|
(June 25, 1947--November 13, 1967)
A military funeral will be held for Pfc. Wayne P. Murray, 20, son of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Murray of Potsdam, who was fatally wounded in fighting near Dak To, Vietnam. Pvt. Murray's brother, Lt. Warren Murray, in Delaware is awaiting shipment of the body from Saigon, Vietnam. Lt. Murray will be a part of the honor guard to accompany his brother to Norwood, where military services are expected to be held at the Buck Funeral Home. The Rev. Frank I. Smith, pastor of the Norwood Methodist Church, will officiate. The family was notified last Friday that their son had died Monday of "shrapnel wounds in fire fight with hostile forces." Pvt. Murray was born in Potsdam June 25, 1947, a son of Paul and Rachel Howard Murray. He attended Potsdam High School and worked at the Big M Market and at Gale Brothers' Garage before entering the Army Aug. 24, 1966. He and his brother Warren enlisted at the same time. They took basic training at Fort Dix, N.J. Pvt. Murray then underwent nine weeks of guerilla warfare training at Fort Gordon, Ga., and three weeks paratroop training at Fort Benning. Ga., before going overseas. At the time he was killed, he was serving in Company B, Second Battalion, 503rd Infantry of the 173rd Airborne Brigade. Besides his parents and brother Warren, Pvt. Murray is survived by three brothers, David, Ray, and Paul, all at home; his paternal grandmother, Mrs. Carl (Hilda) Murray, and his maternal grandfather, Wayne Howard. Pvt. Murray's cousin, Sgt. Douglas Murray, son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Earl Murray, was also killed in Vietnam Nov. 5, 1966.
(SLCHA Scrapbook; Newspaper Unknown)
****************************************************************
KILLED--Pfc. Wayne P. Murray, 20, of Potsdam, son of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Murray, was killed while fighting in the Vietnamese war. Stationed in Vietnam since March, he was a paratrooper stationed with company B, second battalion, 503rd infantry, 173rd airborne brigade. Funeral arrangements will be with the Buck Funeral home, Norwood. Private Murray's commanding officer said that he died of "shrapnel wounds in fire fight with hostile forces." Major Barrows of the Clarkson College R.O.T.C. notified his parents.
(Taken from the Watertown Daily Times, Monday, Nov. 20, 1967 edition, page 13).
********************************************************************
Army Pfc. Wayne P. Murray, son of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Murray of Route 1, Potsdam, was awarded the bronze star posthumously March 12 by Capt. Kenneth Pekula of the Clarkson ROTC unit. Pfs. Murray was killed Nov. 13 in Vietnam--the day he won the award. "On this day," it was pointed out, his company was "moving through the dense jungle in the central highlands when it encountered a large enemy force. Pfc. Murray with complete disregard for his own safety ran through the heavy volume of rocket and machine gun fire in order to position himself where he could most effectively place fire on the enemy." "He continued to move from position to position helping to drive back the enemy force. It was during this action that Pfc. Murray was mortally wounded." The Bronze Star citation concluded that Pfc. Murray's "outstanding display of aggressiveness, devotion to duty, and personal bravery were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the Army." He previously had received the Purple Heart.
(SLCHA Scrapbook; Newspaper Unknown)
|