Singleton and Related Genealogy Pages
A history of many families.
1933 - 2023 (89 years)| Name | Robert Donald “Bob” FISETTE [3, 4, 5, 6] | |
| Prefix | US Army Sgt 1st Class Retired | |
| Birth | 12 Dec 1933 | Rayne, Louisiana  [6] |
| Gender | Male | |
| HIST | Robert D. must be Jack Edward Fisette’s brother. Therefore Robert’s middle name is Donald and is married to Clara. jkh Bronze Star, Purple Heart Army honors philanthropist for valor in Vietnam War Fort Jackson Commanding General Roger L. Cloutier, left, speaks to Purple Heart and Bronze Star of Valor recipient Robert D. Fisette during the award ceremony and graduation on Thursday at Fort Jackson. JACK OSTEEN / THE SUMTER ITEM Posted Friday, November 13, 2015 6:00 am BY JACK OSTEEN JACK@THEITEM.COM Robert D. "Bob" Fisette's time to be recognized as a war hero finally came. Forty-five years and a day later, Fisette was presented Thursday with the Bronze Star for Valor for his action in Vietnam on Nov. 11, 1970, during a ceremony at the U.S. Army Basic Combat Training Graduation at Fort Jackson in Columbia. Additionally, Fisette also received the Purple Heart for the wounds he sustained in combat on Jan. 17, 1971, in Vietnam. Now 81, Fisette said his hand has healed nicely from the shrapnel that hit him during combat. "It felt like being hit by a dart and when I looked down, I had a hole in my hand," he said. Known to many in the community as a humble man who gives generously to many charities including private and public schools, various veterans charities and The Sumter Item's own Fireside Fund, Fisette's wife Claire was the driving force behind making it all happen for her husband. She said she worked more than a year to make the day happen and couldn't be happier for Bob. With all five of his children in town for the ceremony from as far away as Louisiana and Indiana, Fisette clearly was even more humbled than normal by receiving this award. A man of few words, Fisette chose not to speak but seemed to enjoy the attention the beautiful fall day had brought him. Wilson Hall School Headmaster Fred Moulton, who has known Fisette for nearly 20 years, attended the ceremony. "Bob is a remarkable man in many ways and such a good friend to the Sumter Community," he said. The keynote speaker for the ceremony was Fort Jackson Post Command Sgt. Maj. William D. Hain. He spoke of Thursday's 1,200 graduates being much like Fisette in that they are clearly there "for the warriors to your left and your right," he said. "Team gets you to the end. "More importantly who I am is what I am. I'm an American Soldier," Hain told the crowd of more than 2,000 people. After Fisette's story of heroism and achievement, he received a standing ovation from the crowd for his service during the Vietnam War. A helping hand for veterans: Creech Roddey Watson Insurance agency cleans yards of 2 Sumter veterans on Thursday William Gaymon, a retired sergeant from the National Guard, speaks with Creech Roddey Watson Insurance agency staff members who helped clean his yard on Thursday. KAREEM WILSON / THE SUMTER ITEM Posted Friday, May 21, 2021 6:00 am BY KAREEM WILSON kareem@theitem.com Veterans Robert “Bob” Fisette and William Gaymon received a huge surprise as members from the Creech Roddey Watson Insurance agency arrived Thursday morning and afternoon with rakes and leaf blowers to clean these veterans’ yards. The CRW agency chose to honor these two veterans with a yard cleaning project for their dedication and service to their country. Stacy Spurling, senior account manager at CRW and coordinator of the event, said the agency wanted to do a project for veterans before Memorial Day as part of the agency’s community outreach group quarterly projects. Wanting to help two veterans at their homes, Spurling contacted Valerie Brunson, director of Veterans Affairs in Sumter, to arrange for her team to go to these veterans' homes to spruce up the yards. "What they've done for us — this is minimal for what we can do for them," Spurling said. Both veterans have a long resume of service. Retired Sgt. 1st Class Bob Fisette joined the U.S. Army when he was 16 years old and became an Airborne ranger at Fort Campbell in Kentucky. During his time in the military, he went to Germany for three years, deployed to Alaska for two years, was a drill instructor and was shipped off to the jungles of Southeast Asia for a combat tour in Korea and two in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. His time in the unit was a great and enjoyable experience for him, Fisette said. "In the Airborne, I did about 820 jumps that includes skydiving with the Army team, and we went to Denver to put on a demonstration for the Air Force Academy," he recalls. "We put on a demonstration out there for quite a big crowd." Fisette retired after 22 years of service in May 1974 out of Fort Jackson and spent time in Columbia before settling in Sumter. In 2015, he received a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star Medal for Valor at Fort Jackson in Columbia. Because of exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam, Fisette developed diabetes that led to his leg being amputated. However, that doesn't bring him down, as the 87-year-old Purple Heart recipient and veteran now enjoys his quiet days in Sumter with his wife, Clara. Gaymon, the other recipient of the agency's cleanup project, expressed his gratitude and shared some of his backstory. The 60-year-old retired sergeant attended Central Carolina Technical College, and after graduating, he first joined the Army, then the National Guard. He served in the National Guard for 12 years before retiring in 1996. Since leaving the service, he has worked for Helping Youth Pursue Excellence, or HYPE, an after-school program, for five years with Director Barney Gadson and at the North HOPE Center in Sumter. The 60-year-old retiree acknowledges the hard work these volunteers are doing for him, especially since Gaymon is disabled, which prevents him from working in his yard like he wants to. For volunteers to clean up around his house when he is unable to is a blessing for him and other veterans who have similar issues. “It means a whole lot to me,” he said. “They didn’t have to do this, but they’re taking time out of their schedule to come do this, and me and my family really appreciate this.” Both veterans expressed their gratitude toward Brunson and the agency for showing them appreciation and helping these disabled veterans in the community. ROBERT DONALD FISETTE Posted Tuesday, May 2, 2023 6:00 am Retired U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Robert Donald Fisette, 89, husband of Clara Vivian McMichael Fisette, died on Saturday, April 29, 2023, at his home. Born in Rayne, Louisiana, he was a son of the late Joseph Lee Fisette and Navy Lantia Fisette. Sgt. 1st Class Robert Fisette served as a paratrooper in the U.S. Army for 22 years. He served one combat tour in Korea, two combat tours in Vietnam and two tours in Alaska, among various other places. As a paratrooper, he had more than 800 jumps in his career and also earned more than 26 medals, including the Purple Heart, Bronze Star for Valor, Vietnam Service Medal and Expert Infantryman Badge, just to name a few. Mr. Fisette retired from the U.S. Army on June 1, 1974. After his military career, he received a PhD in psychology and retired from Lowe's. He enjoyed visiting his family the most, supporting his community, traveling and fishing. In addition to his wife, he is survived by four daughters, Ruth Inez Powell (Richard) of Iowa, Louisiana, Carol Baccigalopi of Iowa, Louisiana, Marijo Cole (Joseph) of Jeffersonville, Indiana, and Margaret Theriot (Albert) of Iowa, Louisiana; one son, Patrick Bourque (Leisha) of Sulphur, Louisiana; 16 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his first wife, Nancy Smith Fisette; and two brothers, Lee Fisette and Jack Fisette. A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday at Fort Jackson National Cemetery with full military honors. Family and friends are invited to a reception at the Purple Heart Facility, 529 N. Wise Drive, Sumter, at 1:30 p.m. following the service at Fort Jackson National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, 4899 Belfort Road, Suite 300, Jacksonville, FL 32256 or to Purple Heart Veterans Association, P.O. Box 3381, Sumter, SC 29151. Online condolences may be sent to www.sumterfunerals.com. Elmore Hill McCreight Funeral Home & Crematory, 221 Broad St., Sumter, is in charge of the arrangements, (803) 775-9386. [1, 2, 6, 7] | |
| MILI | He served as a paratrooper in the U.S. Army for 22 years. He served one combat tour in Korea, two combat tours in Vietnam and two tours in Alaska, among various other places. As a paratrooper, he had more than 800 jumps in his career and also earned more than 26 medals, including the Purple Heart, Bronze Star for Valor, Vietnam Service Medal and Expert Infantryman Badge, just to name a few. He retired from the U.S. Army on June 1, 1974. [2] | |
| _UID | 260D8FD136BF45A3836DE6DCED9463818736 | |
| Death | 29 Apr 2023 | at his home, (Sumter, Sumter County, South Carolina) |
| Burial | 3 May 2023 | Fort Jackson National Cemetery, 4170 Percival Road, Fort Jackson, Columbia, Richland County, South Carolina [2] |
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| Person ID | I102440 | Singleton and Related Families |
| Last Modified | 25 Jul 2024 | |
| Father | Lee Earl or Joseph Lee FISETTE d. Bef 29 Apr 2023 | |
| Mother | Navy /LANTA LANTIA d. Bef 29 Apr 2023 | |
| _UID | D5DB6378138D401D9FA8FD876003EAA64643 | |
| _UID | D5DB6378138D401D9FA8FD876003EAA64643 | |
| Family ID | F223703 | Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Family 1 | Nancy SMITH | |
| _UID | 4FA71C76C594437CAA37D1394C375F33A06B | |
| _UID | 4FA71C76C594437CAA37D1394C375F33A06B | |
| Family ID | F227422 | Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Last Modified | 5 May 2023 | |
| Family 2 | Living | |||||||||||
| Children |
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| Family ID | F70897 | Group Sheet | Family Chart | ||||||||||
| Last Modified | 5 May 2023 | |||||||||||
| Family 3 | Clara Vivian McMICHAEL | |
| _UID | 9596258594A64902B4CA40C7306C52D4A1E4 | |
| _UID | 9596258594A64902B4CA40C7306C52D4A1E4 | |
| Family ID | F227424 | Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Last Modified | 5 May 2023 | |
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