Willard M. Murphy Interview, 2001-12-18 [MilColl OH 611]

NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES OFFICE OF ARCHIVES AND HISTORY Military Collection State Archives of North Carolina Willard M. Murphy Interview Summary MilColl OH 611 Interviewee: Willard M. Murphy Interviewer: Sion Harrington III Interview Date: December 18, 2001 Interview Location: Raleigh, N.C. Interview Runtime: 1:53:09 Biographical Sketch Willard Marshel Murphy was born on May 12, 1941, in Greene County, N.C., to Hubert and Dora Murphy. Willard Murphy was raised in Wilson County, N.C. He would marry Shirley Lou Gamer on June 7, 1963, in Wilson, N.C. Murphy was drafted during the Vietnam War, and enlisted in the U.S. Army on August 10, 1966, instead of waiting to be assigned by the draft board. He completed his basic training at Fort Bragg, N.C. Murphy went through his Advanced Individual Training at Fort Eustis near Newport News, Virginia, where he was trained at an Army Seaman, 1st Class. He had additional training at the Norfolk Naval Ship Yard in Norfolk, Virginia. With the completion of his training, Murphy was deployed to Vietnam, arriving at Vung Tau Airbase in early May 1967. He was assigned to the 329th Heavy Boat Company, 4th Transportation Command, and served on a Landing Craft Utility (LCU) boat. Murphy’s primary mission was to transport troops and supplies throughout the Vietnam theater, including locations such as the Mekong River Delta, Cam Ranh Bay, and Da Nang Air Base. After 10 months in Vietnam, Murphy was transferred to a 65-foot tug boat stationed in Saigon, where he served the remainder of his tour. Murphy left Vietnam on May 14, 1968, and was discharged from the U.S. Army at Travis Air Force Base in Solano County, California. He reached the rank of Specialist 4th Class during his military service. After his service with the U.S. Army, Murphy worked at a textile factory in Wilson, N.C. Willard M. Murphy died on January 16, 2008, and was buried in Black Creek Cemetery in Wilson County, North Carolina. At the time of this interview, Murphy was living in Black Creek, N.C. 1