Decorated veteran humble, friend says
An Arkansas Democrat-Gazette article by casey munck
James R. Fuller never flaunted his military accomplishments.
Fuller didn't boast about his highly decorated service career, despite earning two Silver Star
Medals and six Bronze Star Medals with clusters during his ~ 22 years with the U.S. Army.
Though he could have attached the decorations to his daily uniform, Fuller only pulled out his
colorful ribbons and medals for special occasions.
"I knew the man. He was one of the more decorated soldiers in Arkansas," said Bob Williams,
a ' spokesman with the 90th Regional Readiness Command for the U.S. Army Reserve.
Fuller shocked Williams one day, wearing the medals and ribbons on his uniform, because
Fuller had never said anything about them before. "I thought, 'good gosh!"'
Williams said. "You never would've expected it. He was extremely humble."
Fuller, of Benton, died Monday of congestive heart failure at Baptist Health Medical Center in
Little Rock. He was 69.
During his service, Fuller was a master airborne paratrooper, a battalion commander of four
companies in Fort Polk, La., and a senior army advisor for the 90th, Williams said.
He graduated from Hope High School mid later Oklahoma State University, where he was
active in ROTC. At 22, Fuller entered the Army as a second lieutenant. He served 13 months
in the Korean War and two tours in Vietnam, Williams said.
In a rare letter to his parents, Fuller wrote about escaping death after hunkering in a foxhole
that was almost bombed by the U.S. Air Force, said his sister, who found the document after
digging through an old box of papers. Fuller was in the foxhole communicating by radio where
to bomb when he realized the target he offered was his hide-out. Fuller was ready to die for his
country, but his fellow soldiers came to his rescue, his sister said ."He said he didn't have a
chance," his sister said.
Fuller retired as a colonel with disability from the military in 1979 when his knees and legs
began to give out after years of jumping out of airplanes, his sister said. After leaving the
military, Fuller flipped the channel or put down books with any blood or gore, his sister said.
"He refused to watch anything violent on TV," his sister said. "He saw enough in his own life:'
After leaving the military, Fuller worked five years as head of security for Falcon jet in little
Rock
Fuller was a good boss and an even better friend to those who worked under him, said Bill
Hood, who worked with Fuller at Falcon jet ."He was an honest fellow," Hood said. "He never
bawled anybody out:' Fuller liked to sit around and shoot the breeze with other security guards.
If the guards' conversations got heated, Fuller wouldn't argue, Hood said. "He had a little
temper, but he could control it," Hood said. "He had a wonderful personality. Everybody liked
it."
Fuller frequently brought in home-cooked Cajun food to the guards. Fuller spiced the gumbo
the way he liked it - with a fiery kick. "His food tasted good, but I guarantee he believed in it
being hot," Hood said. "It was too hot for me. I had to cool it."
He left Falcon jet when his old military injuries began bothering him, his sister said.
Fuller tended a garden of tomatoes, okra and other vegetables in the back yard of his Benton
home and sold his crop at farmer's markets. What Fuller didn't sell, he gave away. He
frequently brought purple hull peas to shuttle drivers and nurses at the veteran’s hospital, his
sister said. When his old military injuries flared up, Fuller delivered vegetables on a lawnmower
to his neighbor’s doorsteps. And he never forgot to give some of what he grew to his friends,
Hood said. "He brought some to my house, " Hood said. "He was a wonderful guy. The best
friend I ever had."
An Arkansas Democrat-Gazette article by casey munck
James R. Fuller never flaunted his military accomplishments.
Fuller didn't boast about his highly decorated service career, despite earning two Silver Star
Medals and six Bronze Star Medals with clusters during his ~ 22 years with the U.S. Army.
Though he could have attached the decorations to his daily uniform, Fuller only pulled out his
colorful ribbons and medals for special occasions.
"I knew the man. He was one of the more decorated soldiers in Arkansas," said Bob Williams,
a ' spokesman with the 90th Regional Readiness Command for the U.S. Army Reserve.
Fuller shocked Williams one day, wearing the medals and ribbons on his uniform, because
Fuller had never said anything about them before. "I thought, 'good gosh!"'
Williams said. "You never would've expected it. He was extremely humble."
Fuller, of Benton, died Monday of congestive heart failure at Baptist Health Medical Center in
Little Rock. He was 69.
During his service, Fuller was a master airborne paratrooper, a battalion commander of four
companies in Fort Polk, La., and a senior army advisor for the 90th, Williams said.
He graduated from Hope High School mid later Oklahoma State University, where he was
active in ROTC. At 22, Fuller entered the Army as a second lieutenant. He served 13 months
in the Korean War and two tours in Vietnam, Williams said.
In a rare letter to his parents, Fuller wrote about escaping death after hunkering in a foxhole
that was almost bombed by the U.S. Air Force, said his sister, who found the document after
digging through an old box of papers. Fuller was in the foxhole communicating by radio where
to bomb when he realized the target he offered was his hide-out. Fuller was ready to die for his
country, but his fellow soldiers came to his rescue, his sister said ."He said he didn't have a
chance," his sister said.
Fuller retired as a colonel with disability from the military in 1979 when his knees and legs
began to give out after years of jumping out of airplanes, his sister said. After leaving the
military, Fuller flipped the channel or put down books with any blood or gore, his sister said.
"He refused to watch anything violent on TV," his sister said. "He saw enough in his own life:'
After leaving the military, Fuller worked five years as head of security for Falcon jet in little
Rock
Fuller was a good boss and an even better friend to those who worked under him, said Bill
Hood, who worked with Fuller at Falcon jet ."He was an honest fellow," Hood said. "He never
bawled anybody out:' Fuller liked to sit around and shoot the breeze with other security guards.
If the guards' conversations got heated, Fuller wouldn't argue, Hood said. "He had a little
temper, but he could control it," Hood said. "He had a wonderful personality. Everybody liked
it."
Fuller frequently brought in home-cooked Cajun food to the guards. Fuller spiced the gumbo
the way he liked it - with a fiery kick. "His food tasted good, but I guarantee he believed in it
being hot," Hood said. "It was too hot for me. I had to cool it."
He left Falcon jet when his old military injuries began bothering him, his sister said.
Fuller tended a garden of tomatoes, okra and other vegetables in the back yard of his Benton
home and sold his crop at farmer's markets. What Fuller didn't sell, he gave away. He
frequently brought purple hull peas to shuttle drivers and nurses at the veteran’s hospital, his
sister said. When his old military injuries flared up, Fuller delivered vegetables on a lawnmower
to his neighbor’s doorsteps. And he never forgot to give some of what he grew to his friends,
Hood said. "He brought some to my house, " Hood said. "He was a wonderful guy. The best
friend I ever had."
