6/20/1917 – 12/19/2007
Branch: Army WWII
Outfit: 35th Division Missouri National Guard, A Staff Sargant in WWII 4th Infantry Division, D-Day Utah Beach, Bronze Star, Purple Heart 10th of June in France Battle of The Hedge Rows.
Service Dates: 1941 – 1945
Story uploaded: 2007 /updated: Sunday August 17, 2025
POW, 2 Purple Hearts, 2 Bronze Stars in WWII. General Patton”s 3rd Army. Battle Of The Hedge Rows, CPL, Rifleman
Story uploaded: 2008 /modified: Tuesday April 8, 2025
Keith Norwood Bullock 6/17/1943 – 11/9/1945
Service Dates: – Only child of Frank and Sara Fisher Bullock. Graduated Kalamazoo Central High School in June 1943; drafted ten days later; Ft. Custer; Ft. Hood-Tank Destroyer School; Camp Butner-Mountain Climbing School in WV; MOS “Scout” 761; 35th Div, 137th Regiment; HQ Company 2Bn, S2 section. Depart US 5/12/44; Omaha Beach 7/4/44; Normandy Invasion; Hedgerows; St. Lo 7/18/44; Patton’s 3rd Army 8/1/44; France, Luxembourg; Belgium; Holland; Germany; 1,600 combat miles; numerous bitter attacks; Vire River, Mortain, Orleans, Sens, Montargis, Troy, Moselle River, Nancy, Gremercy Forest, Sarreguemines, Blies River, Bastogne, Villers-la-Bonne-Eau, lower Vosges, Roer River, Venlo, Wesel, Ruhr River, Rhine River, halt at Elbe River; occupy Hanover. Five Campaigns: Normandy; Northern France; Ardennes; Rhineland; Central Europe. Indomitable spirit in most bitter mud, rain, extreme snow and cold. 35th Div casualties 180%; Honorable Discharge 11/9/45. Return to Boston – Big Welcome Home.
Story uploaded 2007/updated: Wednesday February 19. 2025
10/8/1919 – 2/28/1988
Branch: Army
Rank: Tech 5
Unit: 997th Field Artillery Battalion
Service Dates: 1942 – 1945
Veteran Station: Normandy to Central Europe
Home County: Franklin
Home City: Pomona and Ottawa, KS
Enlisted
Medals: Good Conduct, ETO, WWII Victory, Combat, 5 Campaign Bronze Stars
Conflicts/Significant Events: Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes, Rhine
Story uploaded/modified: 2009/Feb 9, 2021
Ralph was inducted in Fort Leavenworth March 2, 1942, and became a member of the 997th when it was organized March 1, 1943 in Fort Ord California.
They moved 50 times between March 1st, 1943 and November 1st 1945.
33 moves during their time in combat and 4 moves during the liberation following VE day.
While in combat in the European Theatre of Operations the 997th fired 40,744 rounds which totaled 9,900,306 lbs or 4,950 tons of ammunition. It would have required almost 2000 trucks loaded to capacity to haul this amount of ammunition.
The 997th participated in the Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes (aka as the battle of the bulge), Rhineland, and Central Europe Campaigns.
From what I have learned in researching the history of the 997th from the Battalion Historian, WWII maps, my dads discharge papers, and books/articles on the battles now known as famous battles; my dad and his battalion played a part in history that changed the world.
From:
1. Landing at Omaha Beach to reinforce the D-Day troops.
2. The battle for hill 192.
3. The battle of the hedge rows.
4. The battle for St. Lo..
5. Versailles/Paris.
6. The Ardennes Forest in Belgium (later known as the Battle of the Bulge).
7. Followed by crossing the Rhine. (See Image about 4/1/1945)
8. Finally when firing missions were over they provided security and helped capture enemy soldiers, and control the migration of former POWs and displaced citizens.
This is only a brief summary, more details will be added to flesh out very interesting details about what this battalion witnessed, experienced and most all lived through.
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