MILLICAN: ‘He will always be my hero’

Published 7:15 pm Thursday, April 25, 2024

A brisk wind whipped several American flags that stood in a row in the sun-drenched westernmost section of West Hill Cemetery last Tuesday, lending a patriotic and moving backdrop as around 120 people stood respectfully at a memorial service for Capt. Larron “Bucky” Murphy. It was 54 years ago to the day his helicopter went down in a Vietnam jungle on April 23, 1970. His body has never been recovered.

Family, longtime friends and fellow soldiers of his Army unit in Vietnam, the “Blue Ghosts,” had lots to say about Bucky. Richard Phillips grew up in the same east Dalton community with the Murphys.

“We lived in a close-knit neighborhood,” he began. “Bucky was a few years older than me but was always kind to us younger boys. His younger brother, Kenneth, and I were the same age and best friends. The Murphys were a loving and kind family, and welcomed me into their home and took me to church with them. Since Bucky was older, he would often quarterback for both teams when we played football. All our hearts were broken when we learned that our friend and one of our own was missing in action (MIA) in Vietnam.”

Phillips called the memorial service “so very meaningful to me.”

“It brought all of the old emotions back to the surface, both pride and sadness,” he said. “Seeing so many of the gentlemen that served with him many years ago come from all over the country speaks to their commitment to Capt. Murphy and our country. Their patriotism is awe-inspiring and something we all should express. I attended the dedication of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C., many years ago. Seeing Larron Murphy’s name there moved me to tears for quite some time. I’m so glad that he has this memorial here in Dalton now; he will always be a hero in my eyes.”

Army veteran Ron Crick is one of several members of the Dalton High Class of 1962, of which Murphy was a graduate.

“I have followed Larron’s story since he was first reported MIA in 1970,” he said. “Even though we were never close friends, I felt we had a lot in common. Serving in the military, we’re all part of the ‘band of brothers’ … I often think of all the years I’ve enjoyed my life and feel sad that Larron didn’t have the same opportunity. Yesterday‘s ceremony gave us all some closure that we’d never had. I was so glad to see all the people there whose lives had been touched in some way by our friend.”

Ben Arp is a Vietnam veteran who knew Murphy at North Georgia College in Dahlonega.

“He and I were in Charlie Company in 1963, and he was friends with my squad leader,” he recalled. “My squad leader jumped my case for some perceived infraction when I met he and Larron in a hallway. He made me come into his room and do push-ups and brace against the wall as he yelled in my face … That afternoon I met Larron on my way back to my room. He stopped me and said, ‘Don’t let this afternoon get you down. Keep your studies up and your room squared away and you’ll be OK.’ He didn’t have to do that and many upperclassmen would not have taken the time to speak with a lowly freshman cadet.”

Arp said he is appreciative that Murphy “went out of his way to give me a boost.”

“I didn’t have the money to return to NGC in the fall of 1964, (and) never saw Larron again,” he said. “But I never forgot him. As for the memorial service, I was moved that so many from his past took the time to attend. All the speakers had a catch in their throat at some point as they recalled Bucky Murphy. His outfit, the Blue Ghosts, came from all over the country to pay their respects. and they came because they respected him as a person and as a soldier. I came because he had helped make me a better cadet, a better soldier and hopefully a better person.”

David Harrigan was Murphy’s roommate in Vietnam (he noted they called him “Larry”).

“I was so proud of the local people that came out from here,” he said. “That was a long time ago, and we had 13 Blue Ghost guys there, too. Murph was a great guy and had a great sense of humor, very caring — you could hear it in his voice. We had a ‘scramble phone’ in our building, and you never heard a bad word like ‘Oh, my God, I gotta go back out (to fly again)!’ Because that was the kind of unit we were in, it was unbelievable.

“He was a great pilot and individual, and always talked about family.”

Murphy’s sister, Susan Ward, said another member of the Blue Ghosts mentioned that her brother’s faith was strong and he was “the finest man he had ever known.”

“Today was so emotional,” she shared late Tuesday. “I was dreading it and looking forward to it at the same time. In my mind, it was a perfect day for him — the weather, the people, the service, the reception — all of it. I always thought he was a superhero, he was the end-all to beat-all.”

For Ward, having dozens and dozens of friends and family attend brought back strong memories.

“It made it seem like it happened yesterday, and all these people just defined that,” she said. “It’s crazy how all those people came, 54 years after the fact. We had no clue how many would show up, so when we drove up and saw all those people, I about busted out crying right there. Sherry (her sister) and I both said it was an absolutely perfect day … I think Mother and Daddy and Bucky would be so proud. He will always be my hero.”

Sherry Murphy Westbury said she couldn’t agree more.

Mark Millican is a former staff writer for the Dalton Daily Citizen.