Carlton W. Fulford

Background

Carlton William Fulford Jr. was born on May 11, 1944, in Newnan, Georgia. Newnan became the county seat of Coweta County in 1828, when the town replaced the defunct community of Bullsboro, and it lies about 40 miles southwest of Atlanta. Coweta County had been created in 1825, and the town was named for General Daniel Newnan, a Revolutionary War figure who was Georgia's Secretary of State when the county was formed.

Before entering the United States Naval Academy, Fulford came from Millen, Georgia. His path from a small Georgia community to a national service academy marked the start of a career that would span more than three decades in the Marine Corps.

Education

Fulford graduated from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, in June 1966. Founded in 1845 to train officers for the United States Navy, the Academy combined professional naval instruction with academic study. At the Academy he earned a varsity letter in 150-pound football, helped establish rugby as a permanent sport, and served as 20th Company Winter Set Commander during his first-class year.

Fulford later earned a Master of Science degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1973. Founded in 1824 in Troy, New York, Rensselaer was among the earliest American institutions devoted to engineering and applied science.

His professional military education included The Basic School at Marine Corps Base Quantico, the Infantry Officers Advanced Course, the Command and Staff College, and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. The Basic School trains newly commissioned Marine officers in infantry leadership and fundamentals. The Command and Staff College is a professional military school for officers preparing for senior staff and command responsibilities. The Industrial College was founded in 1924 as the Army Industrial College to train officers in procurement and wartime mobilization. It was reconstituted as the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in 1946, moved to Fort McNair in Washington, and offered a ten-month program for selected high-potential officers.

Career

Fulford was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps after graduating from the Naval Academy in 1966. Marine Corps officers of his generation typically began with The Basic School, and after that training he was assigned as a platoon commander with Company D, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, in the Republic of Vietnam. He was promoted to first lieutenant in October 1967 and was then reassigned as commanding officer of Company F, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, which he led during the 1968 Tet Offensive until returning from Vietnam in June 1968.

He was then assigned to the Naval Academy Preparatory School at Bainbridge, Maryland, where he served as company commander from 1968 to 1969. The school prepares candidates for admission to the Naval Academy. Later he worked as a management engineer at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, from 1973 to 1976.

His Fleet Marine Force assignments included command of Company E, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines (1971–1972), executive officer of 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines (1979–1980), and G-3 training officer for the 2nd Marine Division (1980–1981). He then commanded 1st Battalion, 8th Marines (1981–1982). His regimental commands included the 2d, 4th, 5th, 7th, and 8th Marines.

From 1989 to 1991 he commanded 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, and during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm he commanded Regimental Combat Team 7, known as Task Force Ripper. The task force was built around the 7th Marine Regiment within the 1st Marine Division, the ground combat element of I Marine Expeditionary Force, which responded to Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait. He later commanded the 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade and the Landing Force Training Command, Atlantic, in 1991 and 1992, and directed the Training and Education Division of the Marine Corps Combat Development Command from 1992 to 1994.

In 1994 and 1995 he commanded Marine Corps Bases, Japan, and III Marine Expeditionary Force. He then served as vice director of The Joint Staff from 1995 to 1996 and commanded I Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton, California, from 1996 to 1999. The Joint Staff supports the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Fulford was its director from 1999 to 2000. He then served as Deputy Commander in Chief of the United States European Command from 2000 to 2002, after commanding Marine Corps Forces Pacific. He retired from the Marine Corps in 2002.

Personality

Quotes from others about the person

• The citation for Fulford's 1967 Silver Star described him as an inspiration to all who served with him. A later Legion of Merit citation credited his superior performance as a colonel with helping develop a combat-ready Marine air-ground task force.

Connections

Fulford married Mary Ann Fulford, and the couple had three children: Rob, Ann Fulford Kempson, and Andy. Wikipedia identifies Lieutenant General Robert C. Fulford as Fulford's son. Robert C. Fulford was commissioned in 1992 after graduating from the Naval Academy and has commanded II Marine Expeditionary Force.

Spouse:

Mary Ann Fulford

child:

Ann Fulford Kempson Fulford

child:

Andy Fulford

Son:

Rob Fulford

Lieutenant General Robert C. Fulford, a Marine Corps officer commissioned in 1992 after graduating from the United States Naval Academy, who has commanded II Marine Expeditionary Force.

References

• Carlton W. Fulford Jr. Encyclopedia article covering Fulford's birth in Newnan, his Naval Academy graduation and Marine Corps commands, and his service as Deputy Commander in Chief, United States European Command.
• Military Hall of Honor Honoree record giving Fulford's birth date and birthplace, his 1966 commission, his Vietnam and Gulf War service, his assignments, and his 2002 retirement.
• Hall of Valor Military Times award database entry containing citations for Fulford's Silver Star, Legion of Merit, and Defense Distinguished Service Medal.
• Naval Academy alumni profile, Class of 1966 Alumni profile of Fulford covering his years at the Naval Academy, his graduate education, and his command and joint assignments.