User:Parkerfourney

Eugene Fourney was an American fighter pilot in World War II from March 8, 1943- January 2, 1946. Fourney was a First Lieutenant in the 315th Fighter Squadron, Air Corps helping the allied forces defeat the axis powers in France for most of the war1.

Fourney was 17 years old when the war started. On March 8, 1943, he was called to active duty and was ordered to report to Fort Thomas Kentucky where he filled out paperwork and began his military service. From there he was transported to San Antonio, Texas at Brooks Air Force Base for further processing. Here he received his clothes and started his Cadet training, the training was harsh and only very few men were qualified enough to move on to the next station of training in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, here is where he would start flying real airplanes. After this training he was ordered to go to Independence, Kansas for Basic Training, where he would learn to fly relying solely on the instruments of the airplane. After Kansas he would head to Victoria, Texas for advanced pilot training with much more intense flying conditions.

He graduated from pilot training on January 6, 1944, and went on to the Panama Canal waiting to report for duty. January 5, 1945, Fourney left the United States to go to the European Theater of Operations (ETO) aboard the Queen Elizabeth, one of the fastest ships in the world at that time. His ship arrived in Great Britain, and he made his way to the airbase for his flight to Nancy, France. In France this is where he spent most of his war time efforts participating in bombing runs and combat missions risking his life for his country each day.

Shortly after VE day (Victory in Europe) Fourney was ordered to move to Stuttgart, Germany, the same airfield that he had been bombing day after day for months straight as he and other pilots would have German aircraft landing to surrender. When he had heard that Japan had surrendered on VJ day (Victory in Japan) his job was done and soon he would be on his way back home. He and his entire fighter group were loaded in trucks and taken to Antwerp, Belgium where they were put on USS Sheepshead Bay and headed home. He docked in New York and was taken to Fort George Meade Discharge Center.