Cabarrus County, NC - James H. “Jip” Furr Cabarrus Marine Dies in Vietnam Marine Lance Corporal James H. “Jip” Furr, of 16 Barbee Rd., in the Jackson Park community, is Cabarrus County’s first casualty of the Viet Nam War. The 20-year-old marine was killed, according to a telegram received by his family, “In the vicinity of Phu Bai, Republic of Viet Nam.” “He sustained fragmentation wounds to the head and body, while engaged in action against hostile forces, “the telegram continued. A native of Cabarrus County, Cpl. Furr attended Harrisburg High School and volunteered for military service in March of 1964. He later volunteered for duty in Viet Nam and had been serving on the battlefront since June 19, 1965. According to his widow, Mrs. Vickie Morrison Furr, Cpl. Furr was to have returned home in July of this year. Mrs. Furr said that she received a letter last week from her husband explaining that he would be engaged in a new military operation called “Operation Cherokee” and would not be able to write for some time. That was his last letter. Mrs. Furr was first informed of her husband’s death about 8 a.m. Sunday by Marine Maj. E. L. Dickson of the Charlotte Reserve Training Center. The major told the family that a telegram would follow his visit to the home. Mrs. Furr said her husband was a combination driver and gunner on a Marine tank. “He was very proud of what he was doing in Viet Nam,” she explained, “and he volunteered for service there more than a month before his unit was moved to Viet Nam.” Cpl. and Mrs. Furr were married just three weeks prior to his departure for Viet Nam. According to Mrs. Furr, funeral arrangements are incomplete since the body will not arrive home for about eight days. However, a military service will be held. Survivors, in addition to his widow, include his father, Jiles H. Furr of Harrisburg; his stepmother, Mrs. Sandra Furr of Harrisburg; his mother, Mrs. Christine Dorsett of Florida; and two half-brothers, Jeffrey Furr and Randy Furr of Harrisburg. ______________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Bill Furr - bfurr1@charter.net ______________________________________________________________________