12th Army
              Group Shoulder PatchTechnician Fourth Grade Laurens R. Graham3187th Signal Service Battalion Distinctive
            Unit Insignia
 Repeaterman, Field (MOS 187)
Co. C, 3187th Signal Service Battalion (“Rambler”), 12th Army Group,

Images: Left to Right: 12th Army Group Shoulder Patch; 3187th Distinctive Unit Insignia
Graham

WWII Service: 19 November 1942 – 21 April 1946
7 May 1923 – 20 March 2006
Campaigns:

Rhineland, Central Europe


Awards:


Good Conduct Medal
American Campaign Medal
European/African/Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with two campaign stars
World War II Victory Medal
Occupation Medal – Germany

1938 – 41:   

Georgia Military Academy (GMA), graduate Class of ’40, completed post-graduate year (West Point prep course) 1941 but did not take West Point exam, accepted at Georgia Tech but unable to attend, enrolled at University of South Carolina (USC)


1942:

USC student (electrical engineering)

19 November:        Enlisted in ERC

1943:


5 July:     Entered Active Service (AUS), reported to Fort Jackson (SC) for 5 weeks, requested Signal Corps but assigned to Corps of Engineers

Aug. – Nov.:        Fort Leonard Wood, basic training for 17 weeks       
December:    Grinnel College (IA) – 2 weeks testing in science, math, engineering. Offered ASTP (Army Specialty Training), approved for electrical engineering, sent to Washington State College (7 Dec.)

1944:

January:    Washington State College (WA) for 12-week term (engineering)

March:    Camp Kohler (CA) – 6 weeks basic training in Signal Corps
20 March:        3187th Signal Service Battalion (SSBN) activated, Camp Kohler (code name: Rambler)
May:            UC Davis (CA) – 12-week course in installation of toll (long distance) equipment
August:            Enroute east to Fort Monmouth (NJ) by rail
September:        Enlisted Signal School, Fort Monmouth for 4 weeks
11 October:        Assigned to 3187th SSBN
October:    Granted leave, visited home (Columbia, SC), returned via rail (Silver Meteor) to NYC arriving back by 31 Oct.
Nov/ Dec:     Camp Edison (NJ)
10 December:    Advance Echelon 4 (4 officers, 191 enlisted) of 3187th SSBN, sent via rail to Camp Miles Standish / POE: Boston, MA
17 – 27 December:    Echelon 4 enroute to ETO on SS Marine Robin (Convoy CU-51). Promoted to T/5 aboard ship.
28 December:    POD: Swansea, Wales, by rail to Leominster, Herefordshire, England (arrived 30 Dec.) 3187th SSBN (AP0 633). Billeted?

1945:

January:     Leominster, England. 3-day pass to London last of month - heard two V-2 rockets hit city.
2/5 February:    Echelon 4 departed Leominster for Southampton
9 February:    POE: Southampton, boarded SS Borinquen for channel crossing to Le Havre, Normandy, France.
February:    Du Clair (near Rouen), departed Barenton? enroute to Verdun (12th AGp HQ) via rail in 40&8 boxcars across France passing thru Beauvais, Chantilly, Sedan (near Belgium border)
15 February:    Echelon 4 reported for duty to 12th AGp, Verdun (Eagle Signal center - Eagle Main). Billeted at Eagle Rear in former French military academy / army barracks (Caserne?)
2 March    granted jeep license
31 March:    Signal Team (1-GO?) to Luxemburg City via truck – installed switchboard in post office building.
April:            returned to Verdun
22 April:    Wiesbaden (new 12th AGp HQ) – installed repeater station. Billeted at Metropole Hotel, then at Police Barracks
April – May:    Traveled through Biebrich, Hofheim, Worms, Metz, Saarbrucken, Mainz, Frankfurt. Crossed Rhine on F. D. Roosevelt Memorial Bridge, Mainz (May 7) Signal Team involved in wire communications between 12 AGp (Bradley) and 7th Army (Patch) / 6th AGp (Devers).
8 May:    V-E Day
9 May:    Furth / Nuremburg. Billeted at #20 Adolph Hitler Strasse in Furth.
27 May:    Augsburg. Team re-established repeater station, operated long distance telephone network throughout the Schwaben region of Bavaria (May ‘45 – April ‘46).
    Initially billeted at 3rd floor, Telephone Exch. #1 Langensmantelstrasse (7th Army HQ). Later billeted at home of Augsburg city architect.
1 June:        Promoted to T/4
19 July:        Awarded Good Conduct Medal
31 July:    12th Army Group deactivated, 3187th SSBN designated as part of Occupation Force, USFET
August:    Visited Berchtesgaden / Obersalzberg
1 November:        Transferred to Co. A, 3118th SSBN (APO 757), remained in Augsburg
1 December:        Transferred to Co. B, 3160th SSBN (APO 757), remained in Augsburg

1946:

1 March:        Transferred to 2nd Reinforcement Depot (APO 776) to 31 March

7 April:        POE: Le Havre, shipped out on SS Ernie Pyle (Op Magic Carpet)
17 April:        Arrived POD: NYC
21 April:        Fort Meade (MD) - separation from active service (AUS), redesignated ERC

Post-War:
1948:    Graduated from University of South Carolina with degree in electrical engineering (Feb.), hired by Southern Bell Telephone & Telegraph, Atlanta, GA
    Commissioned 2nd Lt. in ORC (effective 13 Dec.)
1949:    Moved back to Columbia, SC (job transfer). Married Caroline Bradham (14 May), had 3 children (b. 1953, 1956, 1962)
1971:    Met former 12th AGp commander, Gen. Omar N. Bradley, at 35th Annual State Chamber of Commerce meeting, Columbia, SC (8 Jan.)
1975:    Promoted to Colonel, USAR (effective 28 Aug.)
1980:    Retired from USAR (23 Dec.)
1984 - 1985:    Break-up of Bell System, retired from Bell South
2006:    Died on 20 March. Buried at Greenlawn Memorial Park, Columbia, SC

Photos, News Clippings, Letters, and Other Artifacts



< 3187 Signal Service Battalion Unit Page

< Unofficial Informal Archive of the U.S. Army Signal Corps in WWII



All material not in the public domain © 2024-2026 Leonard H. Cizewski
and Randy Graham

Posted: February 8, 2026
Last Reviewed:
Updates, Corrections and Revisions History:
February 8, 2026
February 17, 2026


hosted by ibiblio
Researched and written by Randy Graham son of the late
Technician Fourth Grade Laurens R. Graham

Web page constructed by Leonard H. Cizewski


ACKNOWLEDGMENTS | COPYRIGHT