Wolverton, Robert Lee “Bull”.

Wolverton, Robert Lee “Bull”, born 05-10-1914, in Elkins, Randolph County, West Virginia, USA, to Wayne Jay “W.J.” Wolverton Sr (1882-1960) and his wife Hattie Morgan, born Sharp, Wolverton. (1887-1976). His father worked as a clerk and his mother spent her days raising the four Wolverton children

Robert grew up with one older sister, Ruth Maxine Wolverton (married name: Withers; 1912-1961). His younger siblings were Wayne Jay Wolverton Jr. (1918-1990) and Cornelia Wolverton (married name: Moler; 1922-2002). He graduated from Elkins High School and, as the first appointee of then-Representative Jennings Randolph, attended the United States Military Academy, from which he graduated in 1938. That same year, he married Leila Kathleen (“Kay”) Goodwin (1913-1998).

The Wolverton brothers. Top left to right- Laurence, William, Lloyd, Benjamin. Bottom left to right- Wayne (Robert’s father) and Howard. Sisters Mary and Ada are not in the photograph.

The 1940 Federal Census shows the young second lieutenant, now aged 25, living in Wahiawa, Honolulu, Hawaii, with Kathleen.   They later had a son, Loch.

Mrs Leila Kathleen “Kay” Goodwin Andersonborn 13-10-1913 in Elkins, Randolph County, West Virginia, USA, She died 02-02-1998 (lage 84) in Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, USA

After his West Point graduation, Robert Wolverton was on a straight and narrow path to becoming a leader of paratroopers. He was stationed at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii for two years and served for a time with the 9th Airborne Division    , at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Transferring to Fort Benning, Georgia, where he attended a paratroop school, he was one of 18 officers of a class of 97 who qualified for such service.

Before the Normandy Landing the men were called together, and they stood in an orchard on either side of a low earthen mound which fenced the fields. Upon the earthen hedgerow stood Lieutenant Colonel  Robert Lee Wolverton, commanding officer of 3rd battalion, 506th PIR. under command of Lieutenant General Robert Frederick Sink, “Bounding Bob”   of the 101 Airborne Division  under command of General Maxwell Davenport Taylor. And the colonel said:”Men, I am not a religious man and I don’t know your feelings in this matter, but I am going to ask you to pray with me for the success of the mission before us. And while we pray, let us get on our knees and not look down but up with faces raised to the sky so that we can see God and ask his blessing in what we are about to do.”God almighty, in a few short hours we will be in battle with the enemy. We do not join battle afraid. We do not ask favors or indulgence but ask that, if You will, use us as Your instrument for the right and an aid in returning peace to the world.”We do not know or seek what our fate will be. We ask only this, that if die we must, that we die as men would die, without complaining, without pleading and safe in the feeling that we have done our best for what we believed was right.”Oh Lord, protect our loved ones and be near us in the fire ahead and with us now as we pray to you.”All were silent for two minutes as the men were left, each with his individual thoughts

. Then the colonel ordered, “Move out.”

Death and burial ground of Wolverton, Robert Lee “Bull”.

Serial 16, Stick #1 (the soldiers aboard the C-47 “Stoy Hora” who jumped with LTC Wolverton) suffered very heavy casualties on D-Day, as they were dropped over a strongly defended area just outside of Saint-Côme-du-Mont.

A few hours after his praying, “Bull” Wolverton, age 29, on 06-06-1944 was killed by German machine gun fire in an orchard outside St. Come-du-Mont, Normandy, France. Of his D-Day parachute jump, it is known that Lieutenant Colonel Robert Wolverton’s parachute canopy snagged in the limbs of an apple tree, leaving him to dangle helplessly only a few feet from the ground. As he struggled to free himself from his harness, he was machine gunned to death by German troops, who later used him for target and bayonet practice. It is written that when Colonel Wolverton’s body was recovered by American soldiers, the beloved commander of the 3/506 had over 150 bullet holes and bayonet wounds in his body.

Robert’s remains were eventually recovered and sent back to the United States. He was buried with full honors in the cemetery of his beloved alma mater: the United States Military Academy at West Point. Robert was awarded the Legion of Merit posthumously. On 10-11-1946, the award was officially presented to Mrs. Kathleen Wolverton by Major General Maxwell Davenport Taylor.

Robert’s regimental commander, Colonel Robert Frederick Sink wrote about him: “He was loved sincerely by all of his men and officers. I consider him the best battalion commander in the regiment, and I am sure that General Taylor ranked him similarly within the division. He was a fine person.”

Bull is buried at United States Military Academy Post Cemetery West Point, Orange County, New York, VS, Section VII Row A Site 54.

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