of Hiei was discovered by the R/V Petrel in 2019.
Memorials
Next Of Kin Address
Address of parents, Labon and Cleo Fulton.
The Fultons relocated to McAlester, Oklahoma, after X. L. entered the service.
Location Of Loss
SBD-3 #06572 was last seen entering bad weather near Savo Island.
